10 Things to Do in Valencia in Summer

Valencia is one of Spain 's leading cities and stands out for its contributions to art and science, as well as its architecture, mostly designed by Santiago Calatrava. It is also an ideal summer tourist destination thanks to its beaches, water parks and natural swimming pools.

Among the best things to see and do in Valencia are several things you can enjoy in summer, such as the Great July Fair, the Caves of San José and the gastronomic tours of the city's terraces.

Valencia is famous for being a coastal city and, as such, has some of the best beaches in mainland Spain bathed by the Mediterranean. Valencia's extensive coastline is a mix of tourist beaches and wild or less explored beaches, as well as those of the Dehesa Natural Park and urban beaches.

If you want to visit the beaches closest to the centre of Valencia, you can opt for El Cabanyal, located in the famous neighbourhood of the same name, La Malvarrosa and La Patacona, which stands out especially for its palm trees. These are the most complete beaches, surrounded by services and with golden sand and crystal-clear waters. Bear in mind that during the summer they are the places that attract the most tourists.

If you prefer natural, wild or less explored beaches, you can choose El Saler, La Garrofera, La Devesa, Pinedo or Recati, all of them surrounded by the Albufera Natural Park, and which offer a more rugged panorama. These beaches are frequently visited by cycling tours and nature lovers.

The Great July Fair is one of the highlights of the Valencian summer and is considered the festival that officially opens the summer season in the city. The fair opens each year with a musical show featuring local artists and includes fireworks, lights and sounds.

The fair's activities are spread throughout the city and include the Jardines del Palau, the Parque del Oeste, the Plaza Redonda and the Tapinería Market.

The fair also organises the concerts in the Jardines de Viveros, which usually attract international artists and personalities from all over Spain and Europe.

The fair's activities range from musical shows to sports championships, children's workshops, art exhibitions, foam parties and gastronomic competitions.

The fair is very popular in Valencia and has been part of the city's historical heritage since the first edition was inaugurated in 1871, with the aim of attracting tourists, celebrating the beginning of summer and promoting local products.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the fair is free.
• Location... In different locations, including the Jardines del Palau, the Parque del Oeste, the Plaza Redonda and the Tapinería Market.
• When... Every year in July.

The Gorgo de la Escalera is a bathing area with several natural pools that spring from the tributary of the Barranco de las Turmas and is one of the most famous green spots on the outskirts of Valencia.

There you can bathe in the crystal clear pools, which are clean and cold, so summer is the ideal season to visit this attraction.

The Gorgo de la Escalera is located a few streets away from the small village of Anna, which is also worth a visit. During the year the entrance to the Gorgo is free, although in summer the influx of visitors is regulated and the entrance fee is approximately 2 euros per person to access the pools and an approximate cost of 3 euros to also enter the Albufera of Anna.

El Gorgo de la Escalera is a wild natural site where it is forbidden to camp, light fires or do any activity that could damage the area, although you will be able to take some of the best photographs when you enter, as to access the pools you will have to go down some steep stairs with wooden handrails.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance is free all year round and during the summer the approximate cost is 2 euros for access to the natural pools and 3 euros including the Albufera de Anna.
• Location... El Gorgo de la Escalera is located five streets away from the main entrance to Anna.
• Opening hours... Open 24 hours.
• How to get there... By car on the A-7 road and by bus on lines C1 and C2 combined with line L1B.

If you are planning to visit Valencia with children, visiting some of the city's water parks can be one of the best experiences.

There are nine in total spread throughout the Valencian Community and four that stand out particularly for their attractions. Most of them offer activities for the whole family and have different rates for children and family groups.

• Aquópolis in Cullera is one of the most visited and has three categories of attractions, which include adrenaline rushes, moderate options and children's games for the under 10s. Tickets start at 18 euros per person.

• Aqualandia and Aquapark, both in Benidorm. They stand out mainly for the slides, the heated tropical pools and the shows focused mainly on children. General admission for adults at both parks is approximately 39 euros, but they have reduced rates for advance online bookings.

• Segobriga Park in Castellón is a medieval-themed water play complex with walls, bridges and knights flanking the entrances. This park also has one of the most beautiful views because it is enclosed in the Sierra Calderona mountain range, so in addition to the attractions of slides, waterfalls and jacuzzis, it has one of the best panoramic views in the Valencian Community.

Valencia has some of the best gastronomy in Spain and the city is full of restaurants, bars and street stalls selling paella, salted fish, seafood and Valencian cuisine.

During the summer, you can also enjoy the tastiest dishes on the seafront promenade and in the city centre, on the terrace of restaurants overlooking the sea or the old town, depending on the location.

The best gastronomic tours of Valencia also include sweet options, such as arnadí, which is a dessert of sponge cakes and almonds, turrón and fartons with horchata.

If you are planning a short stay in the city, I recommend that you set aside some time to discover Valencian cuisine. If this is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Valencia in 2 days.

