Valencia · Spain
City of Arts and Sciences
A practical guide to Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences: what time to go for the reflections, what's free, which buildings are worth paying for, which to skip and how to keep walking along the Turia.
Worth it as an architecture walk, free and before 10:30. The paid interiors are optional, and the Oceanogràfic needs half a day on its own.
The City of Arts and Sciences is a group of white buildings on the old bed of the Turia, almost all by Santiago Calatrava, who is from Valencia. A helmet-shaped opera house, a cinema that looks like an eye, a museum like a whale skeleton and a 320-meter walkway, all surrounded by shallow pools. The outside is free, and it’s the best part of the place.
Our experience
It was the first stop on our full day in Valencia, Tuesday, May 26. We took a taxi from the hotel and arrived at 8:45, because all our research agreed on the same thing: before 9:30 there’s no wind, the water is still and the buildings reflect in full, and by 11 the groups are arriving.
We gave it 90 minutes and walked around the outside: the Umbracle, the pools, the loop around the Palau de les Arts and the Pont de l’Assut de l’Or. We had the Museu de les Ciències down as optional and ruled out the Oceanogràfic before we left home, because it would have eaten our day. At 10:15 we set off on foot toward the center through the Turia gardens.
A bit of history
The Turia flooded in 1957 and the flood killed 81 people. The city diverted the river to the south, and when the government wanted to turn the dry riverbed into a highway, Valencians protested with a slogan: “El riu és nostre i el volem verd” (the river is ours and we want it green). They won, and the riverbed became a park.
In 1991 the Valencian government commissioned Calatrava to build this complex at the end of the park. Construction started in 1996: L’Hemisfèric opened in 1998, the museum in 2000, the Umbracle in 2001, the Oceanogràfic in 2003, the opera house in 2005, the bridge in 2008 and L’Àgora in 2009. The initial budget was around 300 million euros and it ended up at about 1,282 million. In 2013 the opera house’s ceramic mosaic started peeling off, and it had to be removed and replaced.
Even so, it gets about four million visitors a year.
How it fits into your day
If you come early, keep going along the Turia to the Central Market and La Lonja, like we did. Read our big day in Valencia for the full schedule.
What to see, in order
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L'Umbracle
The 320-meter raised walkway with white arches and climbing plants. It's free, and from its midpoint you get the best photo of the whole complex reflected in the pools.
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The L'Hemisfèric pools
The eye-shaped building doubles in the water and forms a complete almond. The spot is the southwest corner of the pool, looking northeast, and it only works when there's no wind.
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Museu de les Ciències
The building that looks like a whale skeleton. Walk along the south side: the white ribs repeat into a single line and continue over your head under the overhang.
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Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
The helmet-shaped opera house. Walk all the way around it, because it changes with the angle. The outdoor elevators go up for free to terraces with views toward the city.
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Pont de l'Assut de l'Or
The white bridge with a 125-meter slanted mast, the tallest structure in Valencia. From its base you can make out the harp pattern of the cables, and from there you enter the Turia gardens.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- There's very little shade outside the Umbracle. Bring water: the cafés inside are expensive and the fountains are at the south end of the Umbracle, next to the free restrooms.
- If you buy at the on-site machines, check every screen: according to recent reviews, they add extras like the planetarium without asking.
- Tickets are single entry per building. If you're going in, do it in one go and don't leave for lunch halfway through.
- From the center, a taxi runs €8–12. If the meter goes past €15, they took you the long way.
Do
- Get there before 9:30 for the reflections and leave around 10:30, ahead of the groups.
- Finish at the Pont de l'Assut de l'Or and walk back to the center along the Turia.
- If you're only paying for one interior, make it the Museu de les Ciències: the building on the inside justifies the ticket.
Don’t
- Don't buy the Pase Total or tourist card bundles if you're only walking around the outside.
- Don't go into L'Hemisfèric if you're short on time: shows last 45–50 minutes, almost always in Spanish.
- Don't try to squeeze the Oceanogràfic into a morning: it's three hours minimum and it eats up the rest of the day.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need for the City of Arts and Sciences?
Between 60 and 90 minutes to walk around the outside, including the Umbracle. With the Museu de les Ciències, about three hours; with the Oceanogràfic, the whole day.
Is the City of Arts and Sciences free?
The outdoor areas, the pools and L'Umbracle are free and open all day. You only pay to go inside the buildings.
Is the Oceanogràfic worth it?
It's the largest aquarium in Europe and its roofs are by Félix Candela, but it costs €35.90 to €43.05 and needs half a day. With only one day in Valencia, we left it out.
What's the best time for photos?
Between 8:30 and 10:00, when the water is still. In the afternoon, from 16:00 to 18:00, the light is nice, but the morning reflections are better.
How do you get there from central Valencia?
By taxi, in about 10–15 minutes. Walking through the Turia gardens, it's about three kilometers from the Pont del Real.