Valencia’s city center is one of its most representative and visited areas. Beyond the old town and the Carmen, the area known as Ensanche and the Ruzafa district are two of the most worthwhile areas to visit for various reasons, whether for their cultural offerings, their monuments, or their leisure, among many other things.
Also, this area can be a great option for those visiting the city with children, since on both sides there is the Turia riverbed where children can play sports or games in the Gulliver Park and the recently opened Central Park of Valencia.
These neighborhoods offer so many options for the visitor that this can be problematic when it comes to deciding. That’s why we at Flightmode love to recommend some of the places that are worth a visit in all areas of Valencia.
Ensanche
Valencia’s Gran Vía is one of the city’s main arteries. In it, we can find many shops as well as in the surrounding streets. However, the first step one should make when visiting this area of the city is the Mercado de Colon, one of the most emblematic buildings in the city and one of the best places to stop and have a drink.
This old market is one of the best examples of Valencian modernist architecture from the beginning of the 20th century and nowadays you can find very high-quality restaurants, as well as bars and even cafes where you can have a horchata.
A good place to get to know the cuisine of the famous Valencian chef Ricard Camarena is on the ground floor of this same Colon Market where you will find two of his proposals: Habitual and Cocaloka. The first of these offers Mediterranean cuisine that is very fresh, while the second focuses on a combination of pizza and the typical Valencian coca that will not leave you indifferent.
Another place where you can have a drink is the Cánovas area, full of bars and terraces where you can enjoy the Valencian nightlife atmosphere with friends, as this is one of the city’s trendiest areas.
On the other hand, if we move away from the Turia river and approach the Ruzafa neighborhood, if we cross Castellón street in search of the bullring and the North Station we will find opposite a peculiar building: The Jewish House, a clear example of the Valencian art deco style built in 1930 and whose style and colors are worth a visit.
Ruzafa
If we cross the Gran Vía after discovering La Casa Judía, in front of you you will find Ruzafa, the current fashionable district of Valencia, and one of the most recommendable options for going out to party next to the port and the City of Arts and Sciences.
This neighborhood has become a real meeting point in the city where you can stroll, shop, have a drink, or try the best market food in the city. It has its market as do many areas of Valencia, and the Ruzafa Market is one of the most important points in the neighborhood both for its activity and for the bars that surround it, which boasts in their menu to buy in it.
In the streets that make up, this neighborhood one can find an infinite number of bars that can be a very good option for both a snack and dinner. However, from Flight Mode, we love to recommend those places we consider the best or the essential ones in the area, such as the peculiar Gnomo shop, for special objects and gifts that focus on local artists and craftsmen, a good option if you are looking for a different souvenir of Valencia.
Another highly recommended option in the Ruzafa neighborhood is Ubik Café, a charming café-bookstore where you can enjoy the atmosphere and the premises. Furthermore, right next to the Ubik Café is the headquarters of the UCE (Unificación Comunista de España) which has a huge interior garden where you will find El Patio de Ruzafa. Every Sunday there is a market of ecological products and every other Sunday there is a market of clothes and handmade accessories.
For those who wish to try something a little different from Valencian cuisine, La Llorona Taqueria is an excellent option. This Mexican taqueria is one of the most famous in the city and they make their spicy sauces for the more daring.
Although if you want to enjoy all the splendor of this neighborhood, we recommend visiting it during the week of Fallas, when its streets are filled with both Fallas monuments and portals and streets that light up when night falls, creating a sound and light show worth seeing once in a lifetime.
