Water lore is a major part of Valencian popular culture, and the eight acequías (irrigation canals) that were diverted from the Río Turia to keep the market gardens watered are legendary. At this dam-like structure you can see where (before the river's course was changed) the last of them, the Rovella, diverted water from the main flow.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias
2.94 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…
1.46 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…
1.28 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…
1.59 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…
1.3 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…
0.38 MILES
This zoo devoted solely to African animals has an educational and conservationist remit and an unusual approach. Though, as always, the confinement of…
1.73 MILES
Bright and spacious, this gallery ranks among Spain’s best. Highlights include a collection of magnificent late-medieval altarpieces, and works by several…
1.27 MILES
Valencia’s vast Modernista covered market, constructed in 1928, is a swirl of smells, movement and colour. Spectacular seafood counters display…
Nearby Western Valencia attractions
0.25 MILES
At the end of the Turia dry riverbed, this landscaped park has a grassy mound to climb for views, plus paths stretching along a stream connecting two…
2. Museo de Historia de Valencia
0.32 MILES
This museum is very well presented and plots more than 2000 years of Valencia’s history. Each period is illustrated with a display case that makes the…
0.38 MILES
This zoo devoted solely to African animals has an educational and conservationist remit and an unusual approach. Though, as always, the confinement of…
0.76 MILES
Abutting the botanical gardens, this modern creation could not be more distinct in style. Shorter on green space, it has the formality of a classic French…
0.87 MILES
Established in 1802 this was Spain’s first botanic garden. With mature trees and plants, an extensive cactus garden and a wary colony of feral cats, this…
1 MILES
Spain's most magnificent city gate is quite a sight from the new town. You can clamber to the top of the 15th-century structure, which faces towards…
1.06 MILES
This ethnographic display is very sleek and modern, a welcome relief after the overly didactic archaeological museum that shares the halls in the…
1.08 MILES
This complex has cultural events and also contains two contiguous museums: the Museo de Prehistoria and the Museo de Etnología, entered on a single ticket.