Is Valencia Family-Friendly?
Valencia is probably one of the most family-friendly destinations I’ve ever visited with my daughter. Although I’ve always been of the opinion that Spain is one of the most family-friendly countries in the world, I’ve never felt this more than during our week-long stay in Valencia.
A city that boasts long, sandy beaches, alongside incredible child-centred activities, Valencia is ideal for family travel. Not only that, it’s a place that parents can enjoy too, with a beautiful old town to explore. This is what originally drew me to Valencia – knowing that it was a city that I would enjoy exploring, as well as my four-year old daughter.
Valencia is also, logistically, a city that’s nice and flat and easy to navigate with kids. We were really impressed by the cheap, public transport available and travelled around the city with ease. Children can ride the public transport for free and there are plenty of pedestrian friendly green routes (ideal for prams), as well as a whopping 80km of cycle lanes.
What is the Best Time of the Year to Travel to Valencia with Kids?
From someone who learned the hard way, I can confirm that visiting Valencia during the peak summer months is probably the worst time to visit.
We visited mid-June and experienced mid-to-late-thirties most days, which made planning our days a little trickier. Although we had a wonderful time, we weren’t able to explore the city as much as we wanted as we wanted to keep our daughter out of the scorching afternoon heat.
I would therefore recommend that the ideal time to visit Valencia as a family (if you’re looking for some pool time, too) would be April – May and later September to October.
If you’re not looking for a sea or pool holiday, then winter is also a great time to visit, when temperatures are still mild and there are far fewer crowds.
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How Many Days Do You Need in Valencia?
How many days you need in Valencia with children will be dependent on what you decide to do in the city.
We decided to base ourselves at a hotel on the beach, so we could split the holiday between a traditional beach holiday and a city break. We stayed in Valencia for a week and could have quite easily stayed longer. There was more than enough to keep us occupied and, in retrospect, it would have been nice to add in some lazier beach days.
If you’re just exploring the city, then 3 nights in Valencia would be more than enough – especially if you want to move at a modest pace. You may want to add on another night if you have small children and need to factor in even more downtime.
Best Things to do in Valencia with Kids
Valencia provided us with so many things to do with our 4-year old daughter. In fact, we were totally spoilt for choice and didn’t actually manage to squeeze in everything we wanted.
From Europe’s largest aquarium, to beautiful gardens filled with playgrounds, here are the best things to do with kids in Valencia.
1. Oceanogràfic (Europe’s largest aquarium)
Book tickets to Oceanogràfic
Oceanogràfic is home to over 500 species and 45,000 animals. Opened in 2003, this vast futuristic looking aquarium includes a large, walk-through shark tunnel and 8 separate zones, including Antarctica, Mediterranean and Island zones. It was far larger than I was expecting, with a lot to see outside too.
My daughter loved her experience, particularly the jellyfish and the tropical zone with the ‘finding nemo’ fish. The aquarium felt incredibly clean, polished and informative, so made for a genuinely enjoyable day trip for adults, too.
One tip would be to bring your own food – the restaurants are expensive and the food was average.
Despite all this, I was incredibly disappointed to discover that Oceanogràfic holds dolphins and two beluga whales in captivity. I wasn’t aware of this until I arrived and immediately felt like our trip had been tainted.
We didn’t allow my daughter to see the dolphins or whales (thankfully she was unaware they were there). However, I did want to share this, for those with similar views on dolphins or whales in captivity.
2. Bioparc
Book tickets to Bioparc
Another top thing to do in Valencia with kids is to visit the Bioparc zoo. Said to be one of the most ‘immersive’ zoos in the world, Bioparc offers a huge number of ‘walk through’ areas, in large, realistic world environments. The zoo is divided into three areas: Savannah, Madagascar Island and Equatorial Africa.
By far, Olive’s favourite zone was Madagascar, where she enjoyed the lemur walk-through area and the flamingos.
