This Is The Perfect Time To Visit The South Of Spain

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When it comes to coastal European destinations, places like Greece, the Amalfi coast, and southern France tend to be top of mind for travelers—but Valencia, Spain is also a city of water. Located on the banks of the Turia River, and just a mile or two from the Mediterranean Sea, this vibrant, historic city on the eastern coast of Spain is filled with incredible architecture, boutique hotels, regional cuisine, beaches and parks. Plus, it’s close enough to Balearic Islands like Mallorca to make a weekend trip out to the islands an incredibly easy add-on.

Spain is a perfect summer and fall destination for a lot of reasons, but particularly because of the influx of tourists visiting France this year as the Olympics took over Paris. Plenty of Parisians left the city due to the chaos and shuttled throughout Europe in order to escape the crowds, leaving popular tourist destinations across the continent overcrowded during the now-finished games. Well, they’re all home, now. And Italy is so packed with American visitors that the overtourism has made headlines, meaning it’s time to consider alternative options for European travel this summer.

For newcomers to Spain, Valencia and Mallorca are a fantastic pairing for travelers who want to see multiple destinations within the country during one trip, and still get that beachy, coastal Mediterranean feel without the crowds elsewhere on the continent. Here’s a rundown of suggestions for a several day itinerary that combines a visit to both spots.

Valencia

Valencia, Spain

Founded by the Romans and the capital of the Spanish province of the same name, Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain. Though it gets less attention from American tourists than Madrid and Barcelona, it actually has an incredible history as a bustling global port due to its location on the river and the sea, and boasts a fantastic irrigation system, La Huerta, that was established by Moorish forces when they invaded the Iberian peninsula over 1200 years ago.

The fascinating system of canals, channels and floodgates still functions to this day, ensuring the stalls within the Mercado Central are brimming with fresh rice from the rice paddies, vibrant beans used for Valencian paella, and seasonal fruits and vegetables that come straight from farmers. This central market is a must-visit for any travelers in the city, and is also stocked with loads of fresh seafood, purveyors of Spanish ham and other cured meats, and Valencian specialties like local horchata made from ground chufa nuts, (or tiger nuts).

Where to Stay in Valencia

The Palacio Santa Clara is located in the Ensanche area right near the Carrer Colón, a hub of shopping and modernist architecture in the city—but it’s an even better stay for architecture lovers because of the historic building the hotel is housed in. Designed by Spanish architect Francisco Javier Görlich in 1916 as a place for a bourgeois Valencian family to conduct business on the ground floor, with private residences above, the building was renovated into a hotel and officially reopened in 2020.

The 60-room property is an idyllic oasis in the midst of the busy city, with a rooftop pool and the Dome Bar—which is, yes, located inside a refurbished dome—plus El Modernista restaurant in the lobby, and spacious rooms that emphasize the building’s history with modern amenities like large showers, floor-to-ceiling windows, and some with Juliet balconies.

Where to Eat in Valencia

Absolutely go to the Mercado Central and stock up on snacks daily. It’s the best place to get the most fresh and delicious vegetables, fruits, seafood, meat, cheese, and so much more. Local cuisine is a huge part of the draw of visiting Spain, so it’s really hard to go wrong in a big city like Valencia. Instead, look out for regional dishes like the Valencian paella, which is made with chicken or rabbit, saffron, and local beans, or fideuà, a paella-like dish made with pasta instead of beans.

What to Do in Valencia

Exploring the canals of La Huerta by boat in nearby villages like El Palmar was one of the most memorable parts of my own visit to Valencia. We booked a boat tour that guided us through the waterways at golden hour, ending with a dinner prepared at a restored traditional Valencian house called a barraca. Another great activity to get a sense of the city’s storied history and aesthetic is to take an architectural walking tour, where a local guide will point out the plethora of examples of modernist architecture tucked into the city.

Mallorca

After a few days in Valencia, you could head down to the local beaches, or you could book a quick hopper flight or a ferry over to Mallorca and soak in a few days on island time. Flights start as low as $20-$30 and go up to about $100, with flight time under an hour. If you opt for the ferry route, it takes around seven hours and costs $20-$50, but is more expensive with a car. Because of the large time difference between the two and the relatively small price difference, most people opt to fly.

Where to Stay in Mallorca

While there are plenty of coastal hotels in Palma, the capital of Mallorca, the Hacienda Son Antem is a wonderful option for foodies and golf lovers who prefer to be set back a bit from the relentless crowds and tourists at the beach. It boasts not one but two golf courses, in addition to extensive gardens and grounds, plus several pools, giving the property an oasis-like feel. Three on-site restaurants offer everything from fine dining, to poolside snacks, to strong cocktails that cut through the heat at happy hour or work great as nightcaps.

Tennis courts, a spa and running trail, and its convenient location just 15-20 minutes from both the airport and the city center are other standout amenities. Completely renovated during the pandemic and reopened in spring of 2022, the property feels brand new—particularly the rooms—with a muted neutral palette and terraces or balconies on all superior rooms. (Both the Son Antem and the Palacio Santa Clara are part of Marriott’s Autograph collection, meaning these are boutique hotels that joined Marriott so guests can still collect points at them—which is a perk if you’re playing the points game.)

Where to Eat in Mallorca

When you do venture into town, the absolutely unmissable stop is a pintxos/tapas and vermouth bar called La Rosa Vermuteria & Colmado. If you only go to one place in Palma, let it be here. Traditional Spanish snacking fare like gildas, Iberian ham, local golden olive, Mallorcan bread and cheese, grilled mussels, fried calamari, shishito peppers, and a Spanish omelet are just some of the dishes on offer. Don’t skimp on the vermouth cocktails, either, which combine local blanco or rojo spirits with soda, liqueurs for balanced, flavorful and extremely refreshing drinks that pair exceedingly with the salty snacks.

What to Do in Mallorca

Another must-do while in Mallorca—aside from finding a beach to spend time soaking up some sun—is to take a tour of the incredible, gargantuan cathedral that dominates the city center. The Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, often called La Seu, is an example of Mediterranean Gothic that was started in the 13th century and finally finished in 1630. After an earthquake devastated the building in the 1850s, it was painstakingly restored with help from Madrid architect Juan Bautista Peyronnet. In the 1900s, Antoni Gaudí (of Park Güell and Sagrada Família in Barcelona fame) modernized the cathedral’s interior.

The resulting conglomeration of styles from the early 1300s onward makes the monumental building feel ancient and familiar, and is one of the most fascinating and massive cathedrals not just in Spain, but the entire world. It’d be worth a visit for this site alone, but Mallorca’s beauty and splendor spreads out across the entire island.