5 Best Beaches in Valencia, Spain

Nadia Podrabinek Nadia Podrabinek

Written by Nadia Podrabinek

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Spain is well-known for its beaches, and the beaches in Valencia are no exception. It has 8 miles of coastline and nearly 280 days of sunshine per year. Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain (after Madrid and Barcelona) with only 950,000 people, and it is the main reason why its beaches are not overcrowded.

I’ve spent a decent amount of time on Valencia beaches during my 3-year stay in the city, and I think this is an ideal destination for a crowd-free beach vacation. Let me share my experience on the best Valencia beaches; I’ve been to each of them.

Read also: What to do and see in Valencia and Pros and Cons

Does Valencia have nice beaches?

Yes. On a scale of comfort and pleasure of spending your time on Valencia beaches, I would grade it 9/10.

All Valencia beaches are suitable for both family and outdoor activities and 6 of them fly a Blue beach flag. Valencian beaches are clean, wide, not overcrowded, and have nearby cafes and restaurants. There are many parking lots, and if you go by public transport, they are easily accessible also.

I cannot rate them 10/10 for the views of the coastline, which are not always perfect to me (due to Port of Valencia buildings and ships).

What people say on Reddit

El saler, Pinedo, Perelló are nice areas and the beaches are wonderful, but you can only reach by bus and as they are touristic zones some times you will find traffic jams which are uncomfortable if you have to reach the city frequently. And to the north you have Puzol and El puig, I have two friends living in each town and they are happy living there. You can reach both by train in less than half an hour. I have to say that none of this areas are dangerous or at least they are as safe as any part of city of Valencia itself.

Tanttaka

Almenara is a gorgeous place to enjoy just 30 minutes from Valencia, rocky beach with sand in the water. Just check the reviews on Google, a hidden gem.

100lightyears

If you wanna visit Valencia city and add a quick getaway to a close good beach, you should go to Canet d’en berenguer or Puerto de Sagunto,, which is very close of Canet.A few kms north from Valencia. Valencia city beaches are a good options but the quality of the water it is not the same. The good point is they are quite handly to reach to.

DaniSam78

Pinedo, the most partying gay beach in Valencia, you must be careful with the dogging area, it is easy to get mixed up in it if you don’t know the place, starting with the parking and continuing through the area of pine trees on the edge of the beach.

DoctaKiD

Best Valencia beaches in 2024

1. Patacona Beach

Patacona (Alboraya) is a quiet beach located in the new area of ​​Valencia, a bit away from the center. Still, it is easily accessible from Malvarrosa beach (10 minutes by foot). The beach has fine golden sand, and it all about relaxed sunbathing there. 

I love Patacona beach because there are fewer people in summer than on other city beaches. The second reason I love this beach is that the food is so good there—my recommendation: breakfast at La Mas Bonita, then Banana Beach for lunch. La Mas Bonita is quite a popular place, the earlier you come the better. I like the “scrambled eggs with salmon and avocado” breakfast. Yummy!

HUEVOS CON SALMON

Pros

  • developed beach infrastructure, including surf school
  • pleasant entry into the water
  • not crowded
  • next to a new residential area with a large number of inexpensive rental housing
  • quality restaurants and bars
  • playgrounds
  • embankment with bike paths
  • free parking (except for summer and September)
  • wooden walkways on the sand

Cons

  • far from the city center
  • little to no changing rooms

Tip #1 you can also change clothes in a beach bar restroom (“chiringuito” in Spanish).
Tip #2 ask the beach bar staff for a sunbed/umbrella rental
Tip #3 arrive earlier in the morning (9 a.m)

How “chiringuito” looks like:

Patacona Beach map

2. Malvarrosa Beach

Malvarrosa Beach (Playa de la Malvarrosa) is a large beach about 2 miles long and up to 50 meters wide. There is a fenced area with a playground for families with small children.

This beach is a bit more crowded, and I have to watch my belongings (there is a gypsy district close to the beach).

Pros

  • proximity to the center
  • rental of sunbeds and umbrellas
  • embankment
  • shallow calm sea
  • pleasant entry into the water
  • sandy bottom
  • many seaside restaurants
  • beach volleyball
  • playgrounds
  • nice sunrise photos for your Instagram
  • close to El Cabanyal district

Cons

  • lack of rental of water equipment
  • no changing rooms
  • a kind of touristic beach

What people post on Twitter:

Malvarossa Beach map

3. Las Arenas beach

Las Arenas beach (Playa de las Arenas) is the central city beach of Valencia, more than one mile long and up to 60 m wide, located next to the port. It is very crowded almost all day long. Festivals, concerts, and shows are held at Las Arenas throughout the year.

