Many Mediterranean cities in Spain are facing an unprecedented summer with heatwave after heatwave, as well as the threat of wildfires in nearby countryside.
If you don’t have air-conditioning, living here can feel very difficult during these sizzling months. And if you’re a tourist in Valencia, you’ll no doubt want to avoid sightseeing which will see you struggle in the heat.
Here is some inspiration for those who want to enjoy Spain’s third biggest city while keeping cool during the scorching summer months.
Outdoor cinemas
If it’s too hot outside during the day, then a great option is to head out in the evening instead. Valencia has several outdoor cinemas that you can enjoy at night whilst staying cool including the Filmoteca d’Estiu and CCCCinema d’Estiu. Some of them show movies in Spanish, while others are in original version such as English with only subtitles in Spanish.
Hang out in the Jardí del Túria park
One of the best things about Valencia is its winding Túria park, located in a dry riverbed that twists its way throughout the city. Filled with shady areas, kids playgrounds, gardens, sports facilities and ponds, it’s ideal for a hot afternoon. Take a blanket, a picnic, some games or a book and make a day of it.
Cool down in an horchata café
Valencia the horchata capital of Spain and sometimes all you want there is just to sit down in a air-conditioned cafe and drink this sweet tiger-nut milk. Some of the best in the city include Horchatería Santabárbara, Els Sariers, Horchatería Vida and Horchatería Santa Catalina. Some of them may be a bit touristy, but you’ll always find ones the locals frequent too, chatting while they dip their fartons (sweet bread) into the milky concoctions.
Visit an outdoor pool
Often just getting in the water is the best way to cool down on those hot sticky days. Luckily, Valencia has several that you can take advantage of. Parque del Oeste and Benicalap are two of the best and the biggest, while Paterna Pool and Parc Vedat Pool – Torrent are particularly great for families with kids play areas.
Escape into museums and art galleries
Valencia may not have as many famous museums as Madrid or Barcelona, but it can definitely hold its own when it comes to cultural attractions and there are several excellent places to visit including the Hortensia Herrero Art Centre (CAHH), housed in the Palazzo Valeriola, the Science Museum (part of the City of Arts and Sciences), the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia and the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània. What’s more many of the city’s museums are free during particular days and times – most of them on a Sunday – so you don’t have to spend so much money to keep cool. The Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia and the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània are free all the time, while the Valencia History Museum is free on Sundays, the Fallas Museum on Sunday mornings and the Natural Science Museum is free on Sunday afternoons.
Take a boat ride in the L’Albufera Natural Park
Just half an hour from the city lies the Albufera Lagoon. Get a bit of breeze by taking a boat tour out on the lake, winding around the reed beds and quiet corners. Just remember a good hat or an umbrella to shade you as some of the boats don’t have a roof.
Visit a cultural centre
There are several good cultural centres across the city, which hold events from talks and concerts to small-scale theatrical productions and exhibitions. What’s even better is that they’re great places to escape the heat. One of the most interesting is La Fábrica de Hielo, an independent cultural space located near Cabanyal Beach. It has comedy nights, literature events, live music and audiovisual performances among others.
Hang out in a bookstore
There’s nothing better than strolling around a cool air-conditioned book store browsing for inspiration for your next book to read or simply discovering something new. Valencia is full of some great book stores including Ramón Llull, which also has many events, meetings and exhibitions and Book Lovers Valencia, selling English language books and also holding several events. There’s Bartleby, specialising in comics and graphic novels as well as are the special bookstores like La Batisfera, combining books with a café serving lots of vegetarian and vegan dishes, as well as live music performances or Ubik Café with a great menú de día, brunches and a programme of events.
Go to the beaches
OK, yes this is an obvious one, but the city has some great beaches and sometimes there’s really nothing else to do except to go and cool down in the Mediterranean. The city itself has three kilometres of soft sand to enjoy and there are even more beaches both north and south of the city that you can reach by public transport. Take picnic lunch, games to play, books, and most importantly, don’t forget a parasol and your sunscreen.
Take a long, lazy menú de día
Do what the Spaniards do and make lunch last all afternoon, if you have the time. That way you can can stay in a cool air-conditioned restaurant for several hours and stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.
