Our apartment was located in the heart of the old town, so over our five days we saw most of the sights multiple times.
The Mercat Central / Central Market was a definite highlight – located just 2 blocks from us we went multiple times. The exterior is beautiful both day and night. Inside, the market feels like a cathedral to food and drink, complete with an ornate ceiling and a beautiful dome.
The range and selection of food items was outstanding, with stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, meat, baked goods, nuts, etc. We stopped at the “Virginia” fruit stall multiple times, trying the fresh strawberries, Alicante cherries (lightly sweet), and Valencia oranges. At other stalls we also purchased ham and cheese bocadillos (with the ham shaved to order), passion fruit crispy bar, Spanish almonds, and paprika spices.
Saturday morning was a claustrophobia-inducing zoo, but other mornings were much easier to get around. The Central Market was a highlight of Valencia and highly recommended.
Walking around town we also saw the imposing Torres de Quart – the size of the tower is a little sneaky, as it is mostly hidden by neighboring building until you are right next to it. On the other side of the old town is Torres de Serranos, visible from Turia park.
And while the Puerta de la Mar is a replica of a historic gate, it is certainly imposing.
Of course, there are several old churches in the old city as well. We didn’t go into any on this trip, but we did walk around admiring the facades.
