Our First Day in Valencia - El Cabañyal on the Mediterranean Coast

Last year during our trips to Seville and Cordoba, even while historical temperature records were being broken, we drank plenty of water and explored the historic streets. Missing Spain and that atmosphere, we came back again this year. We arrived in Valencia in the cool of the evening. You immediately realize you have arrived in Spain because everyone is extremely positive and there are drinking fountains everywhere. Though they finally put fountains in Stuttgart too. We used to buy water because tap water was not very good, now having fountains is a great thing.

We started walking towards the metro after leaving the airport. However, because of repair works on the line, the metro currently does not go all the way to the city center. So we walked past the area with taxis and buses to the stop where we would transfer. For transportation we used a temporary ten trip card. With this card we first went to the temporary final stop and then transferred to the bus. The bus was included in the same fare, making a single ride cost around 1.30 euros. I really did not understand why Google searches had scared me with 22 euros. 😄

Our first stop was the El Cabanyal area where we would stay. This place is known for its proximity to the historic center and is a local Spanish neighborhood hosting one of the two popular beaches. I do not think the buildings in the area are very flashy, it has more of a typical neighborhood feel. Since Valencia is a coastal city, accomodation prices here are quite high in the summer. We paid 133 euros per night. After this in Granada which has no sea, prices dropped to 105 euros. As you can see the sea significantly affects accomodation prices. Malaga where we stayed last year was similarly very expensive. We booked the apartment we stayed in directly from the hotel website itself, prices on Booking were much higher. Btw the air conditioner in our apartment was a bit weak and struggled to cool the house.

After settling into our apartment we walked towards the parks and El Cabanal beach. Since the sun hit directly from the front and there was fog in the air, the visibility was a bit obscured. A giant cruise ship was standing in the port. We passed through the old port area and reached the shore. Cranes visible in the background slightly ruined the exotic atmosphere. This place reminded me of the beach in Gran Canaria but the main thing was getting into the water. When we were little, we used to swim even in lush green, algae filled waters. Nowadays we do not like just any sea. Most people come here for the sea anyway, but for us the sea was not that important, we came to tour the city.

There was a massive sandy area of about 150 meters on the beach and enough room for everyone, there was no situation like in Mallorca where people lay on top of each other. There were no changing cabins, But in my opinion, if you have your towel, there was no need anyway. Here there is a shallow and safe sea for children. Although its color somewhat resembles our rivers, the bottom can be seen. Even though the water felt cool in the morning hours, we got used to it as we got in it was like 27 degree warm milk.

Along the beach there are cafes, neat walking paths, foot washing stations, showers, lifeguards, volleyball courts and playgrounds. Just because the palm trees do not provide full shade, you need your own umbrela or a rented umbrella to protect yourself from the sun.

We continued walking along the coast. Even though it was 11 o clock, shops were just opening. Apparently nobody was in a rush in Spain. On the way we saw oleanders, giant palm trees and a very aesthetic toilet covered in pink flowers. Because humidity is very high in Spain, even if the weather is 30 degrees, you constantly walk around soaked as if walking in a bath.

On the way back we saw someone walking a weasel or a meerkat on the street. The warm weather in Spain must be suitable for these exotic animals. A bit further ahead, we found small fountains in flowery areas. The beautiful two story buildings, colorful streets and small squares here are very enjoyable to walk through.

Buses and trams reach this beach easily. The distance betwen where we stayed and the city center was about 2.5 to 3 kilometers. We saw the habit of locals parking their cars bumper to bumper, touching each other, here as well. Guess nobody worries about scratches on their bumper.

While finding shops on Sundays in Germany is a total ordeal, in Valencia there were open shops on every corner to buy beer and water. Passing through beautiful streets and small squares, we completed the beach tour of our first day.