When on a Western Mediterranean cruise to Spain’s third largest city, Valencia shore excursions offer an exciting and eclectic mix of Old World icons and New World marvels for your touring pleasure.
In Valencia, Spain, shore excursions may start with the old and end with the new or vice versa, and in some places, you’re likely to see a fascinating blend of both. Explore the medieval Old Town, including the Central Market, a huge Art Nouveau-style building with stained-glass windows filled with close to 1,000 food stalls selling everything from saffron to squid. Across from the market, see the Lonja de la Sede (the Silk Exchange), a grandiose mercantile building constructed between 1482 and 1533, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Fallas Museum, featuring papier-maché figures (ninots) saved from the flower festival. Pass over the Flowers Bridge, lined on both sides with masses of seasonal flowers. Other impressive sites include the bull ring and Valencia Cathedral.
Valencia shore excursions that take you to the fantastic and futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Spain’s own world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, are bound to convince you that Valencia does “New World” as well as it preserves “Old World“. Marvel at the sheer size and scope of the complex that’s built on the old bed of the Turia River. It comprises five structures, each dedicated to a specific art or science. Tour L’Oceanografic, Europe’s largest oceanographic aquarium that contains over 500 species of marine life grouped in stunning aquatic environments by their area of origin. Built in the shape of a water lily, the building itself is as impressive as its contents and is the only structure in the complex designed by architect Felix Candela.
For a behind-the-scenes look at another area of the arts, book Valencia shore excursions to tour the Lladró City of Porcelain and the National Ceramics Museum. As you tour the factory, watch artists as they go through each step to create the porcelain figurines that are beloved the world over. The onsite museum contains paintings from the Lladro family collection and impressive figurines designed since the company’s founding in the 1950s. At the National Ceramics Museum, housed in a former Marquis’ palace, view exquisite examples of ceramics from the 18th century, as well as contemporary pieces, including some fashioned by Picasso.
If you want to visit the beach during your time in port on a cruise to Valencia, you’re sure to enjoy a Mediterranean cruise excursion to Canet d’en Berenguer, a long and lovely white-sand beach that’s blue-flag rated for the quality of the water. Here you’ll find impressive amenities, including loungers, umbrellas, and several restaurants with outdoor seating.
