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		Valencia - Spain's Perfect Paradise!

Valencia - A City to discover!

Valencia was founded in 137BC by the Romans,on the site of an Iberian town. It's original name, Valentia (meaning strength and vigour), was coupled with it's later, Moorish name, Balansiya
(the Moors held Valencia for 500 years), to become Valencia. Ok, history lesson over.

In the 21st century, the 3rd largest city of Spain has become a city of cultural pride and flamboyance, and a city of the future.....
From the Roman and Arabic buildings of the Carmen district (the old city) to the futuristic 'City of Arts & Sciences' (designed by Santiago Calatrava), Valencia has a stunning array of architectural eras on show throughout the city, and region.


Valencia's City of Arts & Sciences		Valencia Cathedral & Plaza de la Virgin

There really is so much to do and see in Valencia, pick up your info pack at VVS and start planning.
Here's a few of the sightseeing highlights:

The Gothic Cathedral, the Modernist Central Market and the Art Deco Railway Station,
El Templo (the ancient church of the Knights Templar), The Valencia Bull Ring,
The Town Hall Square (where the famous 2-week long 'Mascleta' firework fiesta kicks
off Valencia's huge Fallas Fiesta), The Turia Gardens (you can't miss them, they wind
right through the city), The City of Arts & Sciences (including The Hemispheric - Planetarium,
Laser Dome & Imax, The Science Museum & The Oceanographic - Europe's largest Aquarium).
There are also many Museums in the city, including the Ceramics Museum & the Rice Museum.

The most notable fiesta to see if you're coming to Valencia is Fallas

Every year, in March, the city
hosts The Fallas Fiestas.
Huge, 3+ story models are created throughout the City, only to be burned on the final night!
Ladies in traditional dresses, the loudest daily firework/banger display every, and parties through the night - Unmissable!!


Street Cafes	Fresh Tapas	Evening Cafes

If eating & drinking are your thing, look no further......

During a full day of sightseeing, you're going to need some rest & refreshment!!
Valencia has an abundance of bars, cafes & restaurants right across the city.
There is the typical Valenciano cafe-bar serving copas de cerveza and fresh, home-made tapas of every shape and size. You'll find these everywhere - don't always go for the most fancy looking from outside, walk in and check out their tapas counter, these are the real places to try tapas.
There are loads of gastro pub style bars to frequent, morning, noon and night for a good bit of 'foreign' food - from Irish to American (no, we don't mean big macs, although they're there....).
Perfect for a big feed and a big pint.
For restaurants, you can really take your pick - everything is catered for here. Spanish, French, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Argentinean, Colombian, Brazilian, Greek etc etc.

For lunch, try one of the local Spanish restaurants for their bargain 'menu del dia' where you'll get a 3 course meal for anywhere from €8 (including drinks!). Lunchtime in Valencia is around 2-4pm.
Don't forget, this is the home of Paella, so grab a plate when you get a chance!
In the evening, if you're going restaurant hunting, don't expect anywhere to open before 9pm.
This is real Spain, where the population works until 8ish, so kick back, and relax over a few jars 1st.
If you want to eat earlier, it's tapas bar time again!!


Late night bars & outdoor clubs all close to VVS

Nightlife

Valencia is packed with bars and clubs to while away an evening (well, evening/morning)
hopping around. From quiet side street cafes and bars where you can watch the world go by,
to full on live music bars open from 2am, with loads in the middle ground, there are just so
many it's impossible to list them. Suffice to say, there's a bar for everyone in Valencia:
Irish bars, English bars, Scottish bars, Valenciano bars, Posh bars (where you'll pay €5+ for a drink), Footy bars (where you're more likely to pay €1 for a drink!), Trendy bars (where all the beautiful people want to be - try 1-eyed Jacks or The Crematorium), Retro bars, Disco bars, Live music bars......
Really, you could spend a year here, and not see them all!

Valencia is famous for it's Open Air Clubs and Venues, so much so that in the 80's it was the place
to be for all night dancing & clubbing, way before the likes of Ibiza et al.
Nowadays it's still a huge part of the culture, with clubs opening from 1-2am until 7am (perfect for getting the 1st train home!). But, you won't find these clubs in the city, oh no. You'll find them tucked away in the numerous villages dotted around the Valencia region, on the outskirts, just lurking....
Near to VVS we have numerous open air, all-nighters. Now, these aren't 'clubs' as per
nightclubs back home, they're more of a 'vibe/chill-out/groove/dance' kinda thing, with multiple
dance floors playing different music genres, bars inside and out, palm trees, pools.......


