Spain’s third-largest city has long been neglected by tourism in favor of well-trodden Madrid and Barcelona, but sunny Valencia has been biding her time and is now coming into her own. It’s the birthplace of paella, where the authentic dish is cooked over orange-wood fires. Tree-lined streets teem with oranges (but not the same ones that are squeezed into the agua de Valencia that you’ll sip in summertime). And beaches fill with sunseekers enjoying chiringuitos, where the party stretches into the late hours.

Valencian energy really comes alive, though, during Las Fallas—a festival where the whole city becomes one, 200 pounds of gunpowder unite everyone’s heartbeats, and the streets merge into one huge celebration.

As much as Valencia knows how to party hard, it also enjoys downtime and looking after itself. Cyclists and joggers traverse the city along a winding park that was once a river, and children pass the time with their abuelas sipping horchatas and eating spongy fartons glazed with sugar sold from street carts. You’ll want to experience both sides of Valencia: the traditional and the modern, its frenetic energy and its calm outdoor living.

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Paella, arguably Spain’s most famous dish, hails from Valencia—the city’s Albufera region, to be precise. There’s debate as to what constitutes authentic paella. For starters, only two varieties qualify: paella valenciana (made with chicken, rabbit, and lima beans) and seafood paella. Everything else is considered “rice with things.” Paella is normally eaten for lunch, not dinner, and locals love to eat it straight from the pan using a spoon. It's also the go-to dish for almost every celebration.

Restaurants don’t normally serve paella for one. To avoid disappointment, solo travelers should book at a restaurant with a fixed-price lunch menu (called “menu del día”) and check whether paella is one of the options. These restaurants typically cook a large paella to feed several people and serve portions by the plate. If you're traveling in a group, you'll have more options, as paella is typically served for two people minimum and delivered directly to your table to share.

The best paellas are thin, as well as crispy at the bottom; the caramelized rice at the bottom is called socarrat, and some people consider it the best part of the dish. That’s why spoons come in handy, to scrape the socarrat from the pan.

While in Valencia, it’s also important to try esmorzaret, a brunch-like meal where a large sandwich called bocadillo takes centerstage. When it comes to drinks, agua de Valencia, made with orange juice, cava, gin, and vodka, is queen in the summertime. If you’re not into alcohol, try horchata instead, a milky drink made with tiger nuts and usually topped with cinnamon.

Thanks to 125 miles of bike lanes, pedestrian squares, and the fact that it was one of the first cities to monitor the carbon footprint of tourist activities, Valencia was recognized as the European Green Capital for 2024. And Valencia’s greenness is one of the first things that you’ll notice on arrival.

Its main park—officially known as Turia Gardens but affectionately called “el río” since it runs along the path of an old river that was diverted due to floods—traverses practically the whole city. On evenings and weekends, this is the epicenter of outdoor activity. Valencians are sporty by nature, and the city’s parks fill up with cyclists, joggers, and yogis alike.

Visitors can get in on the action—and join the city’s sustainability efforts—by renting a bike from one of the many rental centers around town or hopping on a Valenbisi, a self-service bicycle-sharing system that offers a short-term pass for tourists.

The city also has a flat terrain, especially desirable for long-distance runners since 1981, when the Valencia Marathon started. It wasn’t until 2011, though, that runners from all over the world flocked to the race, due to the marathon changing its course to incorporate a stretch by the stunning City of Arts and Sciences complex.

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Valencians have an open and friendly disposition and are known throughout Spain to be partial to a good party. In the '80s and early '90s, local nightlife was dominated by La Ruta del Bakalao—a strip of clubs along Valencia’s El Saler highway that attracted revelers from around the country. Characterized by three days of uninterrupted drug-fueled partying, La Ruta is a thing of the past, and thankfully, given the amount of car accidents and deaths it caused.

Still, remnants from those days can be found at modern nightclubs by way of DJs spinning “música remember” (remember music), a subgenre mix of techno, dream trance, and progressive house music that represented La Ruta.

These days, the party scene may be tame in comparison, but there’s no shortage of festivals to enjoy live music, particularly in the summer. (There are even electronic music festivals dedicated to música remember, where 40- and 50-somethings get to relive their La Ruta days.)

It’s no surprise that partying and beach culture collide in Valencia, what with it being on the shores of the Mediterranean. Chiringuitos—seasonal beach bars where people gather after work and on weekends to party into the long summer nights—are a highlight. While the city of Valencia doesn’t allow chiringuitos to set up directly on its beaches, nearby Patacona Beach is home to several lively ones and is easily reached on foot, bike, or public transport.

Jennifer Fernández Solano