Discover the best things to do on the Costa de Valencia

STEPHANE — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 05:31:33 +0000

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Everything you ever wanted to know about the Costa de Valencia

Valencia, one of the most famous and well-known cities of Spain, is the main city of the Valencian Community, a Mediterranean paradise with stunning views of the coastline, located on the Eastern side of the Iberic peninsula, just a bit south of Catalonia and Tarragona.

This is the third biggest city in Spain in terms of population, and thus, it has some advantages, such as an International Airport, a great transport system, with the second largest Subway system, only after Madrid’s, more than 50 different bus routes, and a railway that connects it with the rest of the country, which will get you to Madrid in less than 2 hours for only 40 euros.

But the culture is the main attraction of this city, it is recognized as the “City of Arts and Sciences” of Spain, between its borders lies the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia, and the Valencian Institute of Modern Arts (Instituto Valenciano de las Artes modernas, IVAM).

City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia

It also has a deep history, being founded more than two thousand years ago by the Roman empire, then occupied by the Muslims in the 8^thcentury, and annexed to Spain during the famous “Reconquista”, in 1238.

And as such, it has one of the biggest Historic Quarters, with almost 170 hectares, as well as beautiful monuments such as “El Miguelete“, “La Catedral” (The Cathedral), “Las Torres de Serrano y de Quart y la Lonja de la Seda“, which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996.

Why not enjoy some holidays in Valencia?

If you want to buy a summer house in Valencia, you are having luck, because it is probably one of the best places you could choose from. Being the cultural and artistic hub that it is, Valencia hosts several festivals and carnivals year-round such as:

Las Fallas: Starting on March 15 and ending on the nineteenth, this is the most important festival in the area, and one of the most famous ones as well, these 4 days have become non-stop celebration and are deeply rooted in the Valencian culture. Its roots are the celebration of San Joseph day, protector of the carpenters, a very important and respected guild at the time due to the relevancy of the furniture industry to the Valencian economy.
Las Fiestas de San Vicente Ferrer: These celebrations are a prolongation of the Easter Holidays, known as the “Holy Week”, on this day people go to the original dwelling of San Vicente, which was turned into a chapel, where children represent the most famous actions of the Saint and are also given “El Pouet de San Vicent”, for them to speak promptly, in order not to suffer from anginas, in order not to swear fakes or be blasphemous.

Know everything about the Costa de Valencia: its Airports, its AVE stations, its Cities and villages, its shopping places: Traditional & Flea markets, Outlets and shopping malls. What should you visit? The Unesco sites, the parks for kids, the green parks, the golf courses, the universities and last but not least the top beaches. Check our infographic.

Downloadable pdf map of the Costa de Valencia

These are but the most remarkable ones, other such as the Procession of the Corpus Christi, the festival of the Virgin of the helpless, and October ninth, which are also very important celebrations, among many others.

Valencia has, as well, several natural parks to be enjoyed, such as the Albufera reserve, a gorgeous marine gulf, or the Gardens of Turia, filled with sport related activities such as biking, football, Rugby and baseball.

If you want to take your children there as well, we got your back, as Valencia is full of activities for the diversion of the youngest among us, such as the Science Museum of Prince Felipe, The Arts and Science Centre and the previously mentioned IVAM, which all run special workshops and activities that cater to children.

And of course, there is always the beach, such as La Malvarrosa beach, El Saler Beach, Port Saplaya Beach, and many others that you will certainly enjoy, even more taking into account the sunny weather of the area, with not much rain and temperatures that allow bathing for six months a year. Find out all the monthly weather statistics for the city of Valencia, including sea temperature, in our infographic.

Also, if you were to grow tired of the city of Valencia, there are several small towns in the area with a very high touristic appeal, such as Gandía, Sagunto, Cullera, Miramar, Oliva, and many more, which are a delightful place to spend a Sunday with the family, or to have a “disconnection retire”, and finally be able to relax, away from the big crowded cities.

A street from the old city centre of Valencia

Could Valencia be your ideal place to retire?

If you want to have a permanent residence in this area, you are on the right track, especially if you are looking for a quiet place were to live the rest of your life without worrying much about anything.

As in all Spanish towns, food tends to be somewhat cheap, with 150 euros you will be perfectly fine, and it could be reduced to 100 if you are on a tight budget. Real estate in Valencia city is more expensive and that is why we recommend buying or renting in the suburbs surrounding areas if you have a tight budget.

This way, you will enjoy life at a slower pace, away from all the stress that big cities can cause, and also save an important amount in your housing. Nonetheless, thanks to the well-built transport system, you can get to the Downtown of the city in less than an hour from most places.

Beach front line of Valencia.

One of the most relevant expenses you have to consider, though, are the services, normally people from other parts of the world do not realize, but electric power and heating can be very expensive.

Although electric power can be saved through many methods that we won’t get into, heating can turn out to be a turn-off for a lot of people, since you may have to pay up to 300 euros a month or more to keep yourself warm in the winter.

