10 reasons to travel to Valencia in 2024

In a year marked more than ever by sustainability, in Valencia you will also find an explosion of new flavors, cultures and melodies. And even more reasons, if possible, to schedule that vibrant and Mediterranean visit you deserve.

1.    Valencia, European Green Capital 2024

Valencia celebrates a new award, European Green Capital, presented by the European Commission in recognition of the city's efforts to improve the environment and the quality of life of both its residents and visitors. In addition to special events throughout the year and new offerings, you'll find plenty of other ways to celebrate. Take a walk through the new pedestrian areas of the city or its wide green spaces: from urban gardens where you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, like the Turia Garden, to natural parks on the outskirts, like the Albufera or the Turia, where you can enjoy nature in its purest state. You can also get to know the Route of Monumental Trees or explore the city and its surroundings by bike thanks to the network of bike lanes and the new Green Ring around Valencia, thus engaging in sustainable tourism.

2.    New Hortensia Herrero Center of Contemporary Art

2024 brings with it an interesting opening. You can already visit the new Hortensia Herrero Art Center in the old Valeriola Palace, a building brimming with history. It houses the private collection of its patron, which includes works by international artists like Andreas Gursky, Anselm Kiefer, Georg Baselitz, Mat Collishaw and Anish Kapoor, as well as prominent Spanish artists such as Jaume Plensa and Manolo Valdés. The center will also host temporary exhibits. If you want experts to let you in on all the secrets of the collection, the Hortensia Herrero Foundation and the history of the building,  there are guided tours on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 AM, and on Thursdays at 5 PM; exclusive guided tours can also be arranged. Additionally, on Wednesday afternoons, admission is free.  

3.    The Ironman triathlon comes to Valencia

Ironman, the most famous triathlon event in the world, will hold three editions of its half-distance triathlon in Valencia. The first Ironman 70.3 will take place on April 21, 2024, in and around the Marina de Valencia and the City of Arts and Sciences. Participants will have to travel a total of 70.3 miles (hence the name), or 113 kilometers, including a 90-km bike ride, a 1.9-km swim in the waters of the Mediterranean, and a 21.1-km run. The cycling event will include an added challenge, the climb to Sierra Calderona, on the outskirts of Valencia, with an elevation gain of 700 meters. The run will take place along the Turia Garden, where spectators will be able to cheer on the participants.

4.    A historic new market for farm-to-table shopping

Another reason that makes Valencia a sustainable destination is the abundance of fresh produce from the sea and the peri-urban farmland, which is offered in the city's restaurants and markets. Not only can you take pleasure in touring the lively stalls of the Mercado Central and the city's 15 other municipal markets, now you can also visit the renovated Mercado del Grao, the oldest in Valencia. Housed in a modernist building near the Marina de Valencia, it has reopened its doors after a thorough refurbishment that included replacing the old facade with a large stained-glass window that bathes the interior in natural light. In addition to butcher, fruit, pastry, organic, grocery, salted, fish, deli, bar and cafeteria stalls, it features a multipurpose room for cultural activities and will be the first of Valencia's markets to open in the evenings. 

5.    The Palau de la Música is back 

Music will ring out more than ever in Valencia this year thanks to the reopening of one of its most iconic concert venues, the Palau de la Música in the Turia Garden. After being closed for four years for restoration, the Palau premieres a new season with forty-four classical music concerts ranging from opera to symphonic-choral music by leading national and international soloists and orchestras. 
In addition, Valencia has just joined the Music Cities Network, which groups together cities that stand out for their musical tradition. Among the events to promote musical activity in the city will be the creation of an online map showing all the halls offering live music.

6.    More charming hotels

Valencia's hotel offerings continue to expand with new openings planned for 2024. These include Cuber House Valencia, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, an upscale hotel with 84 rooms in El Cabanyal, whose decor will be inspired by the regeneration of this old fishing district. Grupo Sol y Mar, known for its beach hotels in Calpe, has chosen Valencia to debut its first urban hotel, Estimar Valencia, with 65 rooms in the heart of the city. Finally, the BESTPRICE hotel chain has just opened its first establishment in Valencia, the BESTPRICE Valencia Hotel, which occupies a protected historic building with 24 rooms in the Patraix neighborhood.

7.    Roig Arena: a new space for mass events

The Roig Arena, a new indoor venue with multiple spaces that will host all kinds of mass events, from large concerts to sporting events, is expected to open in late 2024. In particular, it will be the new home of the Valencia Basket Club, the local basketball team, which an audience of 15,600 fans will be able to cheer on from the stands. The main hall can host music shows with up to 18,500 spectators.

8.    Sorolla at the Museum of Fine Arts

Following the celebration of the centenary of the Joaquín Sorolla's death in 2023, a new permanent collection of works by the brilliant Valencian painter can be seen at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valencia. The new Sorolla Hall has forty-six works by the artist that showcase his skill in a wide variety of genres, from landscapes and nudes to portraits and religious paintings, including the large canvas "Yo soy el pan de la vida" (I Am the Bread of Life). Plan your visit with enough time to tour the rest of Spain's second largest art gallery, which includes rooms dedicated to other great Spanish painters such as Goya, as well as the Valencian school of the artists Pinazo and Benlliure. 

9.    New dining spaces

Valencia's culinary options are so tasty and varied that sometimes the problem is deciding where to eat. Two new dining spaces make it easy for you. The Mercado de la Imprenta occupies a central building from the early 20th century that housed the Vila Print Shop. It is now the largest food market in Valencia, with 21 food and drink stalls ranging from rice and vermouth shops to hamburger and sushi restaurants. It also offers a cultural program with exhibits, markets and fairs of gastronomic products.

In the Cabanyal neighborhood, Mercader combines multiple spaces in what was once the home of the old Soler cooperage. Its food market offers several stalls where you can eat tapas and pintxos with market products, while its Nave Taller has a restaurant specializing in meats. Wines and gourmet produce are served in the courtyard, while pizzas and burgers are served in the garden. 

Notable among the city's new culinary proposals is Tatel, the new restaurant by Rafa Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo in the old building of the Valencia Stock Exchange, remodeled by the design studio Grace Design. A space with a clandestine soul and a Mediterranean twist, where you can enjoy haute cuisine in an exclusive atmosphere.

10.    Valencia, global epicenter of motorsport

The third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games will take place from October 23 to 27, 2024, in Valencia. The motorsport event will have the Circuit Ricardo Tormo as its main venue, just 20 kilometers from the capital. However, it will also incorporate sports activities at the Kartódromo de Chiva, the Circuit de La Ribera de Guadasuar, in the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, and in the Requena area. The competition categories will be expanded to 26 and will cover everything from circuit races to Electric Street - which includes Auto Slalom and Karting Slalom -, Karting, Esports, Off-road, and Rally. The 2022 Games, held in the French city of Marseille, brought together more than 400 participants and around 45,000 spectators.