Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

Valencia’s as flat as a paella pan, so for bird’s eye views you’ll have to ascend the 132 steps of the 14th-century Torres de Serranos (+34 963 919070). These twin history-beaten mediaeval towers offer views of the old city and the Turia riverbed. The 360º panorama from the top of the Miguelete bell tower in the cathedral can also drop a jaw or two.

Arts and culture

Head to Unesco-stamped La Lonja, beside the central market. This 15th-century merchant’s hall is free to enter, and features some incredible gothic pillars, twisted like skeins of silk. The carvings are also a revelation – look out for some lascivious (and inventive) gargoyles. Internationally renowned architect Santiago Calatrava has brought about the Valencian renaissance almost single-handedly, with his Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencas (City of Arts and Sciences; www.cac.es) – now Spain’s second most visited attraction after the Prado Museum in Madrid.

Something for nothing

Not content to laying claim to being the birthplace of paella and the home of the world’s juiciest oranges, Valencia also has the distinction of being the supposed final resting place of the Holy Grail. Housed in a side chapel of the city’s dramatic cathedral, the Santo Caliz is an agate chalice dating back to 4BC, that many believe to have been used for Christ’s last tipple. You can gawp at it for free – if you can shoulder your way ahead of the crowd.

Shopping

Calle Colón is crawling with shops, ranging from Spanish fashion staples such as Mango and Zara to a sprinkling of more offbeat boutiques. At the end of it, close to the heart of the city and surrounded by restaurants cafes and little shops, you’ll find the Mercado de Colón, a striking modernist edifice where traders sell crafts, flowers and souvenirs. Calle de Mar is a similarly good option. Tucked away in a quiet square behind the cathedral, Le Pont Des Arts (+34 963 925613) has an enticing collection of ancient artworks and museum replicas available. La Finistra,(+34 963 913562) may be hard to find, but, with such an artful array of knockout fashion footwear, it’s hard to leave too.

Daytripper

A 40-minute drive inland, the mediaeval town of Requena is the wine capital of the Valencia region and you can spend a rewarding day bodega-hopping around town, sampling the local grape. The Museo del Vino (+34 962 171062), a former winery, is open until 2pm during the week. If you’re more into botany than bottles, head south of Valenci to the wetlands of Albufera Natural Park , where you’ll find beautiful landscapes where much of the region’s rice is grown and hundreds of bird species make their home.

Best beach

The city’s two neighbouring beaches – La Malvarossa and las Arenas – are broad, lively and restaurant-lined – great if you enjoy a partyish atmosphere and the taste of authentic paella. A short trip outside Valencia on the yellow bus to Perelló, however, and you find the quieter white-sand beaches of El Saler, the most beautiful in the region.

Perfect picnic

The palm-packed Jardines de Real on the northeast corner of the old town are stuffed with intriguing statuary, and ideal for sprawling out on the grass with some fresh jámon iberico, stuffed peppers, and mojama (wind-cured tuna) picked up fresh from the Mercado Central. The modernist market houses hundreds of lively stalls selling everything from live eels to sheep heads – but some fresh bread and wine might be more picnic-friendly.

Walks

A 9km stretch of manicured greenery snaking through the city centre, the Jardines del Turia occupy what was once the Rió Turia’s riverbed (before it was diverted around Valencia), and make for blissful strolling ground. Start at the Puente de las Artes beside the IVAM modern art museum and follow the park around the old town to the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencas – you’ll pass orange groves, fountains, sculptures, sports grounds and more, often than not, some form of outdoor event of festival.

Children

Gulliver – the literally gigantic adventure playground in the Jardines del Turia – is a vast complex of slides, ropes and other clamberables shaped like the eponymous hero. It may also be the only playground in the world based on a work of 18th-century English satire – we’ve yet to check. A short walk from Gulliver, the Oceanogràfic (www.cac.es) is Europe’s largest aquarium complex, with around 500 different species of fish and sea mammal.

Activities

Take to the waves with the Real Club Nautico de Valencia (www.rcnauticovalencia.com), where you can not only learn to sail but also practise scuba diving, fishing and tennis too. Occupying a vast area of parkland, the astonishing complex includes the beetle-like Hemisfèric planterarium and IMAX, an enormous aquarium, a science museum, and the Sydney-inspired Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, the largest opera house in Europe.

And

Although Castilian Spanish is understood and spoken throughout Valencia, a few words of Valencian Catalan will endear you to the locals even more. Note that fewer and fewer road names are given in Castilian, so prepare for discrepancies when map-reading.