Sorry, let me rephrase that... "dedicated bike paths". Which means that I don't put my life in danger everytime I hit the road on two wheels. Families, with small kids biking through the bustling city. There are even dedicated traffic signs for bikers.
Didn't bring your own bike, no problem, there are scores of city bikes available, but my favourite option is to pop into a local bike rental shop, and for about the same as a transit pass, you can rent a bike. It comes complete with a lock and lights if you are keeping it overnight. Although, I have to admit, their transit is pretty impressive as well. With 6 lines connecting you within the city and into the surrounding areas, you can hop on a bus or tram and connect anywhere. Plus it has the cleanest public transportation system that I have ever experienced.
Not bad for a vibrant city of 832,000 people. The weather isn't bad either. You can enjoy biking any day of the year since they enjoy 300 days of sunshine.
"Where is this place?", you ask.
You may be surprised when I tell you, since it wasn't on my "top 10 must see" and never seems to make it on the top 20 destinations list of any travel writer. Which is all the more shocking when you realize how much there is to do and how incredibly safe it is. Ok, enough with the suspense, the city is in Spain, it is the 3rd largest and approximately halfway between Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga. On the sunny coast of the Mediterranean you can take a ferry to the island of Ibiza. Yes, you guessed it, we are talking about the beautiful and fragrant city of Valencia. Oranges grow everywhere here.
So why isn't it such a well known destination? Maybe because there weren't many direct flights into Valencia 10 years ago. Maybe because Barcelona is the coastal city everyone thinks of first? Allow me to explain why I think this is the best place to visit, and maybe invest or live in.
Well obviously the #1 reason is the safe, healthy and environmentally friendly ways to move around the city. Dedicated bike trails, excellent metro, and I have to say, polite and courteous drivers! If you have ever been to Miami, then you will experience the exact opposite driving experience in Valencia.
Let's continue down the list then. #2 is safety. Valencia is ranked above Waterloo, Canada at #44 of the world's safest cities. The weather is better too. For the record, no USA city is safer (shocking) and even the Vancouver Canada which is ranked #6 in the top places to live isn't safer than Valencia. Hmmmmmm, makes you think. Spoiler alert, are you starting to see why perhaps this might be a great place to live too?
Ok so it's safe, great, but what else has Valencia got? #3 The Mediterranean. With 360 days
of sunshine and the much already written about benefits of living a long and prosperous life indulging in a diet of fresh seafood, and an abundance of locally grown olives, citrus, vegetables and natural oils surrounded by a community of like minded people....enough said. By the way, the people of Valencia are simply lovely. The people are kind and helpful.
Customer service is excellent and everyone is generally in a good mood.
If you are planning a visit, you need things to do. Well, you're in luck. #4 The city is filled with ancient buildings influenced by Romans, Moors, Christians as it dates back to over 2100 years ago. The ancient building even have a bronze replica where blind people can read the about them through braille and even touch and feel how the building looks. One of the most impressive examples of a considerate society that I have ever seen. What is really interesting is their commitment to modern architecture. The city of Arts and Sciences is a city within the city of Valencia. Get smarter by visiting the Oceangraphic and Science Museum. Connected of course through a series of bike paths through the centre by a large park that was transformed through the Turia river it is that largest green space I have ever seen in the middle of a city. It is 7 km long, winding under bridges and over metro stations and ending at the Bio Parc. There are refreshment stops along the way, dog parks, crystal clear ponds, a skateboard park, multiple playgrounds and of course Gulliver sleeping. Today's Lilliputians climb up and down, sliding and swinging their way across this giant. You have to see it to believe it. The aerial photo below is cool, but doesn't show you how fun it is. Of course there are a labyrinth of walking and bike trails. We came upon a salsa class. Everyone was having fun, learning the moves. Anything is possible it seems. There are of course beaches within the city and beyond. Beautiful sand, so fine and clean that it's like walking on a blanket.
I could go on forever. In the spirit of writing a blog and not a novel, here is my final reason. So #5, The city is clean and affordable. I know that looks like two points, but what good is an affordable city if it looks like crap? I always think of German and Austrian cities as pretty clean and put together. Canada is known for having clean cities. Sweden too. It was amazing to see how clean the whole city is. Everyday; the garbage collectors sweep through the city. You will see street cleaners brush away and dispose of litter and debris, (every day it seemed). We often saw the streets being washed. The place just glistens. Affordability applies to both the tourist and the resident. People live here because it is less expensive than Barcelona and has many of the same characteristics, like living by the sea. People are vacationing year round, because there are things to do all year, not just during tourist season. Although it is getting more expensive to buy or rent a flat or villa, it is still reasonable. There is an influx of Digital Nomads, essentially expats moving to Spain for the weather and ease of lifestyle to work remotely.
If you are considering a visit and have questions, feel free to send me a note. I am not an expert, but am happy to share what I know. Send me an email here.
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