Things to Do in Valencia, Spain

When one travels, they get caught up in the excitement of flying, arriving, etc. and forget to scoop out the "fun stuff" and places to go before hand. Traveling to Valencia, Spain? Here are the places and things you should do before you leave.

Visit Ciutat di les Arts i les Ciencies, the museum The City of Arts and Sciences. This extensive, branched out institution is composed of an Opera house, an IMAX theatre, planetarium, walkthrough garden, oceanographic park, and science museum. To fully experience the museum, one must arrive early in the morning and leave later at night. The whole campus is surrounding by artificial pools of water and streams. As enchanting as it is academically, it is breathtaking.

Drink horchata. The local Valencian beverage is made from a blend of sugar, water, and tigernuts, almost always served on the rocks. The use of tigernuts can be traced back to the Muslims who arrived in the 8^th century. Some people can resemble horchata to sweet tasting milk with a beige hue. It is sold in Spanish supermarkets and can be purchased at stands on the street. Try it. It is nothing like we have back home.

Participate in La Tomatina. Happen to be in Valencia around the end of August? Find the exact date for La Tomatina that year and attend. It is held in Bunyol, a couple kilometers away from the big city. This festival lasts the whole day and it simply involves barricading tomatoes at fellow bystanders while getting soaked by fire engine hoses simultaneously. Everyone at the event goes to the local river afterwards to wash off all the tomato residue.

Watch a bullfight. The Plaza de Toros in Valencia is located walking distance from the Northern Train Station. The circular Romanesque stadium built in the 1850s has bullfights a couple of times a week and serves as the site of occasional political rallies, travelling circuses, and concert shows. Spaniards do not view bullfighting as animal abuse, but a sport. Animal activists should steer clear of these events for those reasons. But if you're not of that type, watching a bullfight is truly magical and should not be passed up when in Valencia.

Eat paella. This dish is originally from Valencia, including an array of seafood with yellow rice. It can be eaten in almost any Valencian restaurant as it is the local specialty. Meat, vegetables, mussels, and lobster are the main components of this plate. One cannot leave Spain, or Valencia for that matter without at least trying a bite of the world famous paella.

Stop by el Mercado Central. It is one of Europe's largest marketplaces covering 8,000 sq. meters where one can find from fresh produce to jewelry. The market is a bustling hub with people in every direction selling everything you could imagine. Steel and glass cover the infrastructure, with the ground being genuine Valencian tile. Take pictures, many.

Now that you know what to do in Valencia, it is time you go make hotel reservations and buy plane tickets. Nobody who has ever been to Valencia has ever left disappointed.