8 Best Things to Do in Valencia in Spring

There’s no use in returning early to your hotel when Valencia’s spring Fallas festival arrives. Roaring bonfires and exploding fireworks fill the city’s streets until the wee hours of the morning. Every March, Valencian families sing, dance and attend parties at night, while their days are filled with colourful parades, bullfights and eating, all in a grand celebration of spring.

Be the first to enjoy the warmth of the sun at Valencia’s Mediterranean beaches, Malvarrosa and Las Arenas. In spring, beachside restaurants open their outdoor patios and boaters hoist their sails at the nearby Port of Valencia. When spring’s sunshine proves too warm, horchaterias serve chilled glasses of tiger nut milk, horchata, to thirsty guests, while beachside bars pour Agua de Valencia, a refreshing blend of fresh orange juice and Spanish cava.

The Turia River once flowed through the heart of Valencia. Today visitors bicycle the Turia, which has been converted to a 10km garden snaking through the city. Bicycle and pedestrian paths wind past spring blooms and waving palms from Cabecera Park to Las Arenas and Malvarrosa Beaches. You can cycle the entire distance or stop along the way at Valencia’s most inspiring cultural institutions: IVAM (Institute of Modern Art), the Museum of Fine Arts and the City of Arts and Sciences.

A spring holiday in Valencia is the perfect time to discover the city’s unique Holy Week celebrations. Join in a Holy Week street procession, watching biblical figures come to life with costumed re-enactors, traditional music and the ringing of bells. On Glorious Saturday, church bells celebrate the Resurrection and Valencianos throw pots of mud from their windows and balconies.

Golf enthusiasts pull out their clubs as winter’s cold recedes, heading to golf courses on the outskirts of Valencia: El Saler, Escorpión, Oliva Nova and El Bosque. Most are within an easy distance of the city centre, so visitors can golf during the day and relax in their Valencia hotel at night.

Since the 16th century, the Jardí Botànic has burst into bloom each spring, filling the air with the scent of hyacinths and the bold colours of bougainvillea. Visitors enjoy spring favourites and discover blossoms unique to Valencia, like sea daffodils and thistle holly, at the University of Valencia garden and at gardens across Valencia.