Here is the complex in short:

Hemisfèric: a high-tech 3-D, IMAX cinema and planetarium that hosts amazing shows and events.
Science Museum: more than just a museum, an experimentation ground where you can learn and have fun.
Oceanogràfic: Europe’s largest aquarium. Living underwater beauties and an underwater restaurant is a must.
Palau de les Arts: a venue to host performances from every art: theatre, music, dance…
Umbracle: an exhibition area from which you can admire the whole complex and its lakes and gardens.
Agora: a modern multi-event space, ready to receive important congresses, conventions, performances and even sport events.

Visiting the City of Arts and Sciences alone deserves a home swap. It seems you should get to your keyboards right away, there are nearly 200 Valencians waiting but probably not for long…

Image: Released to the public domain by Chamaeleon / Wikimedia Commons.

Beaches and dunes:
When you are ready to find your home exchange partner in Valencia, look for this beaches in the nearby attractions or description: Arenas, La Malvarrosa, Cabañal, or beaches in the Albufera Nature Reserve (El Saler or Col-Legi). La Malvarrosa lies in the city itself and has the infrastructure to receive many people in its miles of white sands. Arenas and Cabañal, in the southern part of the city, have golden sand and many interesting features like restaurants, bars, promenades and events.

Parks and sports:
As mentioned in the beach and dunes category, you can visit the Albufera Nature Reserve, and in the area you will find El Saler, a blue flag beach that looks like a dream! There are also entertainment parks, like Gulliver’s Park for children, the Botanical Gardens and the Bioparc, a modern zoo based on the concept of immersion. Regarding sports, you will find a place to move your body: hiking, golf, kayaking, sailing, horse riding, scuba diving, windsurfing, paragliding… Or an event for watching-enjoyment: Valencia FC, Formula 1 Racing or World Championship Motorcycle Racing.

Image: Hakilon / Wikimedia Commons.

Paella is ubiquitous in Valencia, and it can have many flavours, but if you enjoy it at the seafront, maybe accompanied by a matching wine, your senses are going to be thrilled. If you think about it, since you are going to be spending more than one day in Valencia, you can try several combinations until you find your preferred one: paella by the sea, paella in an ancient street, paella in the modern area…

What is so special about this dish? It is indescribable, that is the secret. You have to try it to understand because rice, vegetables, beans, meat and seasoning seems like a combination beyond what one can imagine. Why in Valencia? Because it is the home of the Paella Valenciana, for other paellas try elsewhere

Image: Ary29 / Wikimedia Commons.

In Valencia, the tranquillity and charm of the Spanish coastline is combined with the beauty of a modern and vibrant city to provide visitors with an unforgettable experience. We need more than one post to tell you all about the treasures of Valencia, so we are going to give you just a snack today and more later.

The list:
Paella Valenciana
The City of Arts and Sciences
Silk Exchange
Valencia’s Cathedral
The towers: Serranos and Quart
The Fallas bonfire festival
The beaches and dunes
The sports and parks
And a lot more…

There are almost 200 home swappers in the city alone, and more than 500 in the region waiting to hear your proposals.

Image: B ulliel (own work) / Wikimedia Commons.

As for the blog, 2012 finds us in an exciting tour along the European Mediterranean coastline, that we hope will be useful for users that are exploring options in this vast area. We are encountering destinations that would be perfect for next Summer, but that are not to be dismissed by those considering a winter-swap.

Marbella, Malaga, Almeria and Alicante have been the main spots we covered, with many smaller picturesque cities and towns nearby that may as well deserve a visit, like Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Benidorm, Torrevieja or Torremolinos. If you have not found your next home exchange destination among them, just wait and read… Next stop: Valencia.

Image: Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The walks.

Yes, it is that simple. Alicante is the perfect place to walk. It’s mild weather makes it perfect for taking a stroll any time of the year. If you like the coast you can walk near the marina, in “La Rambla” or in the beach; if you like to discover little colourful streets then you can head on to the old town to get immersed in its characteristic Mediterranean style; for a “cultural walk” we can suggest the museums and for a more active “walk” you can choose one of the many golf courses, any of the nearby Nature Reserves , or defying Benacantil mountain.

You are invited.

Image: Guenter Wieschendahl / Wikimedia Commons.

Honouring the origin of its name, related to a watch-point, from Almeria you will view natural, architectural and cultural sites.  Almost untouched beaches bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, the nearby Nature Reserves of Sierra Nevada and Cabo de Gata-Nijar, the historic quarter, the Alcazaba, the Jayran Wall, the fortress-temple cathedral…

An interesting fact: Almeria is one of the European cities with the most registered sun-hours per year which was the inspiration for the 20s motto “where the sun spends the winter“, would you care to discover if this is true?

Image: Photograph by Frank C. Müller / Wikimedia Commons.

The Spanish Pyrenees, besides beautiful, are the largest area for skiing and enjoying other winter-like activities, something always attractive to people of all ages. But today, since we were supposed to move west from Malaga to Almeria, we cannot but mention what is probably the second most important ski area of Spain and the one with the best view: the Nature Reserve of Sierra Nevada, in Andalusian territory.  Here is the deal you can get:  skiing in a designated UNESCO Reserve viewing the Mediterranean coast while you go downhill with the warm sun hitting your face. Sounds like a good deal!

We’ll mention more about Sierra Nevada’s surroundings in our next post, when we do arrive to Almeria, but if you would like to know more about your skiing in Spain, visit ATUDEM’s website (in Spanish).

Image: BY-YOUR-⌘ / Flickr.com

An important detail that you should keep in mind when you look for home exchange opportunities in this area, is that between Marbella and Malaga there are other smaller but equally sunny and enjoyable cities, like Fuengirola, Benalmadena or Torremolinos. Our Map Search could be the key tool to find a great place for your next holidays, or alternatively, use the Search filters: select Spain and then Malaga (Region) and choose from the list of cities at the bottom of the page (see image). 

If you want beach, sun and entertainment, you can’t go wrong with the 300 Km (~190 miles) coastline in the Costa del Sol, and the city of Malaga is the area’s main hub. A unique attraction is the Malaga Picasso Museum in the Andalusian Renaissance style Buenavista Palace. A must for art lovers and anyone who wants to take a peek at the genius’ work.

We wrote more about Malaga in a previous post

Beaches: Marbella has more than 25 different beaches along 30 Km, the most famous and most visited are in the area of Puerto Banus but since it is a city visited by the rich and famous, any beach has amenities nearby, good bathing conditions and sometimes even services right on the sand

Sports: There are many sports you can play in Marbella, not all related to the sea, but it is fair to say these are quite popular. You can golf, bowl, go trekking, rock climbing, horse riding or hiking in the near mountains (there are 4×4s available if you are not that into “actively” enjoying nature), and of course there are tennis courts and football fields as well.

For nights and rainy days: There are literally hundreds of bars, pubs and nightclubs in Marbella, so you won’t have problems finding things to do with your nights during your house swap. But also, you can attend flamenco shows or a show in a bullring (not only bullfights) which are a patrimony of Spain.

Image: bk images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net