Best areas to stay in Valencia, Spain

In this article we go through 2 of the best areas to stay in Valencia: Alicante and Valencia city. Moreover, if you would like more information about the best coastal cities in Spain, you can download this free guide: Top coastal cities in Spain.

Alicante, Costa Blanca

Alicante is a city of contrasts and one of the best areas to stay in Valencia. One side of the city is its most enduring image, that of sunburnt revellers dancing until the small hours. The other side to Alicante, however, is charming side streets, quaint cafes and the smell of the ocean breeze. The main seafront promenade is where to find the city’s bars and restaurants, open all through the night and catering mostly to tourists. Strolling down La Explanada de España is a must. 

Beyond the busy esplanade is Alicante’s old town. Here, you can wander between the colourful, flower-lined houses and take a break from the action of the city, while feeling the history. The old town is just underneath the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, giving you a chance to explore more history. 

Located on Spain’s Costa Blanca, Alicante is the region’s capital. Its main beach is San Juan and due to its long 3 kilometre stretch of white golden sand, it is the city’s most popular. 

Favourable amongst locals and residents, however, is the smaller La Albufereta beach. Squeezed in between the Lucentum archaeological site to one side and mountains to the other, it is among the more relaxed beaches within the city limits.

Venture a little out of the city for the quaint fishing town of Altea. Its cactus and bougainvillaea-lined streets are centred around the striking church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo and a beautifully clear and clean beach. Also worth visiting in the province are Torrevieja, Elche and Guardamar, some of the best towns in Costa Blanca. Like the city, Torrevieja boasts a bustling international population and a wealth of languages and cultures living side by side.

The city is well served by Alicante–Elche Airport, with flights all across Europe, while the train station allows for connections all across Spain. With its hot summers and mild winters, Alicante is very popular with foreigners that come to live in Spain and has so much to offer its community of tourists and British nationals living abroad in Spain.

Valencia, Costa de Valencia

Valencia is the unsung hero of Spanish cities. Unfortunately often playing third fiddle to the more famous Barcelona and capital Madrid, Valencia has a lot to offer.

Principally, Valencia’s strengths are its cultural offerings. It has a great history of the arts and sciences and excitingly modern architecture. This modernity, meanwhile, is buried in amongst the city’s oldest buildings, dating back to medieval times. It is the largest port in southern Spain and is a bustling, lively city full of working people. It enjoys long hot summers, mild winters and little rain.

The city’s music, arts and cuisine are second to none, and this is where paella originated.

Valencia has the best of both city and beach life. La Malvarossa, near the city, stretches providing ample space for you to relax. There is a long promenade with restaurants serving everything from paella to pizza. It is easily accessible by tram, bike or walking. 

For some traditional Spanish life, El Saler beach is a great place to head to. Go slightly inland and you will find boats meandering up rivers and meet people appreciating the quiet life, and earning their living traditionally, by fishing the abundant waters. 

The city has its own airport, with connections all around Europe.

More information

We hope you have enjoyed our article “Best areas to stay in Valencia, Spain”. Remember that if you want more information about the best coastal cities in Spain, we recommend you the following free ebook: Top 10 coastal cities in Spain.

Moreover, we would like to remind you that if you have any queries about the process of purchasing and owning a property in Spain, you can fill out this form and a legal and tax expert from our team will contact you as soon as possible with no obligation.