10 Things to Do in Valencia in July

Valencia, as a coastal and beach city, has its peak of tourists during the summer and among the summer months, July is one of the months that receives the most visitors, as the usual tourism is added to the public that congregates in the capital of the Valencian Community to follow the events and festivals.

In addition to the activities to see and do in Valencia all year round, in July you can enjoy the centenary Gran Feria, visit the Cuevas del Turche and the city's beaches and attend one of the festivals, which include everything from food trucks to competitions for the best ice cream on the Spanish coast.

Buñol, as well as La Tomatina, has one of the most beautiful natural attractions in the Valencian Community. The Cuevas del Truche stand out for the 60-metre waterfall and the natural pools that can be reached after walking along the hiking trails and a protected lagoon.

The amphitheatre of the Cuevas del Truche is one of the largest outside Valencia, together with the Gorgo de la Escalera. It is only surpassed in size by the Cuevas de San José, which contains the largest underground lake in Europe, with almost 3 kilometres of navigable channels.

July is the best month to visit the Cuevas del Truche because this is when the waterfall has the greatest flow of water and when the temperatures are ideal for bathing in the natural pools.

Visiting the Cuevas del Truche is one of the best excursions to do from Valencia in summer.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the caves costs approximately 5 euros per person.
• Location... Buñol, Valencian Community.
• Opening hours... Every day from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm.
• How to get there... By car on the A-3 road and by bus on lines 63 and 70 combined with buses on line L265A.

July is a month of traditions in Valencia and one of the most famous in the city is the celebration of the Great July Fair. It is undoubtedly one of the main events of the Valencian summer and, in a way, represents the beginning of the summer season in the city.

The fair, which has been held since 1871, opens each year with a musical performance by local artists and a fireworks display. During the following days, activities range from musical shows to sports championships, children's workshops, art exhibitions, foam parties and gastronomic competitions.

All these fair events are not centralised in a single space, but are spread throughout the city. Some of the venues are the Jardines del Palau, the Parque del Oeste, the Plaza Redonda and the Tapinería Market.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the fair is free.
• Location... In different locations, including the Jardines del Palau, the Parque del Oeste, the Plaza Redonda and the Tapinería Market.
• When... Every year in July.

Gelato Festival is presented as the most gourmet event of the summer and proposes that each visitor can try 5 tubs of gelato flavours for free, only in exchange for voting for the one they like the most. With this background it is hard to refuse to participate in the event that promises to discover the ice cream route in the city and that is usually part of the best gastronomic tours of Valencia in the Valencian summer.

This festival takes place during July every year on Malvarrosa Beach. The ticket, which costs approximately 10 euros per person, includes a Gelato Card with free entry to the Gelato Festival School, to learn how to make handmade creams, and a visit to what is presented as the first Mobile Laboratory in the world dedicated to the scientific dissemination of ice cream recipes.

Gelato Festival is part of the international tour of authentic Italian gelato that includes stops in Berlin, Amsterdam and London, among other places in Europe. During the closing of each year's edition, the winners will be chosen from among the exhibitors according to consumer voting.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the festival costs approximately 10 euros.
• Location... Malvarrosa Beach, Valencia.
• When... Every year in July.
• How to get there... Buses on line 32 and Valencia Metro 5 combined with buses on line 93.

July is one of the hottest months of the year in Valencia and visiting its beaches is one of the best options. If you want to visit the beaches in the centre of Valencia, you can opt for El Cabanyal, located in the neighbourhood of the same name, La Malvarrosa and La Patacona, famous for its palm tree vegetation.

The beaches closest to the centre of Valencia have golden sands, crystal clear waters of the Balearic Sea and a wide range of services around, such as restaurants and entertainment venues, but you can also choose other beaches less visited by tourists and more natural and wild, such as El Saler, La Garrofera, La Devesa, Pinedo or Recati, all beaches surrounded by the Albufera Natural Park.

Visiting the beaches in July, either on a walking or cycling tour, will ensure you the best weather in the city, warm waters and also some of the clearest sunsets on the Spanish coast.

One of the best things to do in Valencia in summer is to visit Solmarket, the festival of food trucks, music and live shows that takes place every year at El Puig de Santa María beach. Solmarket is focused on boosting the tourism potential of the Valencian coast, so it's 18 kilometres from Valencia, which is something you'll want to keep in mind during your visit.

Solmarket also stands out in each edition for its decoration, which consists of artificial grass, palm trees, Valencian flowers and neon lights that turn the beach into a promenade during the days of the festival. In the food trucks you will be able to taste the wide gastronomic offer of Valencia's cuisine.

At Solmarket you can also try what is considered to be the best hamburger in Spain, from the Jenkins restaurant, and you can watch one of the best sunsets in Valencia from the beach.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the festival is free.
• Location... El Puig de Santa María beach, Valencia.
• When... Every year in July.
• How to get there... By car on the V-21 road and by bus on lines C6, 71 and 81.

