Central Market

If you love food, then you will enjoy the fresh produce, their colour and flavour, and if you value richness, variety and quality in the kitchen, then the Central Market in Valencia is a paradise you cannot miss out on. It is an essential place to visit in the city, with an enormous collection of modernist architecture containing fresh produce from the Valencia orchard and all the flavour and aromas from the Mediterranean. Don't doubt about it, visit Central Market. Your senses will thank you!

It is the largest market with fresh produce in Europe and it stands out for its rich and varied cuisine. It is located in one of the most emblematic modernist buildings in the city. It is 8,000 m2 and full of decorative references to the orchard and gardens in Valencia. Its structure, formed by iron columns, remind us of the Eiffel Tower; tile and stained glass make it an attractive architecture that is a must to see. When you visit it, you will not only love what you see, but also the colours, aromas, smells...it is full of Mediterranean life. It is a place where you can buy traditional products, yet it is also a space where more and more tourists visit.

This Valencia agora has more than 1200 stalls with fresh fruit and vegetables, especially oranges, tomatoes and beans. Meat, cheese, spices, nuts, spices fish, seafood are just some of the other products on offer, yet it is the live eels that seem to catch everyone's attention. If you do not want to buy anything, but you want to taste the food, you can stop at the Central Bar, the Central Market's traditional bar at the hands of chef Ricard Camarena, where you can have tapas, assorted dishes and sandwiches. Whether you want to buy products or enjoy the cuisine, the Central Market is a magical place. Don't miss out!

10 responsible practices for a 10 out of 10 visit to the Central Market   

There can be no doubt: Valencia's Central Market is one of the jewels in the crown. Its architecture, history and peculiarities make it a permanent fixture on every guided tour of the city.  

Even if it's crowded with visitors, we’re lucky in that it's still a functioning fresh produce market where stallholders make a living by selling to a wide range of customer   

So what can you as a tourist do during your visit to make sure that you respect the market, the stallholders and their customers?  

If you go to the market with an official tour guide, they’ll already be aware of the best practices when visiting the market, but just in case, here's everything you need to know:  

1. Explanation by the guide should always be given outside the market, near one of the seven entrances, but without obstructing access  

2. Once inside, don’t touch the goods on display: remember that they’re for sale to the public  

3. Don’t use the narrowest aisles in the market, and don’t stand around in them - they get crowded and stopping even for a moment will obstruct the movement of customers.  

4. You should also respect the activity on the stalls, as the stallholders deal with hundreds of customers every morning, and it’s their livelihood.  

5. If you need to have a rest, don’t use the steps that provide access to the market or lean on the ramps or handrails for support. There are public benches and cafés around the market where you take a break.   

6. If you see a sign on a market stall saying that photos are not allowed, please respect the stallholder’s wishes.  

7. Architecturally, the market is breathtaking. Wherever you look you'll see well preserved modernist architecture - please help take care of it.  

8. And please don’t not throw rubbish on the ground, even if it is organic!  

9. Finally, and most importantly, do listen carefully to the guide's explanations, you’ll learn lots of interesting things about the market. 

10. Follow these nine guidelines, and above all shop local and have a great time at the market!  

The city of Valencia, the stallholders at the market and the people of Valencia who shop there every day say a big thank you in advance.  

Have a 10 out of 10 visit!