Valencia cycling route

Our route begins in the Turia Gardens, located in the old bed of the River Turia, which crosses the entire urban center from the City of Arts and Sciences to Cabecera Park, with an extension of more than 7 kilometers. It is the largest urban garden in Spain, which receives more than three million visitors every year. Thus, it allows you to visit practically the entire city by bicycle quickly and comfortably, without haste, stopping at its most attractive places.

From the Turia Gardens, we access the historic center of the city through the Torres de los Serranos, built in the fourteenth century, one of the fortified gates of the medieval wall. The only one, with the Torres de Quart, that still stands today. It is highly recommended to visit and climb to the top to contemplate beautiful views of the city.

From this emblematic monument the Call for the Valencia Fallas is made every year, which mark the starting point of our main festivals, in an act that is attended by the main authorities.

Just a minute pedaling along Calle de los Serranos is the Plaza de Manises. It is worth making a stop here because we find a historical-artistic complex of great value, with several palatial buildings, among which stands out the Palace of the Batlia, from the fifteenth century, current headquarters of the Provincial Council of Valencia, National Historic Monument. Without forgetting the Palace of the Marquis of La Scala, from the sixteenth century.

Located at the junction of Plaza de Manises with Calle Caballeros and Plaza de la Virgen, we find the Palau de la Generalitat, which has its main entrance on Calle de Caballeros, nº 2. Here is located the Valencian autonomous government, in a Valencian Gothic building of the fifteenth century, which later incorporated Renaissance restorations. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.

A few meters away we can enjoy the majesty of the Plaza de la Virgen, the best known in Valencia, a wide pedestrian esplanade that lends its space to the most varied activities. The most popular, without a doubt, is the Offering of Flowers that is celebrated in Fallas.

An emblematic enclave of the historic center of Valencia, which concentrates buildings such as the Palace of the Generalitat, which we have just left behind, the Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken, patron saint of the city and the entire Old Kingdom of Valencia, first example of new baroque construction in this city in the seventeenth century.

Joined to the Basilica by an arch that crosses a narrow passage is Valencia Cathedral , seat of the Arzobispado, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Built in Valencian Gothic style, it later lived through Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical interventions. We walk along Carrer del Micalet to reach the main door of this cathedral, called Puerta de los Hierros, which overlooks Plaza de la Reina. The paintings of the Quattrocento that houses inside and the Chapel of the Holy Chalice are must-sees.

Before arriving at the entrance we have passed by the Torre del Micalet, bell tower of the cathedral, probably the most beloved monument for the Valencians. It can be visited every day of the year to see the three rooms of the bell tower and contemplate magnificent views of the city from the top. Just climb the 207 steps of its popular spiral staircase.

We can take the opportunity to rest on one of its terraces before leaving the Plaza de la Reina by Calle de la Barchilla. In just one minute we arrive at the Plaza de la Almoina. Around it stand the archbishops’ palace, the Cathedral and the rear façade of the Basilica, among other notable buildings. It is the oldest square in the city, main square of Roman Valencia in the second century BC. of C. Under it we can visit an important archaeological museum with remains of the Roman, Visigoth and Arab city.

We return to Plaza de la Reina, turn left into Calle del Mar and then right onto Calle Luis Vives; we cross Carrer de la Pau and then enter via Carrer de Vidal and quickly arrive at Palace of the Marquis of Dosaigües, a benchmark of the rococo style in Spain. Inside we can visit the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics, one of the most prestigious international ceramics collections. Another mandatory stop.

We get back on the bike to continue along Calle Poeta Querol and then Calle Pintor Sorolla until we reach Calle Universidad. Here we find the University of Valencia, founded in the fifteenth century, the “old university” as it is popularly known. Although its expansion brought faculties and students to new campuses, today the La Nau building is still the institutional headquarters of the rector’s office and has been converted into an attractive cultural center dedicated to the programming of exhibitions, theater and music.

In front of the old university, continuing along Calle Universidad and doubling down Calle de la Nave we find the Museum of the Patriarch, managed by the Royal Seminary College of Corpus Christi. A building built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which houses an interesting collection of paintings, books, documentation, textiles and goldsmithing of unique character.

From our previous destination we return to the bike path to head towards the old riverbed. We will travel about 6 minutes, leaving first on our right the centenary ficus of the Parterre and then on our left those of La Glorieta; We will enter the roundabout of the Plaza de la Puerta del Mar to go to the Exhibition Bridge, we will cross it completely, we will cross the Paseo de la Alameda and we will arrive at the Palace of the Exposition by Amadeo de Savoia and Muñoz Seca streets. This building was built in 1909, on the occasion of the National and Regional Exhibition held in Valencia that year. After a restoration undertaken at the end of the twentieth century it has returned to fulfill the functions for which it was created: receptions, banquets, conferences, etc.

Then we cross the Alameda again to recreate ourselves in the Pont de les Flors, another of which crosses the Turia Garden, a design by Santiago Calatrava that is always adorned with flowers, a feature that makes it very popular for both Valencians and visitors.

Cycling through the Turia Garden towards the City of Arts and Sciences, it will only take us about three minutes to reach the Palau de la Música in Valencia. This auditorium, inaugurated in 1987, is located in the old bed of the Turia and has several rooms for musical auditions, exhibitions, cinema, etc. It is home to the Valencia Orchestra and the city’s Municipal Band.

We continue through the Turia Garden, crossing this extraordinary urban park almost to its end. In a few minutes we will have arrived at the City of Arts and Sciences, an architectural, cultural and leisure complex inaugurated in 1998 whose most representative buildings are The Hemisfèric, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum, the Oceanogràfic and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía.

We leave this futuristic court complex leaving the Turia Garden along Carrer de Menorca, and then turn into Avda. del Puerto and finally in Calle Dr. Juan José Domine. We arrive at La Marina de Valencia, located between the commercial port of the city and its promenade, a leisure area that has several restaurants and discos, as well as children’s leisure areas, where we can take advantage of it to relax and regain strength.

We finish our tour on the Paseo Marítimo de la Ciudad, a splendid place to enjoy the Mediterranean that begins its journey just a couple of minutes from our previous destination, arriving at Calle del Dr. Marcos Sapena. Built in the 90s to link the city with the sea, it extends along the beaches of Las Arenas and Malvarrosa and reaches Alboraya.

Along the promenade we can visit different restaurants, and even beach bars if we go into the sandy area. One of the most visited gardens in the city, which has about 50,000 square meters of vegetation.