Lively, warm and welcoming, Valencia is Spain’s third largest city and birthplace of its most famous dish - paella. Refreshingly non touristy, it is blessed with beautiful weather, lively nightlife, an excellent fine arts museum, and an atmospheric old town. For a fantastic view over Valencia, head for the Miguelete - the octagonal bell tower lying atop the city’s cathedral. The cathedral itself reflects the city’s rich architectural history with Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance styles all featured. It is claimed that the Holy Grail (Santo Caliz) - the gold cup used by Christ during the Last Supper - is housed in the cathedral’s museum. Valencia’s town hall - the ayuntamiento - lies right in the heart of the city. A palatial 18th century building, it houses two small museums and is wonderfully lit up at night. For an outstanding collection of work by Valencian impressionists such as Sorolla, Espinosa and Ribalta, don’t miss the Museo de Bellas Artes. Situated in the Jardines del Real, the museum is one of the best in Spain and also features works by Goya, Velazquez and El Greco.

Founded by the Romans and then occupied by a succession of conquerors, including the Moors and El Cid, Valencia became and remains a major Mediterranean port. It is now Spain's third largest city, measuring 5 mls by 5 mls with a population of 780,000, and offers a well-coordinated combination of tourism and industry, with a thriving rice and orange trade. It boasts an eclectic selection of Gothic, Roman, Moorish and modern architecture, all easily explored on foot over flat terrain. Most of tourist interest is contained within 2 sq mls at the heart of the city, where the historic centre has been tastefully restored; Barrio del Carmen forms the oldest district and many of the ancient buildings here have been converted into restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries. The shopping and business districts remain bustling, overcrowded and often noisy, but the park that occupies the old river bed is a welcome area for relaxation and fresh air, while the modern "City of Arts and Science", to the SE of the centre at the end of the Turia Gardens, offers museums, a planetarium and IMAX cinema.

All types on all budgets, seeking an easy-to-navigate combination of historical and modern surroundings. During festival periods the streets are crowded in the afternoon and well into the night.

Across-the-board selection, from simple B&Bs to ornate, palatial establishments and modern, business-orientated properties.

The long, narrow, sandy beaches of Las Arenas and Malvarosa to the N; sandy beaches and dunes at El Saler, 9 mls to the S. Beach bars and restaurants provide sunbeds and parasols on the main town beaches. Although crowded in peak periods, beaches remain clean, well tended and are supervised.

Wide, cosmopolitan choice with many department stores, small shopping centres and select boutiques. Pedestrianised shopping streets around Colon; numerous ethnic-style shops around Russafa. Sunday morning market at Plaza Redonda.

Daytime: tours of Gothic district, cathedral and Roman remains; 17th-century Royal Basilica; bull ring; ceramics, modern art and local-history museums; City of Arts and Science incorporating Museum of Science, Palace of Arts, Oceanographic Park and L'Hemisferic (planetarium and IMAX cinema); golf at El Saler. Home to frequent colourful festivals such as the annual 3-day Fallas celebration held in mid-March. Nightlife: lively, with bars and nightclubs spread across the city; particular hotspots are Barrio del Carmen, Plaza Xuquer, along Las Arenas seafront promenade and in the Juan Llorens area, which boasts over 60 bars and clubs; beer houses concentrated in the area to the N of the main station and bull ring; frequent firework displays and street celebrations. As in the rest of Spain, most venues don't warm up until late in the evening.

Wide selection, especially fresh seafood and paella (thanks to the surrounding rice fields). Many seafood restaurants on the promenade at Las Arenas; a la carte restaurants are scattered around the Gothic quarter behind the cathedral. Oriental restaurants in the Russafa area, 1 ml S of the main station. Burger bars and pizza parlours throughout the shopping district, with many street cafes open until the early hours. Cafes and open-air bars along the Turia Gardens. Bunyols - deep-fried doughnuts dipped in thick hot chocolate - are a local speciality. Most restaurants tend to be busy from 10 pm onwards.

An efficient bus service operates throughout the city, and to the beaches and suburbs. A modern tram system serves the centre and provides a few routes to the suburbs. The arterial Metro system is reasonably convenient for centrally placed properties. Taxis wait outside most large hotels but the meter should be checked before setting off. Main railway terminus with direct trains to Madrid, Alicante and Barcelona.

Half day: Albufera National Park and beaches 10 mls S; nearby historic hilltop towns of Sagunto and Xativa; boat trips around port. Full day: ancient coastal town of Gandia; Madrid, Segovia and Toledo to the NW; Barcelona and Tarragona to the N; Alicante, Benidorm and the seaside resorts to the S.

Halfway down Spain's Mediterranean E coast. 190 mls SE of Madrid. 223 mls SW of Barcelona. 104 mls N of Alicante. 7 mls E of Manises airport.

In a flat coastal plain, bisected by a dried-up river bed which now forms a large park (the River Turia has been diverted around the outskirts of the city).

Website: www.turisvalencia.es

Airport : Valencia
Airport Code: VLC
Flight time from ther U.K.: 2 hrs