During July, after the Gran Feria, which officially opens the Valencian summer, the city's street markets are held, including the one on the Malvarrosa Beach promenade.

There you can find stalls selling clothes, gifts, souvenirs and children's activities, making it one of the best plans if you are visiting Valencia with children

The Malvarrosa Beach street market is a place for entertainment, but it is also presented as a contribution to Valencian culture, a support for street artists and also a place to promote environmental care, as it promotes recycling, waste separation and the use of compostable items.

The Malvarrosa Beach street market remains open until the end of the summer, and also coexists with the Cabanyal street market and the rest of the city's street markets. An ideal activity to end a trip along the Valencian coast.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the street market is free.
• Location... Malvarrosa beach, Valencia.
• When... Every year in July.
• How to get there... Buses C6, 19 and 32.

The Turia Garden Amusement Fair is the amusement park of the Great July Fair, but due to its success it has become independent and now has its own calendar.

Every year this fair has rides for the whole family, tombola, food stalls, fairground stalls and affordable entrance fees. There are also live shows and tours of the Turia Garden, which is one of the most emblematic of the city due to its cultural importance and geographical location.

The fair is located on the old Turia riverbed, between the Peineta Bridge and Las Flores Bridge, and among its most distinguished attractions are the Ferris wheel from which it is possible to see the city at night, the bumper cars for young and old, the water games and the tunnel of terror. The ideal destination if you are visiting Valencia for a day in July.

Interesting details

• Price... Admission to the festival is free. The attractions have an initial cost of approximately 3 euros.
• Location... Turia Garden, Valencia.
• When... Every year in July.
• How to get there... By bus lines C2, 6, 95 and 115.

One of the attractions of Valencia in summer is the possibility of practising water sports, going on jet-ski excursions, snorkelling experiences and boat trips along the Valencian coast.

If you choose the latter option, I recommend you choose an afternoon trip to see some of the best sunsets in Spain from the Balearic Sea.

Also, on these boat trips around the bay you will be able to see the best attractions of the Valencian Community from the sea.

Please note that during the summer and high season months tours can sell out or increase in price at the last minute, so it is ideal to book tours in advance, especially if you are planning a short stay in the city. If that's your case, here's a list of activities you can do to discover Valencia in 3 days.

Oceanografic is the largest aquarium in Europe and one of the reasons why Valencia is considered the arts and sciences capital of Spain. Its interior houses specimens of 600 different species, including beluga whales, sea lions, penguins, sharks, dolphins, rays, seals and crustaceans.

July is also the ideal month for guided night tours, as visits increase significantly during August and September.

During these evening tours, visitors avoid the value of daylight hours and you can also opt for a tour with fewer tourists.

The evening tours can include, at extra cost, a dinner in the Albufera area, on the terrace of the Océanos restaurant overlooking the Lago Vivo, which is actually a lagoon that collects salt water from the Malvarrosa Beach.

Interesting details

• Price... General admission costs approximately 34 euros for adults. Children up to 12 years old pay a reduced rate of approximately 25 euros.
• Location... Carrer d'Eduardo Primo Yúfera 1B, Valencia.
• Opening hours... Monday to Friday from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.
• How to get there... Buses lines 10, 19, 24, 25 and 35.

Mar i Jazz, the music concert on the shores of the Mediterranean, is one of the most important jazz festivals in Europe and is held every year in July in Valencia in the Parque Dr. Lluch, in the Cabanyal neighbourhood.

Some of the best jazz musicians in the world take part in Mar i Jazz. During the festival there are also stalls selling food, gifts and souvenirs, and if you are planning to visit Valencia with children, there is a Kinderland at each edition , where the kids can take part in workshops and children's activities.

Interesting details

• Price... Season tickets for all the days of the festival have an initial cost of approximately 49 euros.
• Location... Parque Dr. Lluch, Valencia.
• When... During a weekend in July.
• How to get there... Buses lines 31 and 92.

In Valencia the temperature in summer is a high of 33° and a low of 21°, and on average it reaches 25°, so the climate is mild, dry and hot, but not stifling, which helps with the tours of the historic city centre and other attractions.

The weather in the city is generally pleasant at all times of the year, as temperatures in Valencia drop substantially during the winter, but rarely fall below 0°.

Valencia's high season runs from June to September, so summer is when most tourists visit the city, which you'll need to take into account when organising your itinerary.

If you plan to go on excursions, I advise you to book them in advance to avoid delays in booking and last-minute price increases.

Summer is Valencia's busiest time of the year, so it is also when prices are at their highest.

However, if you plan your itinerary in advance, you can pre-book excursions online and get reduced rates.

July is the start of summer in Valencia and the days get hot, so I recommend that you pack the following items in your suitcase:

• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Comfortable shoes
• Jumpers or light summer coats
• Swimwear
• Sweaters or light summer coats
• T-shirts