THE CHARMS OF VALENCIA, SPAIN

Yes, Valencia is the birthplace of paella and home of those delicious oranges, but it is so much more. A sparkling city on the eastern Mediterranean coast, Valencia displays beautiful Gothic and Renaissance buildings among stunning modern architecture. The food is fabulous, shopping is excellent, and the weather is sunny year-round.

Contemporary structures comprise the City of Arts and Sciences: a planetarium, science museum, aquarium and performing arts center. Here you will also find Bioparc Valencia, Europe's most advanced zoo; the art noveau Mercada Central, one of the continent's largest food markets; and stores everywhere featuring Lladro porcelain figurines. The provinces of Alicante and Castellon are included in the region of Valencia.

Although those outstanding attractions are very popular, it's the lively festivals that give Valencia its distinct flavor and color as a must-visit tourist destination. During July, don't miss the month-long Cultural Festival and select your favorites among the presentations of some 130 shows and concerts. But for pure fun and fury, make Valencia a stop on the last Wednesday in August when the area of Bunol stages La Tomatina. It may be this area's answer to Pamplona's famous 'Running of the Bulls'...much more serene but just as messy...as thousands bombard each other with ripe tomatoes!!!

Come spring, the city gives that season a fiery welcome at Las Fallas, when giant papier-mache statues are paraded around city streets and then burned in magnificent bonfires. The Moors and Christians Festival, also in spring around St. George's Day, takes on a totally different persona. The three-day celebration happens in Alcoy, about an hour's drive from Valencia proper. For this celebration, the entire city dresses up and reenacts its medieval past, complete with music, dancing, floats and fireworks. Intense (but fake) battles simulate the victory of the city's Christian inhabitants against an attack by the Moors in 1276. Before the three days are over, spectators have witnessed armies of Christians and Moors parading through the streets accompanied by horses, medieval music, camels, troupes of belly dancers, and a lucky child chosen to represent St. George.

A visit to Alcoy any time of year should include a stroll along the Volta als Ponts (bridge route) across several ancient and modern bridges supplying dramatic views. Nearby, caves contain examples of Neolithic art, and Iberian artifacts can be found in the town's Municipal Archaeology Museum.

In typical Spanish fashion, all-night parties accompany all of these festivities. Drink of the day is La Mentira, which means 'the lie' in English, and is a mixture of coffee liqueur and lemon granite. 

Hotels and resorts all around Valencia are listed with travel agents and major tour operators. Air service is also readily available, but Delta just made it a lot easier to reach Valencia by beginning non-stop service 4 days a week from JFK in New York.
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