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Valencia region tours

Hello,

Looking for recommendations for food, wine, paella, olive oil tours/experiences. We're based in Valencia so preferabley no farther than an hour drive.

Thanks!

Posted by
30081 posts

I know nothing about tours from Valencia, but in case you have extra time and are looking for self-directed day trips, I can recommend Teruel, a seldom-visited provincial capital with some quirky architecture, including Mudejar towers. It's on a regional rail line running from Valencia up to Zaragoza. It's not a quick trip (2-1/2 hours each way), and trains are infrequent, but I found Teruel quirky and fun.

Cuenca, being on the AVE line connecting Valencia to Madrid, is much faster trip (about 1 hour), but the AVE station is outside Cuenca, so you need a bus (possibly infrequent) or taxi to get into town to see the medieval upper town with hanging houses along a ravine. Fares to Cuenca can be very reasonable if purchased well ahead of time but may be pricey for last-minute trips.

Posted by
1190 posts

I'd forget the olive oil near Valencia.

For wine tasting/touring, the only wineries I know of (there are others) are these; I've not been to them.

There is a Valencia D.O. but the region is not as known for wine tourism as are many other regions of Spain. But there are wine tours from the city the you can find online.

BODEGA VEGAMAR. https://vegamar.es/en/?srsltid=AfmBOoopimmdCsqoP114ieov9-BXn5HA4S1wLShUasUfb3pV98mLi7vF

FINCA CALDERON. https://fincacalderon.com/enoturismo/visita-la-bodega/

BODEGA RAFAEL CAMBRA. https://www.rafaelcambra.es/eng/bodega/

We were in Valencia for ten days last year. Highlights for us were the three paella lunches we had, just outside the city. if you have a car, I would give my strongest recommendation to drive to Cullera, south of the city; very easy drive of under an hour. Restaurant CASA SALVADOR is a sprawling restaurant on an estuary (lots of birds, little boats, etc) that serves fantastic rice dishes. https://casasalvador.com/en/home/

Without a car, I would take a taxi (about 18 euro each way; there is also a train from the Nord station) to the village of Meliana and have a paella lunch at CA PEPICO. I don't think you need a tour for paella--just order your preferred paella when you book, and when you go, just ask questions, and ask to see the kitchen if you like (you can peek it from the street). Lunch there, and at nearby NAPICOL (we went twice to Meliana during our stay in Valencia) will teach you a tremendous amount about paella and the other rice dishes of this coast. I cannot recommend doing this enough....just wonderful, wonderful!!!

https://www.capepico.com/en/

https://www.napicol.com

Remember, Paella is for lunch and most of the better rice restaurants are not open for dinner. In general, and there are exceptions, I would not go to a restaurant serving rice at night; it's probably oriented toward tourists.
You must order your rice dish in advance; they are prepared to order. Order when you book, after looking at the online menu.
Pricing îș per person with a minimum of two persons. (I know one great restaurant that serves it at night and might make it for one if you ask; LLISA NEGRA in the center)
It's customary to order a small dish before the rice, to eat while you wait. But not necessary.

There are details and photos of these restaurants here; lunch at these were some of the best food experiences I've ever had in Spain.

https://www.hungryonion.org/t/valencia-paella-etc-11-12-24/41345