Shopping, sun-bathing, shopping. Perfect.

Shopping & Sunbathing

Valencia is packed full of small and quirky, privately owned shops as well as the household
brand name shops. You'll find many 'commercial centres' (shopping centres) throughout the
city and surrounding areas with the likes of: Zara, Mango, H&M etc. (Open all day, too).
Don't forget the Spanish institution that is 'El Corte Ingles', their h-u-g-e department store.
In Valencia's case, though, make that 6 (yes 6!), stores across the city - Fashion, sports goods,
toys, pet store, supermarket, it's all in El Corte Ingles.
There's also plenty of street markets throughout the week, one of the biggest is the 'Rastro'
which is held in the car park of Valencia FC's grounds, every sunday.

If you fancy a day out at the beach, try Playa Malvarrossa, in Valencia city and easily accessible
via the metro (it's also easy to park if you want to take the car). It's a lovely long stretch with all
the amenities you'll need for a full day of baking. Plus there is a fantastic promenade packed with
bars and restaurants to grab a beer, a light bite, or a full meal.
You can also access The Americas Cup Port from the beach, where you can have a look round the
facilities and shops.


Football, Golf, Motorsports, Fishing, Hiking, Cycling, Watersports: it's all here. .

Sports and Valencia

Sport fans are well catered for in Valencia, not just in the city, but also around VVS.
(See our Area Page for more info on activities out of the city).
With Valencia being re-booked for the 33rd Americas Cup, The Americas Cup Port, at Malvarrossa
Beach, is a modern area to check out with great views. Although the actual main contest happens in 2010,
the plans are now being drawn up for the multitude of racing events and regattas that take place from
now until the finals begin. You can check out the facilities and shops while you're here.
Malvarrossa is where you will find a lot of watersport activities as well, including windsurfing &
kite-surfing (now, that is mad!), international kite racing, rugby, soccer & volleyball international compos
and lots more too. Or bring your petaque set down for a more relaxing sport, there's plenty of room!!
Sailing enthusiasts can also visit the Royal Yacht Club, just on the south side of the city. Just check in
at reception and stroll around the facility and view some of the boats and yachts.

Port Americas Cup is also where the brand new European Formula 1 Grand Prix will have it's pit lane situated. A real coup for Valencia when Bernie Ecclestone announced last year that he had signed a
contract with the city to bring F1 here, August 2008 sees the 1st 'Valencia F1 GP' in what will be an
ultra exciting race around the city streets. And the fiesta is going to be magic.
Valencia also holds the 'Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Community Valencia' as well as rounds of the
World Superbike and the World Touring Car Championships as well as many others. They are held at
Valencia Race Circuit (Ricardo Tormo Circuit), in Cheste, only 30 min's from VVS.
For more info, see out Area Page.
For Golf lovers, there are some great courses available locally to VVS, see our Area Page.

Ok, we couldn't finish without a mention of football, could we.
Valencia FC are based right in the centre of Valencia, at their Mestalla Stadium.
There's a metro stop just outside, and prices are pretty good for one of the biggest clubs in Spain.
Home matches are generally on a saturday or sunday evening (k.o. around 9pm) and you can get tickets from various outlets, including El Corte Ingles. If you can't get tickets, never fear,
every self respecting bar & cafe owner will be showing the match anyway!!

Trains, planes and automobiles and Valencia

For the confident driver amongst you, Valencia is pretty easy to get around. It is a big city, though
not compared to any of the big UK cities, with plenty of underground parking. Prices are reasonable,
and you are guaranteed to find spaces (the Spanish won't pay for parking y'see).
A much more relaxing approach to a trip to the city, is via the train. Known locally as the Metro, your
nearest station is in Lliria, just 10km from VVS. Ridiculously cheap (€1.20 per journey if you buy the
10 journey ticket) you can be in the centre of Valencia within 40 minutes. You can also get to the
beach with just 1 change from Lliria, and to/from the airport.
Great value, and a regular service.

While in Valencia, you can always take the Bus Sightseeing Tour of the city, where you can
get on/off the bus at certain historical points around Valencia for the length of your ticket.
New tours have been announced which include trips to Albufera Lake via some of the small villages
and north of the city to the Castle of Sagunto.

Need any more information on anything mentioned? Just E-mail us!!

2008 Villa Valencia Spain Email: gizymomo@btinternet.com Tel: (0044) 752 582 3634

Valencia - Spain's Perfect Paradise!