10 Family-Friendly Plans in Valencia

Just 6.2 miles from Valencia is the La Albufera Natural Park, a protected space with great diversity in terms of flora and fauna, especially water birds. In the center of the park is La Mata de l’Antina, a great lake on which you can take trips on the traditional albuferenc boats. These boat trips tend to last 45 minutes and can be combined with other activities such as a 4WD excursion or enjoying a lovely paella in a typical restaurant. It should come as no surprise that La Albufera is the birthplace of this quintessential Valencian dish.

A family excursion to La Albufera is the perfect plan if you want to spend the day in the countryside without straying too far from the city. From the center of Valencia, take a 25 bus and in under an hour and for just 1.50 euros each way, you will be at your destination.

A family visit to the tin soldier museum Museo de los Soldaditos de Plomo L’Iber is a must during your vacation in Valencia. It has a spectacular collection of over 95,000 pieces that include not only tin soldiers but also dinosaurs, movie personalities, comic book characters, famous painters and much more.

This curious museum, with both permanent and temporary collections, is part of the Gothic Palace of Malferit, very near Valencia Cathedral. There's nothing better than spending the morning with the whole family admiring these incredible miniatures and maybe learning a little history.

Bioparc València is a space covering 100,000 square meters that recreates a diverse range of natural habitats from all over the world, combining native species of flora and fauna from further afield. Children have a fantastic time here seeing animals in a near-natural setting that has been designed with their well-being as a priority, ensuring that they can live as close to possible as they would in the wild.

The park also has a restaurant that offers visitors a varied choice, including options for coeliacs. Don't miss the chance to take the family to Bioparc València for a unique vacation experience.

El Miguelete tower is the popular name for Valencia Cathedral's bell tower, which dates back to 1381. At first, it stood apart from the cathedral, although the 2 came together when the latter was extended. With its octagonal base, this tower, in the Valencian Gothic style, stands 51 meters high. If you climb to the top up its spiral staircase, you will be rewarded with stunning views out over the city.

If you are wondering where its curious name comes from, the top of the tower houses a bell dedicated to Saint Michael, who is believed to protect Valencia from storms and other ills. An interesting detail, don't you think?

Parque Gulliver, situated in the old course of the River Turia, is perhaps one of Valencia's oddest attractions. This is a huge children's park covering 6.1 hectares, in the center of which is an amazing, monumental sculpture of Gulliver, the hero of 'Gulliver's Travels' by the Irish author Jonathan Swift.

The sculpture features numerous slides for the youngest (and not so young) in the family. It is designed in such a way that as you go up, those below look like the Lilliputians when they clambered over Gulliver's prone body. As well as the great Gulliver, the park also features lush vegetation, more children's games, mini-golf courses and skateboard ramps. In short, morning or afternoon, family fun is guaranteed.

The City of Arts and Sciences often comes to mind when thinking about Valencia. This huge architectural, cultural and entertainment complex, the work of the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava (among others), holds such a wide range of permanent and temporary interactive exhibitions that it is virtually impossible not to find something that both adults and children will like.

A seemingly endless program of activities aimed at kids ensures that they can have fun and learn at the same time. If that were not enough, the City of Arts and Sciences also has an IMAX movie theater, L’Hemisfèric, and the biggest aquarium in Europe, l’Oceanogràfic.

Valencia's L'Oceanogràfic, opposite the City of Arts and Sciences, faithfully reproduces the planet's most important marine ecosystems within its incredible pools, tanks and aquaria. Take the whole family to this unique interactive space and experience something completely new as you watch countless marine species up close and visit its exhibitions, such as the permanent one on jellyfish.

You will be glad to know that l'Oceanogràfic also has a restaurant – in this case underwater – meaning you can all enjoy lunch or dinner surrounded by schools of fish bathing this way and that. You'll think it's all part of some dream.

The Fallas museum opened in the old San Vicente de Paúl convent in 1971, and you can still see parts of the original religious building. Fallas is Valencia's traditional fiesta, which has been declared part of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. At the museum, you can find out about the history and evolution of this most Valencian of traditions.

For example, did you know that every year, one of the Fallas figures is saved from the flames? These are known as the ninots indultats, or 'pardoned figures', and they can be seen in the museum, as well as posters from the fiestas, portraits of the falleras mayores (carnival queens), insignias of the Fallas commissions responsible for these incredible figures and many other curious objects. Your children are bound to have a great time choosing their favorite ninot!

Horchata tours can be found with a number of tourism companies that organize guided tours of the local town of Alboraya, considered to be the birthplace of horchata de chufa. Valencia's most typical drink is horchata, made from tiger nuts, and these tours take you to tiger nut (actually a tuber known here as 'chufa') plantations and drying facilities and various local producers of the milky drink.

Many of these visits culminate with a workshop where you can learn how to make this delicious drink, followed by a tasting session accompanied by fartons, a typical local cake that you dunk in the horchata. Can you think of anything more original and fun to do together?