Where to stay · Valencia · Spain
Where to stay in Valencia
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Ciutat Vella. Gothic old town of the cathedral, the Lonja and the Mercado Central. Best alternatives — families: Eixample and Pla del Remei; budget: El Carmen; nightlife: El Carmen.
Key facts
- First visit
- Ciutat Vella
- Families
- Eixample and Pla del Remei
- Budget
- El Carmen
- Nightlife
- El Carmen
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Ciutat Vella | Gothic old town of the cathedral, the Lonja and the Mercado Central |
| Families | Eixample and Pla del Remei | Elegant grid of shopping streets around the Mercado de Colón |
| Couples | Ciutat Vella | Gothic old town of the cathedral, the Lonja and the Mercado Central |
| Budget | El Carmen | Medieval lanes, street art and late bars in the old town's north-west corner |
| Luxury | Eixample and Pla del Remei | Elegant grid of shopping streets around the Mercado de Colón |
| Nightlife | El Carmen | Medieval lanes, street art and late bars in the old town's north-west corner |
| Food lovers | Ruzafa | Cafés, brunch spots, galleries and late dinners south of the North Station |
| Solo travellers | El Carmen | Medieval lanes, street art and late bars in the old town's north-west corner |
| Shopping | Eixample and Pla del Remei | Elegant grid of shopping streets around the Mercado de Colón |
| Quiet stays | Benimaclet | Former farming village turned student quarter with a village square |
| Beach | El Cabanyal and Malvarrosa | Fishermen's quarter of tiled houses next to the city's main beaches |
Valencia neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture and couples
Ciutat Vella
The historic centre inside the line of the old walls holds most of Valencia's monuments: the cathedral and Plaza de la Virgen, the Lonja de la Seda, the Mercado Central and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the Fallas mascletàs explode in March. Hotels range from boutique conversions of old palaces to chain hotels near the town hall, and Xàtiva and Colón metro stations are on its edge.
- Good
- Walk to every historic sight; Many restaurants and tapas bars; Easy metro link to the airport
- Watch out
- Very loud and crowded during Fallas; Narrow streets with little parking
- Nearby
- Valencia Cathedral, Lonja de la Seda, Mercado Central, Plaza del Ayuntamiento
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, solo travellers and culture
El Carmen
El Carmen (El Carme in Valencian) is the most atmospheric part of the old town, a tangle of lanes between the Torres de Serranos and the Torres de Quart with murals on many walls. Calle Caballeros and the streets around Plaza del Tossal fill with bars at night, and the IVAM modern art museum and the Turia Gardens are on its edge.
- Good
- Characterful streets and street art; Lively bars and cheap eats; Close to the Turia Gardens
- Watch out
- Noisy at weekends; Some streets feel scruffy
- Nearby
- Torres de Serranos, Torres de Quart, IVAM, Turia Gardens
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, couples and solo travellers
Ruzafa
Ruzafa (Russafa) is the city's most fashionable district, a grid of 19th-century apartment blocks filled with independent cafés, restaurants from around the world, design shops and small galleries around the Mercado de Ruzafa. It is a 10-minute walk from the Estación del Norte and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and comes alive late in the evening.
- Good
- Some of the city's best restaurants; Walkable to the old town; Good-value apartments
- Watch out
- Bars keep streets noisy late; Few conventional hotels
- Nearby
- Mercado de Ruzafa, Estación del Norte, Plaza de Toros
$$$ · Best for shopping, luxury and families
Eixample and Pla del Remei
The 19th-century extension east of the old town is Valencia's upmarket shopping district, with department stores on Calle Colón, designer boutiques on Calle Jorge Juan and Poeta Querol, and the modernist Mercado de Colón turned into a food hall. Streets are wide, tree-lined and calm, and the Turia Gardens are a block away.
- Good
- Smart, quiet and central; Excellent shopping; Colón metro on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Pricier restaurants; Less character than the old town
- Nearby
- Mercado de Colón, Calle Colón, Turia Gardens, Plaza del Ayuntamiento
$$ · Best for beach, families, food lovers and budget
El Cabanyal and Malvarrosa
The old fishing district of El Cabanyal runs in long parallel streets towards the sea, its low houses decorated with colourful ceramic tiles. Old taverns serve seafood and tapas, and the Malvarrosa and Las Arenas beaches with their paella restaurants are on the promenade. Tram line 4 and buses connect it to the centre in about 20–30 minutes.
- Good
- Steps from the beach; Authentic local taverns; Lower prices than the centre
- Watch out
- A tram or bus ride to the old town; Quiet and partly closed outside summer
- Nearby
- Malvarrosa beach, Las Arenas beach, Mercado del Cabanyal, La Marina
$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and quiet stays
Benimaclet
North of the Turia, Benimaclet was a separate village until the 1870s and keeps a small church square and low houses, now surrounded by student flats near the university. It has inexpensive bars, vegetarian cafés and community gardens, with metro and tram stations linking it to the centre and the beach.
- Good
- Low prices; Local, village-like atmosphere; Good metro and tram links
- Watch out
- Few hotels; No major sights within walking distance
- Nearby
- Benimaclet village square, Turia Gardens, Universitat de València campus
$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and first-timers
Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences)
The modern district around the City of Arts and Sciences has newer hotels and apartments with more space, close to the Oceanogràfic, the science museum and the Gulliver playground in the Turia Gardens. The old town is about 30 minutes on foot through the park, or a short bus ride, and the beach is a similar distance.
- Good
- Walk to the main family attractions; Larger, modern rooms; Park access for running and cycling
- Watch out
- Fewer traditional restaurants; Bus or long walk to the old town
- Nearby
- City of Arts and Sciences, L'Oceanogràfic, Gulliver Park, Turia Gardens
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Ciutat Vella | $$$ | Valencia Cathedral, Lonja de la Seda, Mercado Central, Plaza del Ayuntamiento |
| El Carmen | $$ | Torres de Serranos, Torres de Quart, IVAM, Turia Gardens |
| Ruzafa | $$ | Mercado de Ruzafa, Estación del Norte, Plaza de Toros |
| Eixample and Pla del Remei | $$$ | Mercado de Colón, Calle Colón, Turia Gardens, Plaza del Ayuntamiento |
| El Cabanyal and Malvarrosa | $$ | Malvarrosa beach, Las Arenas beach, Mercado del Cabanyal, La Marina |
| Benimaclet | $ | Benimaclet village square, Turia Gardens, Universitat de València campus |
| Penya-roja (City of Arts and Sciences) | $$$ | City of Arts and Sciences, L'Oceanogràfic, Gulliver Park, Turia Gardens |
Getting to your hotel
Valencia Airport is about 8 km west of the centre. Metro lines 3 and 5 reach Xàtiva and Colón stations in the centre in about 20–25 minutes, and a taxi takes about 20 minutes outside rush hour.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Valencia for first-time visitors?
Ciutat Vella. The historic centre inside the line of the old walls holds most of Valencia's monuments: the cathedral and Plaza de la Virgen, the Lonja de la Seda, the Mercado Central and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where the Fallas mascletàs explode in March.
+Where should families stay in Valencia?
Eixample and Pla del Remei: Smart, quiet and central.
+Which area of Valencia is best for a budget stay?
El Carmen ($$): Medieval lanes, street art and late bars in the old town's north-west corner.