I’m really excited to interview Craig Wealand of InglesPodcast.com about Valencia, Spain. Craig’s tips for the best things to do in Valencia are awesome because he’s been living in Valencia for years. He loves the gorgeous weather, the easy lifestyle along the beach, and the kindness of locals.
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Beautifully ornate doors at the Colegio Notarial de Valencia. Photo courtesy of ddsphoto on Pixabay
Valencia, Spain
Valencia, Spain is a port city on the southeastern coast. The city is most famous for its ultra-modern City of Arts and Sciences museum and as the birthplace of the Spanish dish paella. Visitors will find a mix of old and new architecture as they explore the city. As you wander the streets, you can see the influence of the city’s Roman foundations and Moorish history. Spain is one of the most affordable countries in Europe, and Valencia is one of Spain’s most affordable cities.
Craig says it is great to visit any time of the year. However, July and August can get very hot and crowded while families are out of school. One of the most popular festivals is the Fallas Festival which begins on March 1st and culminates in the grand finale on March 19th. It started out as an old carpenter’s tradition and has blossomed into a huge festival that combines tradition, satire, and art. Other events include Semana Santa Maritime Holy Week (around Easter), the Great València Fair in July, and Corpus Christi, which began in 1263.
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Visit Valencia, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.
Walking on the beach
Best things to do in Valencia
- River Park Valencia
- Total Valencia Old City Terrace (reviews)
- Turismo Valencia Convention Bureau
- Valencia Cathedral (reviews)
- Valencia Aquarium (reviews)
- Valencia Bioparc (reviews)
Best restaurants in Valencia
Best hotels in Valencia
- AC Hotel Colon Valencia (reviews)
- Holiday Inn Express Valencia – San Luis (reviews)
- Hotel Balneario Las Arenas (reviews) – A hotel right on the beach
- The Westin Valencia (reviews) – This is centrally located with an excellent Japanese restaurant
Getting around Valencia
The local airport is Manises Airport (VLC), which is about a 15-minute drive to downtown. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.
Craig says that parking is expensive within the city and it is not needed. He recommends taking the train (approx 4 Euros) from the airport to the city. Otherwise, a taxi is about $30 each way. Once you arrive, the city center is very walkable and you can always take the city’s hop-on/hop-off bus. Uber expanded into Valencia in 2019, but Lyft is not yet available as of now.
If you decide to rent a car, click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz.
Visit Casa Carmela for paella
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Craig Weland about Valencia, Spain. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best restaurants in Valencia, Spain
- Green dots = best things to do in Valencia, Spain
- Yellow dots = best hotels in Valencia, Spain
Who is Craig Wealand?
Craig Wealand has been teaching English as a second language since 1994 and has been working with The British Council since 1997. He teaches English online through his website MansionIngles.com and the Ingles Podcast. Craig co-hosts the Ingles Podcast each week with Reza Shah where they help listeners improve their vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. The podcast also features episodes on passing the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) exam and interviews of interesting people working in the teaching and online education field.
Craig Wealand at Las Arenas
Here are a few of his podcast episodes:
You can connect with Craig on his website and on Twitter and Facebook.
Click here to download our one-page guide of Craig’s tips for Valencia.
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City of Arts and Sciences is considered one of the 12 Treasures of Spain. Photo courtesy of Papagnoc on Pixabay
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DeShayla Strachan at an Orlando Magic game
Listen to the next episode when DeShayla Strachan of Shaytown Flying Solo shares the best things to do in Orlando, Florida. DeShayla shares where to eat a donut burger and how to find Broadway-worthy shows. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
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Related episodes
To learn more about Spain and the Mediterranean, listen to our other interviews:
