Valencia Vacation Rentals

Valencia's top restaurants are easily reachable from your villa, with cuisine from Michelin-starred chefs at pocket-friendly prices. Richard Camerena's Canalla Bistro serves eclectic modern classics with an original twist - drop in here to try a kebab or enjoy their superb lunch specials.

Paella was born in Valencia and is a serious affair among locals. It is a lunchtime meal shared between no less than two people. A typical paella menu has snails and vegetables, and meat like chicken, seafood or rabbit. Try this fare at Panorama Restaurant while you enjoy an incredible 360 degree view of Valencia's beach.

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, a local celebrity architect, The City of Arts and Sciences Complex features wonderfully peculiar modern architecture and is an iconic symbol of Valencia. Several buildings with educational and cultural purposes come together to form this complex. These include an IMAX cinema, a planetarium, aquarium, and a science museum.

The strange and alien-like structure of the museum rests on the Turia River bed that saw conversion into a park. You're free to wander around the exterior of this ethereal landmark, but if you want to enjoy the assortment of attractions within, you'll need to buy a ticket.

Browse contemporary Valencian art at the IVAM museum, which hosts traveling international modern art displays plus an extensive and permanent collection of regional and local artists. Also, enjoy artistic graffiti street art and large murals painted all over the streets, particularly near Turia River Park.

A Valencia vacation villa offers access to fabulous playgrounds, outdoor activities in the sunshine and lots of beaches, making it an exceptionally family-friendly destination. Head to Malvarrosa Beach, just a short bus ride from the city center, for fine golden sand and a monitored bathing area. Or go a little further afield to El Saler beach, where you'll find large dunes, white sand and clear blue water.

The Principe Felipe Science Museum, located at the City of Arts and Sciences, is a great place to make learning fun for kids. An interactive experience planned from a child's perspective, it explores the most striking features of the scientific world, aiming to stimulate curiosity and critical thinking in children. This indoor facility is the perfect destination for the rare Valencia rainy day when you need to get your kids out of the house rental for some fun.

Valencia rests on flat land close to the sea, making it rather easy to get around on a bike from your house rental. The beauty of this gem lies in the fact that Valencia turned a dry river bed into a green space, the Jardines del Turia, weaving its way through the city center for 9km.

After the river was diverted following a disastrous flood in the 1950s, the green space became home to a children's playground and a nature park, making it an excellent spot for picnicking, jogging, and cycling. The large green space also hosts museums and the City of Arts and Sciences.

Several bike-rental establishments dot Valencia's city center, mainly around the Old City; a good bet is Solution Bike Rental, which has several branches to choose from. You can choose to rent for a day, a week, or opt for the city bike-share system.

Valencia, like any Spanish city, has its traditions - and the locals take these somewhat seriously. Every spring, the Falles festival takes place with several neighborhood ceremonies. Falles monuments, artistic constructions made by local communities, are burned ceremonially in tiny but rather loud celebrations. This ancient festival dates back to the Middle Ages.

The International Festival of Pyrotechnics is a fireworks extravaganza which marks the victory of a Spanish king over the occupying Moors in 1238. Taking place in October, it also features a parade of people dressed as Moorish and Christian soldiers before the sky is lit up with a profusion of rockets and firecrackers.

Then there is the more modern festival of La Tomatina, which began in 1945. Basically a big tomato fight that lasts for two hours, it takes place in the nearby town of Buñol - and is definitely not for the fainthearted!