Valencia

Santiago Calatrava's dazzling white complex of futuristic buildings rising from shallow blue pools at the end of the Turia park — a science museum, planetarium, opera house and Europe's largest aquarium. Astonishing architecture, and stunning at night when it's floodlit and mirrored in the water.

One of Europe's greatest food markets, in a gorgeous modernista hall of iron and stained glass — a thousand stalls of Valencian oranges, jamón, seafood, spices and cheese, with a bar or two to eat at. Come hungry in the morning; it's a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach.

Valencia's cathedral claims to hold the true Holy Grail in a side chapel — climb its octagonal Miguelete bell tower for a rooftop view over the whole old town and out to the sea. A blend of Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque, on a lovely plaza that's the heart of the medieval city.

This is where paella was born, and Valencians are fierce about it — the true version is made with rabbit, chicken and beans (not seafood), cooked over wood and eaten at lunch, ideally out at the lakeside village of El Palmar in the rice paddies. Do it properly, at least once.

After a catastrophic flood, Valencia diverted its river and turned the old bed into a glorious 9-km ribbon of park looping right through the city — lawns, orange groves, fountains, sports courts and cycle paths. The green lung and soul of the city; hire a bike and ride it end to end.

A long, wide, golden city beach backed by a palm-lined promenade of seafood restaurants — proper sand and warm Mediterranean swimming, a tram ride from the old town. Come for a lazy beach day and a lunch of paella or fresh fish with your toes near the water; buzzing all summer.

A masterpiece of civil Gothic architecture and a UNESCO site — the 15th-century silk exchange, with a magnificent hall of soaring spiral columns like a stone forest, testament to Valencia's golden age as a Mediterranean trading power. Small, cool and quietly breathtaking; cheap to enter.

The oldest, most atmospheric quarter — a maze of medieval lanes, street art, hidden squares and tapas bars around the lovely Plaza de la Virgen with its fountain and basilica. Wander it by day for the history and by night for the buzz; the beating heart of old Valencia.

Europe's largest aquarium, part of the City of Arts complex — a series of futuristic domes and an underwater tunnel taking you through the world's seas, from Arctic belugas and penguins to sharks and a Mediterranean wetland. A brilliant few hours, especially with kids; book online to save.

The old fishermen's quarter by the beach — a grid of low houses faced in bright, patterned ceramic tiles, long neglected and now buzzing with galleries, bars and some of the city's best seafood. Wander the colourful streets, then eat grilled fish or paella by the sea; salty and characterful.

The city's coolest barrio comes alive after dark — a dense tangle of buzzing tapas bars, natural-wine spots, craft-beer joints and late-night terraces, full of a young, local crowd. The best eating and drinking in Valencia; start with vermouth and small plates and see where the night goes.

Valencia's own refreshment — a cold, sweet, milky drink pressed from tiger nuts (chufa), served with sugar-glazed finger pastries called fartons to dunk. A local ritual on a hot afternoon; the horchaterías of the old town and the village of Alboraya are the classic spots.

A jaw-dropping modernista market hall in the elegant Eixample — a cathedral of iron, glass and colourful tilework, now home to chic cafés, an horchatería and gourmet stalls rather than greengrocers. Come for a coffee or a vermouth beneath the soaring roof; architecture worth a detour.

An innovative zoo at the western end of the Turia park where the animals roam in immersive, barrier-free African landscapes — savannah, wetlands and equatorial forest, with elephants, gorillas and lions seemingly at arm's length. A superb, humane day out, and a hit with families.

The mighty 14th-century gate towers that once guarded the northern entrance to the walled city, still standing over the Turia park — climb them for a fine view over the old-town rooftops. The grandest surviving piece of Valencia's medieval walls, and free on Sundays.