The beaches of Valencia have been drawing not only Spaniards but people from the world over. There is the combined beach of Malvarossa and Las Arenas near the city, and then there are other beach towns nearby, such as Alicante, Sagunto and Costa Blanca. But Valencia city is full of entertainment options for families as well as individual travellers.

This is the birthplace of Spain’s favourite dish, paella, had best with a red wine from Rioja. Occupying a large part of the old Turia riverbed, it also houses Oceanogràfic, Europe’s largest aquarium and one of the chief reasons that make Valencia worth a visit. Underwater tunnels, polar zones and the dolphinarium bring a smile to every kid’s face. Jardines del Real has a miniature road system where children can enjoy driving around and learning about roads, even if they are far more organised than their Indian counterparts.

For the romantic there are the pavement cafes and terraces, and for the adventurous there is the unparalleled Valencian nightlife—as long as you don’t mind serious sleep disorders, Valencia can satiate you with bar hopping. What differentiates Valencia from other Spanish cities though are the festivals. And the major one is that of Las Fallas. During the month of March, Valencia is transformed into an open air art museum with numerous papier-mâché floats at every street bend. It is Europe’s most extravagant spring fiesta and spells around-the-clock partying and fireworks on the streets for five days continuously. July has Ferio de Julio, another big festival in the city, having bullfights, brass band competitions and more fireworks.

Hiring a car is a good idea to explore the nearby towns, but as far as the city goes, walking is the best option. Get yourself a map and it all becomes fairly easy to decode. You wouldn’t just take home hundreds of photographs; there will also be the memory of some of the friendliest people in the continent.