🇪🇸 This Spanish City Will Steal Your Heart!

When friends ask me where to visit in Spain, most default to Madrid or Barcelona—but those spots are packed with tourists! My ultimate recommendation? Valencia! ✨ I visited twice between 2023-2024 (once during Las Fallas and once off-season), and the vibe was totally different each time. If you're planning a Spain trip, add Valencia to your list ASAP—this city will blow you away with: 🏔️ Mountains + beaches + stunning landscapes 💰 Super affordable prices 😍 More (and hotter) guys than Madrid (yes, really!) 📍 Location & Vibe Spain’s third-largest city, Valencia sits on the east coast with 300+ days of sunshine ☀️ and streets scented with orange blossoms! It’s the perfect mix of: 🔸 Medieval charm: Gothic Lonja de la Seda (UNESCO-listed) + Mercado Central (overflowing with strawberries & cherries 🍒) 🔸 Futuristic flair: The City of Arts & Sciences looks like an alien base 👽—IMAX + aquarium = mind-blowing! 🔸 Foodie paradise: Birthplace of paella 🥘 + horchata (tiger nut milk) + fresh uni with white wine 🍷 By day, it’s a citrus-scented dream; by night, a seafood-fueled fiesta! Though Las Fallas (March) is over, May-June is when locals really come alive! 🌞 🔥 Summer in Valencia? Here’s How to Party Like a Local: 1️⃣ Hogueras de San Juan (June 23-24) – Beach bonfires + jumping flames for luck + "Coca" pastries 🍞🔥 2️⃣ Corpus Christi (June 19) – Streets covered in flower carpets + giant holy processions 🙏 3️⃣ Wine Fair (Late May) – All-you-can-drink local wine + tapas (boozy buddies, assemble!) 🍷 🍅 August Bonus: La Tomatina! A tomato-throwing WAR in Buñol—wear clothes you’ll trash + goggles! 🍅💥 🚌 Getting There From Madrid: High-speed train (AVE): 2 hrs, from €25 (book early!) Bus (Alsa): 4 hrs, from €15 (budget hack) From Barcelona: Train (AVE): 3 hrs, from €30 Bus: 4.5 hrs, ~€20 💡 Pro tip: Grab a 10-ride metro pass (Bono Metro) for easy city exploring! 📸 Must-Do Checklist ✔️ Lonja de la Seda – Spiral columns = epic photos 📸 ✔️ Turia Garden – Bike at sunset 🚴‍♂️🌅 ✔️ Malvarrosa Beach – Paella by the sea 🏖️ #Spain #TravelSpain #Valencia #EuropeTravel #SummerVacation #HiddenGems #PaellaLover #FestivalVibes 🌍✈️