trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
One of the best urban hikes anywhere is in Spain’s 3rd largest city. Home of paella. 😀
While many tourists stick to the historic centre, the best walking is on a long green space to a complex designed by local architect Santiago Calatrava — the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències), which contains an opera house/performing arts centre, a science museum, an IMAX cinema/planetarium, an oceanographic park and other structures such as a long covered walkway and restaurants.
It’s impressive.
Usually called Turia Garden, the park is officially 9km long. But expect your mileage to be quite a bit longer. I was on it at least 5 hours with side trips.
To start, I caught the subway to the Zoo on the far left of this map.
One essential stop is the Botanical Garden of Valencia (Jardí Botànic).
You really need several hours to explore the massive City of Arts and Sciences. There is a lot to do and see.
Click PLAY or get a glimpse of this urban hike on YouTube.
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