I was impressed by how many shaded paths there were for kids, to keep them out of the sun – but a little annoyed that we weren’t allowed to bring external food into the park. The zoo would have been ideal for a picnic but sadly, you do have to buy from the cafes that are on site.
Top tip: arrive as the zoo is opening, to escape the crowds and heat. This also means the animals are more active while it’s cooler, so you’re more likely to see more.
3. City of Arts and Sciences
Book tickets to Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe
By far, our best thing to do in Valencia with children was our visit to the brilliant City of Arts and Sciences.
This jaw-dropping, 2km long ‘futuristic cultural complex’ is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also home to an excellent array of experiences, including the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe. This interactive science museum blew any previous museum trips out the water, offering Olive endless amounts of fun and interactive experiences to get absorbed in.
Not only was it far cheaper than our visit to Oceanogràfic, it felt far more immersive for Olive, as the Museum’s aim is to ‘touch, feel, think’.
Our favourite areas were the Space Exploration zone and the Human Body zone, as well as an interactive Van Gogh room, which covered the room in virtual wall-to-wall paintings of flowers.
We allowed ourselves 3 hours at the museum, but we probably could have stayed a couple of hours longer.
4. Turia Gardens
Turia Gardens make for an ideal, free activity to do with kids in Valencia.
An expansive, lush green open space that runs through the city, Turia Gardens is a great place to bring kids for a relaxed few hours or to bike through the parks. We brought a picnic to the gardens and enjoyed a lazy lunch in the shade, while Olive ran around smelling flowers and playing on the many playgrounds.
The gardens are full of cafes, kiosks, paddle boats and playgrounds – all ideal for a family visit.
5. Gulliver Park
Gulliver Park is a free park located in the centre of Valencia in the Turia Gardens. Featuring a huge model of Gulliver himself (lying down), the park is built around the explorer, meaning you can explore the park just like Lilliputians.
Olive loved this park; sliding down Gulliver’s hair, and climbing his legs and body. It was a brilliant, free way to waste an hour at the end of the day after our visit to the Science Museum.
The only thing I would note is that the park isn’t shaded so it can get very hot – and it isn’t a park for small children. Gulliver himself is slippy to climb and isn’t suitable for toddlers.
6. Beach Fun at Las Arenas
During our visit to Valencia, we decided to base ourselves at the beach – and I’m so glad we did.
Las Arenas beach is absolutely ideal for children, with long stretches of golden sand and a warm sea. The sea was also really shallow, which was perfect for Olive, so we could play happily in the water without worrying she was going too deep or could be knocked down by a rogue wave.
The beach is lined by a lively promenade full of brilliant restaurants, cafes and shops. We can highly recommend Boa Beach for a relaxed lunch and La Cabanyita for a delicious tapas dinner.
7. Explore the Old Town of Valencia
Finally, not everything on your list of best things to do with kids in Valencia has to be focused around your kid (hello 90s parenting). I was adamant that I also wanted to enjoy the city – and so we found lots of different ways to keep Olive amused as we toured the sights.
1. Street Art in El Carmen
The Old Town of El Carmen (the city’s bohemian district) is decorated with incredible murals and street art, which Olive really enjoyed discovering. The best streets to find the street art on are: Carrer de Baix, Carrer de Dalt, Carrer de na Jordana, and Carrer de Balmes.
You can book a guided tour of street art in El Carmen, or there are plenty of self-guided walks available to download and follow at your leisure.
2. Mercado Central (Central Market)
Opening times: Mon–Sat ~7:00–15:00; closed Sundays
Another of Olive’s favourite spots in the city was the Central Market.
Opened in 1839, the Central Market is a gastronomical landmark, brimming with delicious authentic products. Inside the beautiful Art Nouveau building are 300 stalls (that’s a whopping 1,200 vendors) selling fresh produce. This includes the delicious Valencia oranges, Jamón Ibérico, manchego cheese, and sweet treats and traditional pastries.
