Things to do in Valencia & Costa Blanca

Valencia, Spain's third city, pairs a walkable Gothic old town with the futuristic white curves of the City of Arts and Sciences, laid out in a former riverbed that is now a long park. It is the home of paella, and every March it hosts Las Fallas, when giant satirical sculptures fill the streets for days before being set alight.

South along the coast, the Costa Blanca brings long sandy beaches and resort towns. Benidorm is known for its skyline and lively seafront, while nearby Calpe sits beneath the Peñón de Ifach, a limestone rock rising straight out of the sea beside a working fishing port.