What I like: sometimes you can see a small musical procession of Spaniards with drums and trumpets playing joyful melodies.

Pros

  • clean and tidy
  • pleasant entry into the water
  • sunbeds, umbrellas, equipment for water games
  • playgrounds
  • showers, restrooms
  • wooden walkways
  • restaurants, cafes, ice cream kiosks
  • first aid stations
  • promenade
  • parking lots
  • public transport stop
  • Las Arenas Hotel
  • a popular place for nightlife in summer time

Cons

  • overcrowded
  • sometimes noisy

Here is a 4K YouTube walking tour in Las Arenas beach:

Las Arenas Beach map

4. Beaches of El Saler

El Saler is a beautiful area to the south of Valencia Port. Its beaches are shrouded in golden sand, and the water is a deep blue. El Saler is known for its dunes, Albufera Natural Park, and protected wetlands, making it a great place to explore. The only thing to keep in mind—it’s not that easy to get there by foot. Jump in a car or ride a bike, my advice.

There are different beaches on the El Saler coastline. Let me briefly describe some of them:

Pinedo Beach (Playa de Pinedo) is near a small fishing village not far from the dunes of the Albufera Natural Park. It is a long, calm, and sandy coastline lacking beach facilities. Also, there is an area for nudists.

Arbre del Gos beach (Playa de l’Arbre del Gos) is located on the territory of the Albufera Natural Park and became available to the public not so long ago, so many tourists don’t know it yet. There are first-aid posts, showers, toilets, and wooden walkways.

Playa El Saler is a spacious and lovely place. Better bring your own sunbeds and umbrellas. Not crowded, not that shallow, parking lots, and a beautiful restaurant (Mikonos) with a sea view.

Garrofera Beach (Playa de la Garrofera) is quite popular among locals. There are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent, showers and restrooms, wooden walkways, and tiny bars with soft drinks and fast food.

Devesa Beach (Playa de la Devesa) is a wild beach on the border of the Albufera Natural Park. Dunes stretch behind the sandy beach strip, covering the thickets of rare tropical plants, where hundreds migratory birds nest. And there is no beach infrastructure at all 🤭.

Pros

  • less crowded
  • dunes and Natural park
  • beautiful sunset at Albufera Lake
  • seafood + paella restaurants
  • parking is easy

Cons

  • it would be best if you had a car to get there (or a bike at least)
  • almost no facilities

Tip #1 Try Valencian paella at Nou Racó restaurant. There are also other types of paella, including the black rice one.
Tip #2 Take a boat ride on the lake of Albufera, sailing away from the Nou Racó restaurant for a 15 min trip.
Tip #3 Don’t forget to take a sunset picture at Albufera Lake.

El Saler Beach area map

5. Port Saplaya beach

Port Saplaya is a residential area near Valencia, and it is known for its beach and a beautiful port called Little Venice. I like to walk inside this urbanization to catch a feeling of a rich and famous person who might be living there.

Pros

  • a popular beach with colorful buildings around
  • many seaside bars and restaurants
  • playgrounds
  • facilities
  • a place to have a post-sunbath walk

Cons

  • far from Valencia center
  • you will need a car to get there
  • crowded in summer

Port Saplaya map

General Tips on Beaches in Valencia (Spain)

  • Split your beach time. Arrive at 9 a.m, leave at 12-13. Most locals come to the beach at 12, taking sunbathes until the evening, and I would not recommend doing that. The sun is mighty in Valencia, so splitting your beach hours between the morning and the afternoon is better.
  • It is obvious, but yes, use sunscreens.
  • Pay attention to beach flags: no swimming at red, caution at yellow, jellyfish at blue.
  • Watch your belongings. Even though the city and its beaches are safe, it’s better to be cautious.
  • Valencia has over 140 miles of bike lanes. You can ride directly to Patacona or Malvarrosa beach from the city center.
  • Chill at a beach bar (“Chiringuito”). Try “Clara” (cold beer with lemon), Sangría, or Spanish beer.
  • Spaniards are very open-minded people. Try to speak with them and learn a few words.
  • To catch the sunrise, be on the beach at 6:40 a.m
  • August is a month when Spain goes on vacation. Yes, there’ll be many people on the beach. 
Check out my best Spanish beaches review (with map). 

COVID-19 Rules in Valencia

At the moment, people over the age of six are obliged to wear masks only in the following cases in Valencia:

  • In hospitals and health centers,
  • In taxis and public transport (rail, air and cable transport). 

Final notes

Try going to Las Arenas beach, then Malvarrosa, then Patacona, and tell me in the comments which one you liked more? And why?

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