We visited Valencia in October 2024. This was my first time in Europe, and honestly my first real trip abroad of any kind and as a starting point, Valencia couldn't have been better.
What stuck with me most were the people. I've never come across a crowd this energetic and active anywhere else. In the Turia Gardens - a park built right into the old, drained riverbed that runs the whole length of the city - there are runners out at all hours, football and tennis games. Some locals don't speak much English, but everyone I approached genuinely tried to help, a kind of warmth I found myself missing on later trips and a reason I desided to learn spanish :) Just look - in the first photo is a package from a delivery service, where, seeing my name, they wrote "thank you" in russian!
The food alone is a reason to come. Valencia is the birthplace of paella and Spain is the birthplace of jamón, so trying it here is non-negotiable. We picked up jamón straight from a local market (Mercado Central), it costs pennies compared to prices in any other country, but it's amazing. I only had paella at one random restaurant, so I can't really compare, but it was excellent, and from what I gather you'd have to work hard to find a bad one in this city.
By October the sea has cooled off, a little cold for a long swim, but we got in anyway, and I'm glad we did.
If you're planning a first trip to Europe and want the sea, great food, and a lively, friendly city without big-capital chaos, Valencia is a great pick. In my experience October is a sweet spot: still warm, but without the summer heat and the crowds.
But be careful, you might not come back, I'm still tormented by thoughts of moving there :)
Must-see places:
- Historic center
- Malvarrosa Beach
- Turia Gardens