Since my Spanish and French Road Trip mini series, I've had emails asking me about what you can do in Valencia, since there isn't always an easy way to find exactly what is and what isn't accessible in a city. Although we were only in Valencia for 3 days, Brett and I actually managed to visit a lot of places in that time, even if only for a couple of hours. With that, I've decided to name 5 accessible things we did and places we visited while in the city. As everyone knows, the road trip was my first holiday abroad after my spinal injury, and Valencia itself has held a special place in my heart since then. So in collaboration with holidaygems.co.uk let's get started!
1. City Of Arts And Sciences
The City of Arts And Sciences isn't just the most futuristic design and architecture I've ever seen, it's probably the most beautiful I've ever seen. I love modern designs but there's something about this that makes any photos you take of it look like artwork, rather than a real life photo. The entire venue is fully accessible, and there's discounted entrance for disabled people and their carers. There's also lots to do, and a must visit is l'oceanografic, the largest aquarium in Europe. The really nice thing about all the exhibitions in the venue is that the writing is in Spanish as well as English.
2. Old Town
Old town is definitely a must visit! Brett and I spent the morning in the old town, taking in the history of Valencia. Old Town contains gothic churches, stunning architecture, and is a world from the modern designs seen in and around the City of Arts and Sciences area. Old town is still quite accessible, and there are ramps in places to make every building as accessible as possible. Old Town is also home to Central Market and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Silk Exchange or Lonja de la Seda as it's known.
3. Mercado Central (Central Market)
Central Market is within Old Town, and was built in 1928. If you want to take home authentic Valencian souvenirs, this is the place to come as it's the best way to immerse yourself within the Valencian culture, as well as seeing first hand all of the beautiful goods made within the city and local area. There's a lot of food here, but also wines, and other products are sold here as well. We didn't manage to go around the whole market however, if you did want to do that, you'd need a good 3 hours or so here!
4. Marina Beach Club
Marina Beach Club is literally the Electronic Dance Music place to be in Valencia. Even in the day there's DJs playing sets, and contrary to popular belief, families can visit the restaurant here. The main pool area is over 21s only though, so I have to wait until March to get into that area, but it's somewhere I'm planning on going this year. From what I saw though, if you're lucky enough that you can do floor to chair transfers, you'll be able to get in the pool no problems. There's also a private beach area, but you'll need offroading tyres for it or a freewheel on your chair.
5. Visit one of the green spaces inside the city
Valencia is full of green spaces and parks! Whether you just want a nice afternoon stroll, or if you want to have a picnic in the park, the options there are endless. The most fascinating of these green spaces however, is the Turia Gardens. The Turia Gardens was created after Valencia experienced a devastating flood in 1957, and the year after a plan created to divert the river. This left the green riverbed, creating the Turia Gardens. The City Of Arts And Sciences is just a short walk from part of the gardens, near the mouth of the river. The paths through the gardens are extremely easy to navigate, which makes this area perfect for getting fresh air and seeing more of Valencia's history.
Overall, I know that there's more that just these 5 accessible things to do in Valencia, but as you can probably tell, my stays in the city are always quite short so I'm sure I haven't discovered everything that this beautiful city has just yet!