Valencia
Valencia blogs
Jaunted - The Travel Guide In Real-Time
Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, has just opened the first phase of a $94 million, state-of-the-art zoo called Bioparc Valencia.
The zoo spans 25 acres and is home to 4,000 animals from 250 species including the old zoo favorites and stand-bys: antelope, zebras, gorillas and leopards.
Yet it's not your grandparents zoo where you walk around and point at animals in cages. The Bioparc reproduces the vegetation, terrain and sounds of the animals' ecosystem while hiding all the man-made stuff like barriers so you can feel a little less guilty about observing animals taken from their natural habitats.
Gridskipper
Summer is quickly approaching, and one of our favorite summertime destinations, Valencia, beckons. Blessed with beaches, lively nightlife, culinary specialties, and gorgeous weather, it's pretty hard to dislike Valencia in the summer months. That is, if you can deal with the tourists who come for the same reasons and the large number of expensive clubs and restaurants. To give your wallet some relief and to further your reckless and carefree enjoyment of the beachy metropolis, we've come up with a handy guide for getting around without losing your shirt. Paella, horchata, and a rare hostel with air conditioning and a pool table, after the jump.
City of Arts and Sciences: La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias offers a slew of programs, from IMAX and planetarium shows to lectures in the oceanographic center, but the space is also one of the coolest venues for live concerts. The performance stage sits on pristine pools of water with wide bridges connecting it to land. White and stunning, the complex is a great architectural landmark, and live music shows are usually free or under €10.
L'hamadriada: For a meal that looks and tastes like three-star quality but is priced like a one-star, we suggest L'hamandriada. The location is central without being noisy, and the menu offers reasonably priced grilled meats, foie gras with apples, delicious fresh salmon, and a chocolate and muesli dessert. They even have white tablecloths, nice silverware, and excellent service.
Horchateria Daniel: Horchata, a delicious milky beverage made mainly from tigernuts, water, and sugar, originates in Valencia. (A variation made in Central and South America is more rice-based.) Set on the outskirts of the city, Horchateria Daniel serves top-notch Valencia horchata, along with tasty ice cream.
Plaça del Mercat: Plaça del Mercat is a giant plaza that bustles with street vendors and houses the Mercado Central. This is the central farmers' market in Valencia, and it's the best place to buy affordable fresh fruits and veggies, meats, fish, shellfish, and paper goods.
Playa Malvarrosa: We generally prefer the hidden empty beaches of Andalucia any day, but there's something we just love about Valencia's Playa Malvarrosa. The beach seems to extend for miles and is consistently packed all summer long with tanning bodies. The Mediterranean, the soft sand, the endless sea of people -- you can't help but feel a communal summertime thrill.
Purple Nest Hostel: Since one of Valencia's very best hostels (Alberge Juvenil Las Arenas) closed a few years ago, we've been looking for another with the same atmosphere of debauchery and fun. Though the relatively new Purple Nest isn't as rowdy, they do have a bar. All of the large rooms are air conditioned, and the spacious and comfortable common area with a TV and a pool table encourages backpacker scum to make friends and hang out together.
La Ruia: La Ruia is one of the best places to get authentic and affordable paella. The paella heavy hitter Casa Roberto is toxic for a budget, and most of the other places in the city are surprisingly mediocre. La Ruia has been around for over quarter century, and the proprietors cook dishes from recipes passed down through the generations.
-- Amanda Kludt
[Photo: kanuck]
Blog.Travelistic
Once a year the city of Valencia does its level best to blow itself up to celebrate the arrival of spring. The festival is called Las Fallas and includes a full week of daily fireworks barrages (mascletà) in the central plaza, parades, and parties all leading up up to St. Joseph’s day on March 19th. The main attraction are the fallas, huge figures and scenes – some towering several stories high – made of flammable wax, wood, plaster, and cardboard, and mounted on a base of firecrackers and fireworks. Hundreds of neighborhood organizations (casals) within the city each construct a falla for display in the streets or squares, and each gets a parade before being put in place. The designs get bigger and more complex every year as artisans attempt to outdo each other, and include everything from fairytale scenes to satirical political jabs; take a look at Flickr’s fallas tag to get an idea. On the night of the 19th, each display is torched in a huge bonfire, with the best falla of the year incinerated last. Just imagine if Burning Man’s climactic burn were wedged into narrow medieval streets, instead of taking place in the relatively fire-proof expanse of the Nevada desert, see user sacasonrisas’ video from last year’s festival if you don’t believe me:
Gridskipper
Maroon walls, dim lights, chandeliers, wooden furniture, antique paintings, large framed white statues and haunting instrumental music gives Café de Las Horas a unique character. Tiny private rooms with the same Bohemian-Medieval look and feel along with their famous cocktails, make it a great place for a cozy date. Every Wednesday and Saturday at 7pm, a Gypsy tarot card reader is around to tell you your fate [for free!] and in case you are starving for English conversation, the café holds talks in English every Tuesday and Sunday. Located on Calle del Conde de Almodóvar 1, right before Plaza de la Virgen, the café is mystic but relaxing, definitely worth more than one visit.
[Text: Abha Malpani]
Previously: Vegan in Valencia, Bocateria For Hungry Party-Goers, Italo Spagnolo Tapas in Spain, Listing To Portside, Bollywood in Valencia
Gridskipper
At Plaza España, on an island in the middle Calle Jesus, is Bocateria Trina. Bocateria comes from the word bocadillo [sandwich], which comes from the word boca - the word for mouth in Spanish. As much as Valencia is awake partying all night, if you are hungry for late-night food that isn't a kebab - nothing is open. Nothing except this one in the middle of the street Bocateria Trina that is open until 3am. Run by friendly Ecuadorians, the place is always packed with hungry people post midnight. There is also random kick value from sitting on a terrace in the middle of one of the main streets in Valencia a la The Program.
