Read all about Alan’s trip to Valencia after winning a pair of British Airways flights, £500 towards accommodation and £200 spending money for being one of our top bookers in a recent Valencia incentive.
Alan was one of our lucky winners and together with his wife, swapped the UK for a few days of Spanish sunshine. From cycling through the city and discovering its historic sights to relaxing by the coast and sampling local specialities, it was the perfect Valencia getaway.
Arriving in Valencia
We flew from London Heathrow to Valencia with British Airways on Thursday morning and after celebrating the start of our trip with a glass of wine, arrived in the city in the late afternoon.
Our hotel for the trip was The Westin Valencia, which was perfectly located just northeast of the city centre. After checking in and having a quick shower, we headed down to the beautiful inner courtyard for a refreshing drink before setting off to explore.
That evening, we found a rooftop bar that my wife had spotted on Instagram and decided to give the famous Agua de Valencia a try. When in Valencia, right? From there, we discovered a lovely tapas restaurant tucked away in one of the nearby plazas. It was a great first evening and a brilliant introduction to the city.
Exploring Valencia on two wheels
The next morning, we got up early and hired some of Valencia’s local Valencibi’s bicycles. These can be picked up and dropped off at various points around the city and, in my opinion, they’re a fantastic way to get around.
We cycled into the city centre and then started a guided walking tour using an app called Voicemap. You simply download the tour you want, and the app uses GPS to track where you are and starts talking to you about what you are looking at as you arrive. It’s great as you can stop and have a break wherever you like or take more time to view sites you find particularly interesting. It was a great day!
Valencia has so many brilliant sights, and it was great to take our time and really explore the city rather than rushing from one place to another.
We then headed to Mercat Central, a huge and historic food market in the heart of Valencia. We stopped for some fresh oysters and empanadas, delicious!
A change of scenery
On Saturday, we fancied a change of pace, so decided to head to the beach. We jumped in a taxi and were initially heading towards Las Arenas when we got chatting to our taxi driver. She mentioned that many locals prefer to head to Port Saplaya, a few kilometres north of the city, which has a really pretty marina and a network of canals lined by colourful houses on all sides. We figured the locals know best, so took her advice and within 10 minutes we were there.
The sea was warm and shallow, making it perfect for a quick dip to cool off in the afternoon sunshine. After a busy couple of days exploring the city, it was lovely to slow down and enjoy a more relaxed side of Valencia.
That evening, we headed back into the city for dinner at Voltereta Bali, which I’d highly recommend. The restaurant serves Balinese and Asian-fusion food, with the décor inspired by a Balinese jungle.
One final thing to tick off the list…
Paella!
After all, you can’t visit Valencia without trying its most famous dish.
The paella was delicious, although we only managed to get through half of it before it was time to jump in a taxi and head to the airport!
Our journey home was with Vueling from Valencia to London Gatwick. Everything went smoothly, and before we knew it, our long weekend in Valencia had come to an end.
Fancy winning a prize like this yourself? Find our current booking incentives here.
