We recently returned from a great week in Valencia. We’ve previously enjoyed visits to Barcelona and Madrid and Valencia rounds out the three biggest cities in Spain.

In my opinion, Valencia tops the other two. It’s an absolutely beautiful city with an incredible mix of old and new. Gorgeous meandering old-town streets, lush, abundant green-spaces, beautiful beaches and stunning futuristic architectural marvels. And somehow, these diverse parts all fit together seamlessly, making Valencia a brilliant place to visit and (I imagine) an incredible place to live. I’d recommend this time of year too (Oct/Nov). Temperatures ranged from about 26C in the midday down to about 14C at night. Really pleasant, comfortable t-shirt weather.

Here are some pics I took here and there.

Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

Designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, there are seven structures in the complex which took thirteen years to build. This is probably the most stunning architectural sight I’ve ever seen – well worth the trip to see this alone.

While there, we visited the Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium, the highlight of which was a great dolphin show.

Mercado Central

Europe’s largest covered market.

Xàtiva

We took a daytrip to Xàtiva, a beautiful town about an hour’s train-ride from Valencia. There, we spent a few hours visiting the castle that overlooks the town.

Bioparc

Our last day in Valencia, we decided to spend at the Bioparc. Beautiful place and by-far the best designed Zoo I’ve ever visited. The enclosures were huge, meandering and offered great views and vantage points while also providing lots of cover to shield the resident animals from visitors.