3 free plans to discover Valencia
Going out to dinner at top restaurants, seeing a play or attending a concert of your favorite band is great. But when the end of the month comes and the budget is tight, you don’t have to give up enjoying a good plan in your city. Valencia is full of life, art, culture and magical places waiting to be discovered, and best of all… they are free! In this article we compile 5 plans to discover the city and have a great time that won’t cost you a single euro. You have no excuse to stay at home!
1. Strolling through the Parque de Cabecera
The Turia Gardens are considered the longest linear park in Europe. A green space of almost 10 km long that ends at one end in the Parque de Cabecera. With more than 160,000 m2 in which to lose yourself among vegetation, fountains and paths, we recommend you stop to rest on the slope overlooking the lake. Overlooking the swan-skates and the ducks and other birds that frequent this part of the park, you will experience a bucolic and relaxing time.
2. Sunset at the Albufera jetty
The sunsets at the Albufera are unrivaled. One of the most recommended spots to enjoy this natural spectacle is the Albufera pier, in Avinguda dels Pinars. As it is usually quite crowded and sometimes difficult to find parking space, we recommend a quieter alternative, the Port of Catarroja. With jetties, promenades and surrounded by rice fields, it is a perfect place for bird watching.
3. Visit museums for free
Sundays is the day of the week when you can enter many Valencian museums for free, such as the IVAM, a modern art museum, or the Museum of Fine Arts, one of the most beautiful in the city and where you can see important works of classic Valencian artists.
4. Attend a meeting of the Tribunal de las Aguas (Water Tribunal)
If this plan seems a bit random, let us tell you that these meetings are held every Thursday in the Plaza de la Virgen to discuss the conflicts of the irrigation ditches of the Turia River, are the oldest institution of justice in Europe. Not in vain, they have the category of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Witnessing this fully-fledged citizen court will take you back in time. An original plan full of history and tradition.
5. Street Art Route through El Carmen
We have plenty of reasons to recommend a stroll through El Carmen, but enjoying the murals and graffiti that fill the walls, facades and shutters with color and vindication is one of them. We suggest you start at Plaça del Tossal, with the work of the popular Valencian graffiti artist Escif of a car falling from the roof. Walk up Carrer de Dalt to the burning cat and marvel at Deih’s futuristic setting on Carrer Na Jordana. In El Carmen you’ll also come across works by well-known urban artists such as Julieta XLF and David de Limón. Our advice is to wander at your leisure and let yourself be surprised.