Valencia’s vast Modernista covered market, constructed in 1928, is a swirl of smells, movement and colour. Spectacular seafood counters display cephalopods galore and numerous fish species, meat stalls groan under the weight of sausages and giant steaks, while the fruit and vegetables, many produced locally in Valencia's huerta (area of market gardens), are of special quality. A tapas bar lets you sip a wine and enjoy the atmosphere.
@Giorez/iStock
Mercado Central
Top choice in Valencia
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias
1.84 MILES
This aesthetically stunning complex occupies a massive 350,000-sq-metre swath of the old Turia riverbed. It’s occupied by a series of spectacular…
0.23 MILES
Valencia’s cathedral was built over a mosque after the 1238 reconquest. Its low, wide, brick-vaulted triple nave is mostly Gothic, with neoclassical side…
0.2 MILES
Recently reopened to the public after a magnificent restoration, this single-naved church down a passageway is a striking sight. Over the original Gothic…
0.33 MILES
This seminary was founded in the late 16th century by San Juan de Ribera, a towering Counter-Reformation figure who wielded enormous spiritual and…
0.06 MILES
This splendid building, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was originally Valencia’s silk and commodity exchange, built in the late 15th century when the city…
1.57 MILES
This zoo devoted solely to African animals has an educational and conservationist remit and an unusual approach. Though, as always, the confinement of…
0.57 MILES
Bright and spacious, this gallery ranks among Spain’s best. Highlights include a collection of magnificent late-medieval altarpieces, and works by several…
0.76 MILES
Stretching the length of Río Turia’s former course, this 9km-long lung of green is a fabulous mix of playing fields, cycling, jogging and walking paths,…
Nearby Valencia attractions
0.06 MILES
This splendid building, a Unesco World Heritage Site, was originally Valencia’s silk and commodity exchange, built in the late 15th century when the city…
0.13 MILES
This church, badly knocked about in the civil war, is starkly impressive inside. It’s dwarfed by the striking late-17th-century hexagonal baroque bell…
0.2 MILES
Recently reopened to the public after a magnificent restoration, this single-naved church down a passageway is a striking sight. Over the original Gothic…
0.22 MILES
With more than 95,000 pieces on display and over a million in total, L’Iber, set in a historic palace, claims to be the world’s largest collection of toy…
0.22 MILES
Turn left as you enter the main portal of the cathedral for the climb up to El Miguelete, the emblematic octagonal tower. It's apparently 51m high,…
0.22 MILES
This visually elegant modern museum makes the most of its lovely location in the 15th-century (with baroque additions) palace that was the seat of the…
0.23 MILES
Valencia’s cathedral was built over a mosque after the 1238 reconquest. Its low, wide, brick-vaulted triple nave is mostly Gothic, with neoclassical side…
0.24 MILES
Inside a striking palace, this ceramics museum celebrates an important local industry. Downstairs (which also features a decadent hand-painted 1753…