Valencia
Valencia’s cathedral was built over a mosque after the 1238 reconquest. Its low, wide, brick-vaulted triple nave is mostly Gothic, with neoclassical side…
Must-see attractions in Valencia Region
Valencia
Recently reopened to the public after a magnificent restoration, this single-naved church down a passageway is a striking sight. Over the original Gothic…
Valencia
This seminary was founded in the late 16th century by San Juan de Ribera, a towering Counter-Reformation figure who wielded enormous spiritual and…
Valencia
This splendid building, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was originally Valencia’s silk and commodity exchange, built in the late 15th century when the city…
Valencia
Bright and spacious, this gallery ranks among Spain’s best. Highlights include a collection of magnificent late-medieval altarpieces, and works by several…
Valencia
Valencia’s vast Modernista covered market, constructed in 1928, is a swirl of smells, movement and colour. Spectacular seafood counters display…
Valencia
Stretching the length of Río Turia’s former course, this 9km-long lung of green is a fabulous mix of playing fields, cycling, jogging and walking paths,…
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Alicante
Alicante
This splendid museum, inside the 17th-century Casa de la Asegurada, has an excellent collection of 20th-century Spanish art, including works by Dalí, Miró…
Alicante Province
In the Islamic world, a garden is considered a form of Paradise. Elche’s past and culture couldn’t therefore be any more obvious than in these privately…
Costa Blanca
It's an easy 10-minute stroll back from the beach to this tight-knit hilltop warren of whitewashed houses. It's visually very beautiful and, though the…
Museo Arqueológico de Alicante
Alicante
This museum has a strong collection of ceramics and Iberian art. Exhibits are displayed to give the visitor a very visual, high-tech experience, and it's…
Museo Nacional de Cerámica
Valencia
Inside a striking palace, this ceramics museum celebrates an important local industry. Downstairs (which also features a decadent hand-painted 1753…
Alicante Province
Low slung but achieving an understated majesty nonetheless, this cathedral is built of light-coloured stone in the centre of the old town and features…
Alicante Province
Plaza de Santiago is at the heart of Villena's old quarter, and within the imposing 16th-century Palacio Municipal, seat of the town council, is this…
Valencia
In a city full of impressive bridges, Puente de las Flores is one of Valenicia's most spectacular – and undoubtedly its sweetest smelling. Designed by…
Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados
Valencia
The Real Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Santos Inocentes Mártires y Desamparados, to name it fully, is Valencia's central spot for active Christianity…
Valencia
Beneath the square just east of Valencia’s cathedral, the archaeological remains of the kernel of Roman, Visigoth and Islamic Valencia shimmer through a…
Valencia
Valencia’s handsome neoclassical town hall dominates the square that takes its name. Within is the Museo Histórico Municipal, a repository of items…
Valencia
This conversion of a handsome art deco factory that once made hydraulic pumps has created an intriguing space for modern art. There's a particularly good…
Valencia
Obscured by palm trees in the gardens of a former psychiatric hospital, the city’s main public library is in a grand 16th-century building. The Gothic…
Valencia
Turn left as you enter the main portal of the cathedral for the climb up to El Miguelete, the emblematic octagonal tower. It's apparently 51m high,…
Valencia
These under-the-radar ornamental gardens designed in the mid-19th century are a peaceful spot to escape the city. Marble statues, sculpted hedges and a…
Alicante Province
This well-documented site is 3.5km south of the town centre. The Dama de Elche, a masterpiece of Iberian art that’s now in Madrid, was unearthed here…
Valencia
Trains first chugged into this richly adorned Modernista terminal in 1917. Its main foyer is decorated with ceramic mosaics and murals – and mosaic ‘bon…
Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas
Valencia
Quite a sight from outside, this immoderate palace has a pair of wonderfully extravagant rococo caryatids curling around the main entrance. The exterior…
Valencia
This handsome 15th-century Gothic palace, much amended over the years, is the seat of government for the Valencia region. Its symmetry is recent: the…
Valencia
This visually elegant modern museum makes the most of its lovely location in the 15th-century (with baroque additions) palace that was the seat of the…
Castillo de Santa Bárbara
Alicante
There are sweeping views over the city from the ramparts of this large 16th-century castle, which houses a museum recounting the history of the city and…
Valencia
Newly reopened, this cathedral museum is a good-looking blend of the modern and venerable. There are some excellent religious paintings here; it's…
Museo Arqueológico y de Historia de Elche
Alicante Province
This museum is a superb introduction to the town's long and eventful history. Everything is particularly well displayed and labelled, and it occupies both…
Valencia
An astonishing sight, this '80s architectural project looks like the mothership has landed on the edge of Benimaclet. A riot of unusual angles, protruding…
Alicante Province
This sizeable and sober episcopal palace next to the cathedral now holds a collection of religious art. There are some fine pieces but the undisputed…
Valencia
This centenarian institution in the heart of the Benimaclet barrio doesn't look much with its big, bare interior, but in many ways it's the soul of the…
Valencia
Built in the late 15th century as a residence for the Borja family, this imposing palace has late-Gothic and Renaissance features and now serves as…
Alicante
The ruins of the Roman town of Lucentum, a forerunner of Alicante, lie about 3km east of the centre in the locale of Tossal de Manises. Excavations have…
Valencia
These Arab-style baths, constructed in 1313, functioned continuously as public bathing facilities until 1959. It's worth dropping in if you're passing by…
Alicante Province
Barrio de San Isidro was decorated with dozens of murals by well-known artists during the cultural flowering of the 1970s, in homage to Miguel Hernández,…
Alicante Province
Perched above the old town, this 12th-century castle has been handsomely restored and is splendidly lit at night. Entrance is by guided visit, in Spanish…
Dénia
From Plaza de la Constitución steps lead up to the ruins of Dénia’s castle, from where there’s a great overview of the town and coast. The castle grounds…
Parque Natural de las Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja
Costa Blanca
Backing Torrevieja are two large lagoons, a pink one used for salt extraction and a green one. They are important habitats for flamingoes and other waders…
