What’s to Love About Winter in Valencia?

As we all know Valencia is a popular destination come summertime but what about during the winter? Valencia is actually a very comfortable, peaceful and pleasant city to live in or make a visit to during the winter.

Here we round up some of the best things we love about the winter season in Valencia. 

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Sunny skies

Valencia’s location on the east coast of Spain means the winter season is not as harsh as other locations in Europe or even in Spain! The north of Spain gets very cold and rainy over the winter where as Valencia has a very comfortable climate making it a great location if you want to escape the tough winter weather. To be exact, the months of December, January and February in Valencia offer an average of 15°C in the daytime and lows of between 5-7ºC.

Although Valencia doesn’t see the snow in the city you can absolutely find snow if you venture inland to mountainous areas like Teruel and Morella. Winters here are usually characterized by blue, sunny skies with some rainy and windy days thrown in. This means that most of the time you can enjoy going outside during the daytime without the need for excessive layers! A word of warning though, temperatures can drop at night and in the early morning so it’s recommended to carry a warm coat with you!

Hiking

Valencia’s climate in winter means that hiking along local nature trails surrounding the city are a great way to enjoy the fresh, cool weather. The Valencian community is full of mountains with various trails and small villages to pass through and discover.

If you’re looking for an accessible nature route then just go down to the Turia gardens. You don’t even have to leave the city and you’ve got a 9km stretch of trees, trails, flowers, and beautiful nature right on your doorstep. If you want to venture out of the city we highly recommend the Albufera nature reserve, the Garbí mountain trail and the Parque fluvial del Turía.

Valencia Oranges

Valencia’s oranges and mandarins are absolutely delicious and famous to this region! They are in abundance over the winter and can be found in all local grocery stores and supermarkets. Not to mention zumo de naranja is a must-try if you are visiting Valencia at this time of year.

A word of warning. You’ll see the streets lined with orange trees during the fall and winter seasons but you mustn’t try to eat the ones in the street! These are not the oranges sold that are sold in stores and are very bitter to the taste. The sweeter oranges you’ll want to try are actually grown in the fields outside of Valencia city.

Nightlife

During the winter season Ruzafa and El Carmen are both lively parts of town! Ruzafa is full of cafés, bars, book shops, and markets. El Carmen a.k.a the Old Town is home to many cool restaurants and unique plazas to enjoy a drink and time with friends. Come winter these two areas are most definitely the center of Valencia’s nightlife and there really is something for everyone!

Not to mention the Christmas lights and beautiful decorations put up this time of year definitely bring a festive feel to a year that will not hold the typical celebrations and events this Christmas.

Capturing Sunsets

Lastly, winter sunsets are breathtaking in Valencia! We recommend capturing sunsets from locations like the City of Arts and Sciences, rooftop bars across the city center and most of all, the Albufera lake.

The Albufera lake is about 20km south of the city, only 10mins by car. It offers stunning lookout points where you can see the vast lake amongst nature and enjoy the exquisite sunsets Valencia offers. What’s more, you can even take a boat ride out onto the lake in a typical traditional boat from this region. It’s a unique and wonderful way to behold the beauty of Valencia and in the wintertime there’s even a chance you’ll spot some flamingos out on the lake! The Albufera is also very accessible by bike and by bus too.

For more tips and info on Valencia, keep update via our ICV Blog.