Trina Bocateria [Paginas Amarillas]
[Text+Photo: Abha Malpani]
Previously: Italo Spagnolo, Magic Mussels at Bar PIlar, Candy Culture, New York Times in Valencia, Orient Xpress: Cheap, Chic and Chinese, Priceless Paella
Gridskipper
Found another Italian diamond in a rock, located right at Plaza de la Reina en Calle Corregeria 7. Although run by Italians, Italo Spagnelo doesn't have lasagna, spaghetti bolognese, or risotto. Instead it has a variety of tapas cooked Italian style including brushette with mushrooms and spinach, grilled calamari and mussels alongside an assortment of unconventionally made pasta with ingredients like aubergine, ham, clams and pesto. It serves a variety of steaks with homestyle sauces and plates of meat and fish cooked as pleased. The tiramisu has ice cream in it and the cheesecake doesn't have cheese but is delicious nevertheless. The food is fresh, staff is friendly, and if you are Italian, make sure to mention it as you will get bigger portions and a discount.
[Text: Abha Malpani]
Previously: Magic Mussels at Bar PIlar, Candy Culture, New York Times in Valencia, Orient Xpress: Cheap, Chic and Chinese, Priceless Paella
Gridskipper
It's the tail-end of summer and Valencia's theater cafe's are having a huge end-of-summer sale. Every night of the week, free acts are filling cafes with thespians and the Valencians who love them. The Circuito Cafe Teatro of Valencia is an association that began in 2001 with aim to promote cultural, professional as well as amateur mini-theater. This year 10 groups from Malaga, Madrid, Valencia and even Argentina will perform in Valencia in one of 12 popular cafes that are participating. Shows are free and begin at 23:00 Monday-Friday, and at 20:00 on the weekends and so far they have a schedule until the end of the year. True, you'll have to understand Spanish but the most important word is one almost everyone knows: gratis.
Circuito Cafe Teatro of Valencia
Schedule
Participating Cafes
Previously: Steve McCurry Exhibition, Shopping Beats Goring, Candy Culture, Sao Paulo Art in Valencia, Cafe Lisboa: Trendy Terraza, Hola Aloha: Valencia's Tiki Bar
Gridskipper
Almost every street in Valencia has a cafe, a bar and a candy store - a candy store where you can pick-and-mix every type of candy imaginable and unimaginable. Chewy candy, crunchy candy, sweet and acidic candy, chili coated strawberry lollipop candy, tongue sour blue rasberry candy, tequila flavored lollipops, licorice, gummy burgers, chocolate coated insects and acidic hawaiian apple flavor sticks. And that's just the first shelf. Since there is one every corner, they are easy to find - but the largest one I found is right by Plaza de Torros (the bull-fighting ring). Appropriately called Casa de los Caramelos, it would shock even Hansel & Gretel.
Caution: Do not go in hungry; minimum time needed - 20 minutes.
Casa De Los Caramelos [en espanol]
[Photo+Text: Abha Malpani]
Previously: Valencia's Round Square, Sao Paulo Art in Valencia, Cafe Lisboa: Trendy Terrazza, Meet Me in the Bathroom [In Valencia (With Coke)], Meet Me in the Bathrom [in Valencia {With Coke)], Hola Aloha: Valencia's Tiki Bar, New York Times in Valencia
Gridskipper
Valencia's Plaza Redonda, is like something straight out of an 18th century theatre set. Quite literally a round square, it is a traditional market surrounded by residences that are also buildings that form a circle. In the market, especially bustling on Sundays, you will find all sorts of things from Valenciano clothes, religious artifacts, pots-and-pans, nuts, gifts, sombreros, carved wooden show items, ice-cream, restuarants, bakeries, tapas and kebabs. Located in the old quarter (close to Mercat Central) of the city, what is particularly cool about it is that it shows no signs of evolution over the last 200 years. Shops are open in the morning, with a siesta in the afternoon - and then again shut around 8pm.
[Photo+Text: Abha Malpani]
Previously: Sao Paulo Art in Valencia, Cafe Lisboa: Trendy Terrazza, Meet Me in the Bathroom [In Valencia (With Coke)], Meet Me in the Bathrom [in Valencia {With Coke)], Hola Aloha: Valencia's Tiki Bar, New York Times in Valencia
Gridskipper
If you're a fan of disturbing photo-art, check out the contemporary Brazilian art section at IVAM (Institut Valencia D'Art Modern). A group of Brasilian artists (from the Museum of Modern Art in Sao Paulo) have put together an exhibition of distorted pictures of the homeless, of people with diseases, haunting paintings and human dummies, 3-dimensional sculptures and tribal photography - it's all there. Very interesting, and you don't need to be an art connoisseur to understand what you are looking at. This exhibition is on till January 2007. If you are interested in more conventional art, IVAM has another 8 galleries you can visit that display works from Spanish artists such as Ignacio Pinazo, Elena Del Rivero, Julio Gonzalez, and about another 40! IVAM also has a chic, alternative cafe where you can ponder what you saw inside over a baguette and a cup of coffee.
IVAM [Official site]
[Photo+Text: Abha Malpani]
Previously: Cafe Lisboa: Trendy Terrazza, Meet Me in the Bathroom [In Valencia (With Coke)], Meet Me in the Bathrom [in Valencia {With Coke)], Hola Aloha: Valencia's Tiki Bar, New York Times in Valencia, Orient Xpress: Cheap, Chic and Chinese
