"Long overlooked in favour of familiar go-tos like Barcelona and Andalucía, Valencia, the birthplace of paella, has finally captured the world's attention. It's been ranked by expats as one of the best places to live for the past four or so years, and its visitor numbers continue to increase, reaching a record 30 million tourists in 2024."
"The fiery spring festival, Las Fallas, celebrates its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2026. While it usually takes the spotlight as the main reason to visit, 2026 has a new contender for the main event of the year: Spain's first total solar eclipse since 1905. Cities like Madrid and Barcelona will be left out of the path of totality, but Valencia will experience the eclipse fully for almost two minutes, making the Mediterranean city the ideal place to view it. The city is planning several events around the eclipse, from conferences to organised viewing experiences. Western viewpoints will offer the best visibility, which in Valencia means finding a spot on the beach to watch the sun set over the water shortly after being covered by the moon's shadow around 8.32 pm on 12 August 2026."
"Other reasons to visit this year include the city hosting the 12th edition of the international Gay Games from 27 June to 4 July , which will join mainstay sporting events like the Ironman competition on 19 April, the half-marathon in October, and the marathon in December. This will also be the first of three years in which the Sail Grand Prix, a prestigious international sailing competition, will take place in Valencia (5-6 September)."
Valencia will attract visitors in 2026 with a combination of cultural, sporting and astronomical events. Las Fallas celebrates its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage site while Spain's first total solar eclipse since 1905 will deliver almost two minutes of totality over the city on 12 August, with organised viewing events and optimal sunset beach viewpoints. The city will host the Gay Games (27 June–4 July) and major sporting fixtures including Ironman, half-marathon, marathon and the Sail Grand Prix. Valencia's Mediterranean beaches, walkable scale and the Turia Gardens add to its broad visitor appeal.
Read at CN Traveller
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