Hola Valencia

Juergen and I are stupid, drooling idiots; a sad fact confirmed by the length of time it’s taken us to finally purchase bicycles. 2 years! We’re so dumb… there’s no excuse. Valencia is an excellent city for biking. No hills to be found, and the big Turia park serving as a “bike highway”, complete with “exits” into various parts of the city. The weather here is great and the motorists aren’t too frightening (at least within the city, where they’re forced to go reasonably slow).

One of the best reasons to have a bike in Valencia is the massively improved accessibility to the beaches. Not just Malvarossa, but to the less crowded and more serene southern beaches — Pinedo, Dehesa, Saler. There’s an awesome bike route which leads to them, starting near the new Agora building.

The long, popular path avoids traffic the entire way, reaching the Pinedo beach in about 20 minutes. The further south you travel, the more deserted (and nekkid!) the beaches.

Not only can you enjoy the sand and the sound of the waves, unencumbered by the massive crowds of Malvarossa, but you’re right on top of the Albufera national park. We took a little tour after sunning on the beach. Beautiful dune and swamp landscapes define the park, along with unfortunately ugly high-rise apartment complexes built before the Albufera was put under environmental protection.

But it’s best to ignore those buildings and focus on the natural beauty. I have a feeling that we’ll be back quite often this summer. If you’re in Valencia for an extended time, we strongly recommend getting a bike. You’ll be amazed how quickly you can get around.