Valencia is one of the cities in Spain that is best suited to cycle tourism and one of the activities you can do in summer, when the weather is mild, is to discover its attractions by bike.

This way you can cycle while your guide shows you the Serrano Towers, the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences, the Cathedral, the Plaza de Manises and the Colón Market.

If you opt for a guided bike tour, your guide will make stops so that you can refresh yourself, buy food and rest, if you need to. You will then continue on to the Palau de la Música, the Puente de las Flores, the Muelle de la Aduana and the Malvarrosa Beach.

If you choose the afternoon tours, you will be able to see the sunset from the beach, which is usually included in the final part of the tour.

If you don't want to hire a tour and prefer to explore the city on your own and at your own pace, you can always rent a bike and do a free tour.

The Cuevas de San José, with almost 3 kilometres of navigable channels, hide the largest underground river in Europe and also a mystery that archaeologists have not yet been able to solve, as neither the origin of the river nor the end of the grotto is known.

This mystery of nature, however, is one of the most visited natural attractions in Spain.

The season in the Cuevas de San José remains constant at around 20°, but the best time to visit is during the summer, when you can swim and follow the path of the sun as it streams through the first sections of the channels.

The underground river is divided into rooms, including Los Murciélagos, Lago de Diana, Galería de los Sifones, Zona Seca and La Catedral, so called because of the 12-metre vault that gives it its shape and the stalactites that adorn its walls and ceilings.

Interesting details

• Price... General admission costs approximately 14 euros per person.
• Location... Paratge de Sant Josep s/n, Castellón.
• Opening hours... Every day from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.
• How to get there... By car on route V-21 and by bus on lines 71 and 81 combined with line L1.

The open-air summer cinema is an old custom that Valencia continues to maintain in its summer agenda. Every year, from the first weekend of August and for a month, giant screens are installed in the Palau Gardens so that visitors can watch the premiere and classic films of the summer season.

The open-air summer cinema is one of the favourite activities for families and also a Valencian cultural legacy, which many of the tourists who visit the city in the summer usually enjoy. In addition, there are also other proposals for cinema in the street, such as those of Terraza Charly, on Miramar Beach or in the neighbourhoods of Oliva and Catadau.

The open-air cinema cycles are free in the Palau Gardens and in the private venues they cost between 4 and 10 euros, depending on the function and the day of the week.

Have you ever dreamt of fighting in a tomato battle? If so, in Buñol you can make it come true, because during the patron saint's fiestas of this Valencian town, on the last Wednesday in August, it is tradition to fight a battle with 150 tonnes of tomatoes that are unfit for consumption.

This particular war, which is called Tomatina, lasts for exactly one hour and after the time is up , the town is cleaned up.

La Tomatina is on the list of the must-do's in Valencia during the summer and is one of the most striking activities, as you can see the streets of Buñol bathed in a river of crushed tomatoes.

Interesting details

• Price... Tickets cost approximately 12 euros per person.
• Location... Buñol, Valencia.
• When... The last Wednesday in August each year.
• How to get there... By car on the A-3 road and by bus on line C3.

The Albufera National Park is one of the most famous nature reserves in Valencia and also one of the most visited by tourists. The area has many attractions to discover, such as the Dehesa de Saler and the picturesque barracas, which are the typical constructions of the aquifer.

Visiting the Albufera is one of the best tours in Valencia and during the summer it offers one of the golden sunsets on the Spanish coast, with clear skies and pleasant weather at sunset.

If you are a nature lover or just want to see the Valencian skies, you can visit this reserve during the summer.

Interesting details

• Price... Tickets cost approximately 5 euros per person.
• Location... Gulf of Valencia, Valencian Community.
• Opening hours... Monday to Saturday from 8.00 am to 2.30 pm.
• How to get there... By car on the CV-500 road and by bus on lines 10, 35 and 40 combined with line 24.

The average temperature in Valencia in summer is 25°, with highs of 33° and lows of 21°, which means that the climate in the city is mild and it is often hot, but not stiflingly hot.

The same happens in Valencia in winter, as temperatures drop substantially, but remain stable and do not fall below 0°, which makes the capital of the Valencian Community a city with a very pleasant climate all year round.

Between June and September is Valencia's high season and when it receives the most visitors, so if you are planning to travel to the city during the summer, you should bear in mind that it will have a large influx of tourists.

To avoid delays and last-minute price increases on excursions, I recommend that you book in advance online and organise a travel itinerary taking into account which attractions are the most visited.

Summer is one of Valencia's strong points and the months when prices rise considerably, so if you're looking for a cheap time to visit the city, it won't be during these dates.

Also keep in mind that during the summer the prices increase because the services are sold out, as Valencia is a city usually visited on short breaks of a few days or weekend tours. If this is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Valencia in 3 days.

• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Comfortable shoes
• Summer coat
• Summer jumpers
• Swimwear
• Sports trousers
• T-shirts
• Light coat