Located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Valencia provides a perfect combination of tradition and modernity, having evolved without relinquishing its historical roots. With mild temperatures throughout the year, the city surprises visitors with its blend of ancient and avant-garde architecture, the Royal Marina, kilometres of beaches, Green pedestrian areas that cross the city from east to west, natural parks only 15 minutes from the city centre and its delicious cuisine, which uses fresh quality products to seduce with both traditional dishes and those prepared by chefs who have been awarded Michelin Stars. All of the above, along with the Valencians’ Mediterranean lifestyle and events such as the Fallas, its varied cultural programming and food festivals make Valencia an unforgettable port of call.
The Port of Valencia has dedicated quays for cruise ships with a length of up to 300m and other berths for those vessels with a length of more than 300m. All infrastructures offer the last standards in quality of services and safety for passengers as for the vessels.
Between the offer of new excursions the Religious Art Route is becoming most popular. This excursion includes a stop at the Cathedral with the obligatory visit to the Holy Grail where you can find out how this most popular relic came to Valencia. It also includes other churches such as the recently restored Saint Nicolas, rightly called the Spanish Sistine Chapel with its most impressive paintings. The visitor may complete this Religious Art Route with a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, the second biggest art gallery in Spain where you can find, among others, treasures of religious paintings of from the 16th to the 19th century.
The former bed of the River Turia, whose course was altered due to continual flooding, has given rise to a 9-kilometre garden that runs through the city from west to east with interesting museums on both sides, sports facilities, children’s playgrounds and 18 bridges. The garden houses the City of Arts and Sciences, the avant-garde collection of buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava, with Europe’s biggest aquarium, a science museum, a 3D cinema and the Palau de les Arts opera house.
Combine your visit to the historic centre with a trip to the Albufera Natural Park, a Mediterranean ecosystem covering 20,000 hectares with unspoilt dune beaches, forests, rice fields and a huge lake where you can enjoy boat trips and discover the fauna that live there. A bike ride is one of the alternative ways to explore it.