Nevertheless, this is heavily depending on the type of heating your property is using, since there are buildings with central heating that cost only a fraction of that, and there is a wide range in between, the most recommended types are, of course, central heating, then comes Butane, you will have to deal with the cylinders, natural gas, and at last electric, which can be the most expensive.

Most of the time, though, you won’t be able to choose, since the kind of heating is already installed and you probably can not install a new one without pouring thousands of dollars, but it is an important factor to take care of while looking for a property to buy.

Valencia is the city where the Paella was born. The traditional dining food for the fishermen.

Valencia, like every big city, is full of interesting activities to do while you rest from taking walks on the beaches and taking naps on Hammocks, and there are specialized groups online of senior citizens looking to have fun and make friends, as well as the activities run by the town hall for retirees, that will make of your leisure time a lot of fun.

What about the real estate market in Valencia?

The city of Valencia has been a centre of interest for investors lately, it has not needed any help to become one of the largest cities in the country, and a recent move of companies that used to be based in Barcelona (due to de nationalist’s desire to break apart) has the real estate industry grow immensely.

Nonetheless, it does not have the peaks of interest and skyrocketing prices of other big cities, such as Madrid, this city enjoys healthy growth over the last decades, that seems to be growing even faster nowadays.

With a price-per-square-meter that can get as low as 700 euros on the cheap side, and up to 2300 euros on the most desirable locations, it is much more affordable than other cities, like Madrid, that has a price of up to 5.000 euros per square meter, and as such, there is a lot of room for growth and development as people from other parts of Spain come looking for a good job market with affordable housing.

The economy in this city is very dependent on tourism and service-related work, as almost 85% of the population works in the service industry.

Plaza of the City Hall of Valencia

External investing is rising all over Spain, as investors from all around the world buy properties in different cities, the main investors tend to be Chinese, English, Russian, Italian, Netherlandish and Scandinavian, among many others.

Since 2013, after the sudden drop in property prices due to the crisis, the Valencian Market hasn`t stopped rising, with an overall growth rate of almost 5%, and a growth on transactions of 10% (per year).

The real estate market is becoming very fast-paced in Valencia lately, as owners have realized the increase in the value of their property and buyers want to buy while properties are relatively inexpensive, this is what is causing an increase in transactions in the market of almost 20% lately.

Check the real estate price evolution for Valencia and Spain since 1995

Read our paper we wrote last year on Valencia if you want to discover more about the city: Valencia, the third biggest city in Spain, is a centre of interest for foreigners.

We organised as well our first real estate city trip to Valencia with our local property hunter and architect, Bernard, in April 2018.

Read more: Real estate prices in Valencia available in our Spanish property report updated quarterly.

In conclusion

Valencia is a beautiful place, with the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring natural landscapes, an interesting and deep culture, rooted in a rich history, and that is what makes Valencia as a city, and as a territory of Spain, a great place to live in, be it seasonally, or as a retiree.

Furthermore, the real estate market has had healthy growth over the last years, and it does not seem to be changing any time soon, something that is especially appealing to investors that are not looking to make a quick buck but want a long-lasting and safe investment.

Overall, Valencia is one of the most recommendable places to buy a property in Spain, it has all of the benefits of being a big city, such as a good transport system, international airport, and access to a variety of activities, without the overwhelmingly steep prices of cities like Madrid or Barcelona.

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Costa de Valencia Map information

Airports: Valencia
Ave stations: Valencia
Cities: Valencia (790,200 inhabitants), Miramar (138,400 inhabitants), Gandía (74,800 inhabitants), Sagunto (64,400 inhabitants), Burjassot (37,300 inhabitants), Oliva (26,200 inhabitants), Cullera (22,100 inhabitants)
Unesco sites: La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia (1996)– Find all the UNESCO Sites in Spain on our page: “10 reasons why you should buy in Spain”
Top beaches: Playa de Malvarrosa, Playa de Pinedo, Platja de la Malladeta, Playa de San Antonio, Playa de Jeresa, Playa de Daimus, Playa de Oliva.
Kids Parks: Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (Valencia)
Shopping Malls & Outlets: Centro Comercial Aqua, Centro Comercial Nuevo Centro, Centro Comercial Boulevard Austria (Valencia), Bonaire (Aldaya), Centro Comercial MN4 (Alfafar), El Corte Ingles (Valencia)
Traditional & Flea markets: Colon Market, Valencia, Central Market, Valencia
Top golf courses: Escorpion, Kikuninus, Cofrentes, La Galiana, Gandia, Ontinyent Play with the best golf clubs sets in Spain thanks to our local partner.
Natural Parks: Parc Natural de la Marjal de Oliva-Pego, Parc Natural de la Serra Calderona El Garatge, Parc Natural del Montgó, Parc Natural de la Serra de Mariola, Serra d’Espadà Natural Park, Sierra Helada Natural Park, Chera-Sot de Chera Natural Park, Parc Natural de la Serra d’Irta, Centro de interpretación Parque Natural del Penyal d’Ifac
University: Universidad CEU – Cardenal Herrera, Universidad de Valencia, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Valencia)
Hospitals: Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Hospital de Vilanova, Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset, Hospital Universitario I Politècnic la Fe