Valencia - La Noche San Juan

Drive from Cuenca to Valencia.  Check into Airbnb

June 23rd  

You can spend the first day in the historic city centre. Take your time discovering all Valencia’s most famous heritage buildings, mainly in the Gothic style. You can do it all in a leisurely walk.

A morning in the historic quarter

Just five minutes’ walk from Plaza del Ayuntamiento, a good start to a day in Valencia is a breakfast of cold horchata with fartons (cakes) in one of the traditional horchaterías on Plaza de la Reina. It’s a local speciality, but more importantly... it’s delicious! While you’re in one of the city’s prettiest and busiest squares, enjoy the atmosphere, buy an ice cream in an unusual flavour, and admire the silhouette of the Cathedral and the belltower, known as “el Miguelete” and one of the symbols of Valencia.
Left: Plaza de la Reina. Center: Cathedral. Right: Silk Exchange

Did your breakfast fill you with energy? In less than 5 minutes you can reach Plaza de la Virgen, with another view of the Cathedral, and the Basilica of La Virgen de los Desamparados. Now it’s time to have a look inside the Cathedral (did you know the Holy Grail is supposed to be here?) and climb the 207 steps of the Miguelete tower (51 metres tall) for a really unforgettable view. Back at ground level, you’re very close to the Valencia Silk Exchange, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Finally, we can pass by the National Ceramics Museum just to see its very photogenic façade. 

Many people regard the 15th-century Lonja de la Seda or Silk Exchange as the prettiest sight in Valencia. Its good to go inside to see its delicate spiral columns and peaceful courtyard full of orange trees. Opposite, you will surely notice the striking Art Nouveau architecture of the food market, Mercado Central. As stunning as the exterior is, the real experience is inside. There are over 1200 stands selling food and drink of every kind, and the colours and scents of fruit, vegetables and spices are overwhelming.  

It's a good place to grab lunch.  

Left: Interior of La Lonja / Centre: Miguelete Bell Tower / Right: Central Market in Valencia

That night, we go back to our beach apartment near the beach and enjoy la Noche San Juan on the beach.