must30
Español
The walled hill town of Morella with its castle on the rock above the houses
The walls of Peñíscola castle seen from below, on top of the rock
The walls and towers of Xàtiva castle running along the ridge above the town
New stone seating laid over the original Roman tiers at the theatre of Sagunto

Things to do in the Valencian Community, coast and inland

Updated Leer en español

Up next

Photo: Rodelar, CC BY-SA 4.0

Peñíscola (old town on the rock)

Walk up to Papa Luna's castle on the rock of Peñíscola

Check dates and prices

Photo: Josu PV, CC BY-SA 4.0

Xàtiva (castle ridge above the town)

Walk the double castle of Xàtiva, a train ride from Valencia

Check dates and prices

Photo: Donarreiskoffer, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sagunto (Castell hill)

See Sagunto's rebuilt Roman theatre and the castle above it

Check dates and prices

Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Valencian Community runs down Spain's Mediterranean coast in three provinces: Castellón in the north, Valencia in the middle and Alicante in the south. Most visitors come for two places, and each has its own page: Valencia, the capital, for Las Fallas, rice and the City of Arts and Sciences, and Alicante and the Costa Blanca, for coves, castles, island boats and the Elche palm grove.

This page covers the rest. North of Valencia, Sagunto has a Roman theatre and a long castle on the same hill, and Peñíscola a Templar castle on a rock in the sea; inland, Morella sits inside its walls at almost 1,000 metres. South and west of Valencia, Xàtiva has a double castle along its ridge and Requena hides old wine caves under its medieval quarter. And on the last Wednesday of August, the town of Buñol throws La Tomatina.

Places in this region

7 things to do in Valencian Community

We earn a commission when you book through our GetYourGuide links, at no extra cost to you.

The walls of Peñíscola castle seen from below, on top of the rock

Walk up to Papa Luna's castle on the rock of Peñíscola

Peñíscola (old town on the rock)

Half a day with the old townGo alone or with a tour

Walk up a rocky headland to the Templar castle where Papa Luna, the Avignon pope, died in 1423.

Check dates and pricesCastle and old town tour with entry, guided in Spanish
Morella's medieval wall and the Nevera gate, with the castle on the rock above

Circle the walls of Morella and climb to its castle

Morella (Els Ports, Castellón)

A full day, better with a nightNo booking needed

Circle about 2.5 km of medieval walls around a hilltop town at roughly 985 metres, then climb to a castle built into the rock.

The walls and towers of Xàtiva castle running along the ridge above the town

Walk the double castle of Xàtiva, a train ride from Valencia

Xàtiva (castle ridge above the town)

Half a day from ValenciaBook ahead

Walk a double fortress stretched along a ridge above the Borja family's town, once a state prison of the Crown of Aragon.

Check dates and pricesSmall-group Xàtiva castle tour from Valencia
New stone seating laid over the original Roman tiers at the theatre of Sagunto

See Sagunto's rebuilt Roman theatre and the castle above it

Sagunto (Castell hill)

Half a day from ValenciaGo alone or with a tour

A Roman theatre from around 50 AD under Spain's most argued-over restoration, with a castle running along the ridge above it.

Check dates and pricesSagunto and San Josep caves, private day from Valencia
A large clay storage jar in one of the Cuevas de la Villa under Requena's medieval quarter

Go under Requena's old quarter to its wine and grain caves

Requena (Barrio de la Villa, Plaza de Albornoz)

A full day with a wineryBook ahead

Go down into 22 caves dug beneath the houses of Requena's oldest quarter, from a church ossuary to wine cellars with big clay jars.

Crowds covered in tomato pulp during La Tomatina in Buñol

Join La Tomatina in Buñol on the last Wednesday of August

Buñol, Valencia

A morning; the battle itself lasts 1 hourTimed entry

One hour, from a shell at 12:00 to a second at 13:00, when a whole town square turns into a tomato fight.

L'Hemisfèric reflected in its pool at the City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia

Walk the City of Arts and Sciences along the old Turia riverbed

Valencia

1 hour outside, most of a day insideNo booking needed

Calatrava's buildings and Europe's largest aquarium fill the end of Valencia's old riverbed, and walking among the pools costs nothing.

Plan your trip

  • Which destination for what

    For a city break with food, museums and Las Fallas, Valencia. For beaches, coves, island boats and the Penyal d'Ifac, Alicante and the Costa Blanca. For castles within a day of Valencia, Xàtiva to the south and Sagunto to the north, both on commuter trains. For a walled mountain town, Morella, in the far north of Castellón province. For a castle on a rock in the sea and a long beach, Peñíscola. For wine, Requena and the Utiel-Requena country, west of Valencia.

  • Combining Valencia, the coast and the interior

    Valencia is the natural first base: Xàtiva (Cercanías C-2), Sagunto (C-5 and C-6) and Buñol (C-3) are commuter-train day trips. Requena is no longer on the train: line C-3 runs only as far as Buñol until its full reopening, planned for late 2026, so drive the A-3 or take a coach. Then move south to Alicante for the Costa Blanca, or north to Peñíscola, on the coast road towards Vinaròs, with Morella a drive inland from there. Morella and most of the coves are far easier by car.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, ten days cover the region well: four in Valencia with day trips to Xàtiva and Sagunto, four on the Costa Blanca, and two in the north for Peñíscola and a night in Morella. With a week, drop the north or shorten the coast. A long weekend is Valencia plus one day trip.

  • When to go

    The calendar matters more than the weather. Las Fallas fill Valencia from 15 to 19 March, Alicante's Hogueras de San Juan run from 20 to 24 June, Elche stages the Misteri d'Elx on 14 and 15 August, and La Tomatina takes over Buñol on the last Wednesday of August. July and August are hot and the coast is crowded. Morella, at almost 1,000 metres, is cold in winter. Spring and autumn suit everything else.

Questions travellers ask

Should I base myself in Valencia or Alicante?

Both, if you have a week or more: Valencia for the city, Xàtiva, Sagunto and La Tomatina, Alicante for the Costa Blanca and Elche. With only a few days, Valencia is the better single base because it has more to see within a commuter-train ride.

How do you get tickets for La Tomatina?

Since 2013 the tomato fight has needed a paid ticket, with numbers capped, sold through the official channel of Buñol town council. In 2026 it fell on Wednesday 26 August. From Valencia, Cercanías line C-3 runs to Buñol, and trains fill up on the day, so travel early.

Can you visit the Valencian Community without a car?

For the cities and the main day trips, yes: Valencia, Alicante, Elche, Xàtiva, Sagunto and Buñol are on the rail network, and the TRAM runs up the Costa Blanca. Morella, Requena while the C-3 line is cut, the inland villages and most coves are much easier by car.

Is Morella worth the trip?

Yes, if you can stay a night. It is a walled town at almost 1,000 metres with a castle on its rock and a Gothic church, about 100 km from Castellón, and it feels far from the coast. Come hungry: truffles, lamb and the cheese pastries called flaons are local specialities.

Other places to go

Things to do in Spain

Photo credits (8)