While Olive made a beeline to a bakery selling macarons and cakes, I picked up a traditional Valencian fish sandwich. Known as a Bocadillo de Sepia, this is a traditional cuttlefish sandwich, which is absolutely delicious and well worth a try.
3. Enjoy Valencia by night
As a four-year old, Olive hasn’t enjoyed too many nights out in her life. As the weather was so hot during our stay, however, we decided to embrace the Spanish way of life and let Olive stay up late, in order to make the most of the cooler nights.
By far, one of my favourite memories of our time in Valencia was enjoying an alfresco meal in the Old Town, as Olive enjoyed dancing around to street entertainers, high on life.
The streets of the city came alive at night, as temperatures drop, and it was a joy to wander the streets with Olive, with a 10pm ice cream in hand.
4. Playground after Playground
Another reason why Valencia is so great for kids, is the amount of playgrounds every few blocks. These are often next to cafes, meaning we could sit and have a rest, while Olive got to top up her play-o-meter at a park.
This provided perfect respite in between doing a few things we wanted to see ourselves, including a bit of shopping and touring some key historic attractions.
What Indoor Activities are there in Valencia for Kids?
As mentioned above, the brilliant Science Museum in Valencia is ideal for a rainy day.
The aquarium also has many indoor parts, so is perfect if the weather isn’t great for the beach. Also within the City of Arts and Sciences is an impressive 3D IMAX & Planetarium, which shows educational films for kids on dinosaurs, space and oceans.
Although we didn’t visit, the city also has an excellent Natural History Museum and an intriguing Toy Soldier Museum, which would also be good options for a rainy (or sweltering) day in Valencia with kids.
Is Valencia Buggy or Pram Friendly?
Valencia is an extremely pram friendly city. So much so, I actually spent my entire time wishing my 4-year old still used one, so we could have zipped around the city faster.
Compared to other European cities, Valencia is a particularly flat city to navigate, even in the Old Town. Furthermore, many of the central roads in the city are pedestrianised, meaning you can push prams along large portions of the city without worrying about traffic or small spaces.
The tram and bus system is also pram friendly, and we found plenty of families with buggies travelling on the public transport.
Is Public Transport Easy with Children in Valencia?
We travelled with ease by bus and tram in Valencia, and found both systems really easy to navigate.
For kids 6 years and under, public transport in Valencia is free, and so hopping around the city was a far more affordable option than a taxi. One evening we got the bus into the city centre for just 2 euros, but it cost us 20 euros to return back by taxi!
Thankfully, both the bus and trams are air conditioned, making it an enjoyable way to travel in the peak of summer.
Can you Rent Bikes with Child Seats in Valencia?
Valencia is incredibly bike friendly and you can hire bikes with a (free) baby seat in many places, including Valencia Bikes.
These seats are for ages 0-4 and can take a maximum of 20kg or under. You will, however, need to bring your own helmet for your child (this is required by law) so plan ahead. The summer months are also very busy, so pre-booking is also highly advised.
Trailer seats can also be rented in Valencia, which are perfect for along the beach or through Turia Gardens, where you’re away from cars and on a nice flat route.
What’s the Best Family-Friendly Hotel in Valencia?
During our stay in Valencia, we stayed at Las Arenas Balneario Resort, which is a dreamy, five-star family friendly hotel located on the beach of Las Arenas.
I cannot recommend this hotel enough, if you’re looking to indulge in a more higher end stay with your family. In fact, I think it’s the best place to stay with kids in Valencia.
The hotel boasts two pools (including a great kiddie pool), and access to the beach just moments from the hotel gates.
As a large part of a ‘holiday’ for parents is also having a break from cooking and cleaning, I am always an advocate for a hotel stay. The hotel offers half-board, for those wanting to know that dinner is easily available every night. We opted for just breakfast, which I’m glad we did, as there are so many great restaurants close to the hotel.
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