December is the month to spend time with family and celebrate Christmas together. Valencia, in Christmas, although cold outside, has love in the air and many activities to enjoy with your loved ones. Find out here how to celebrate Christmas in Valencia.
1. Visit the Christmas Markets in Valencia
Christmas Market of the City of Arts and Science
This market is one of the favorites and most popular among Valencian families. It opens one week before Christmas and stays open until the first week of January.
The stalls offer a multitude of products and handicrafts, making it a suitable place to find Christmas gifts among the wide variety of articles offered.
It also features musical performances for young people, puppet theater for the little ones, and several Christmas workshops to entertain kids. It’s a tradition for Santa Claus to wait for children to deliver their letters to him with their requests.
Food trucks offer a varied gastronomic selection for all fair attendees.
The fair opens from 11:00 to 22:00, except on Christmas and New Year when it closes earlier.
Christmas Market at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento
The Plaza del Ayuntamiento, or Town Hall Square, becomes a very lively place every December. In addition to the Christmas Tree and Carousel set up in this square, Valencian families visit its famous Christmas market.
There are numerous booths selling handmade gifts, holiday decorations, and delicious food. Kids can have fun on rides, and adults can explore the local products.
Other highly popular attractions include a beautiful ice skating rink and a huge Ferris wheel.
Plaza de la Reina’s Handicrafts Fair
Plaza de la Reina is an iconic square situated in the Old Town of Valencia, close to the Cathedral. It’s a great place to find a varied assortment of original handicrafts offered by their creators.
This market offers the chance to see the artists working at the moment and creating their art pieces in front of the visitors. Ceramists, glaziers, and carpenters showcase their work.
This fair also starts around Christmas and is open until the first week of January.
Mercado Colon’s Christmas Fair (Mostra de Nadal)
This is another classic and popular Christmas fair among Valencians. People come here to find high-quality artisanal products offered by the artists themselves. You can discover items like jewelry, ceramics, illustrated porcelain, screen printing, toys, leather crafts, and more.
This fair takes place in the central part of Mercado Colon, an architectural gem of the city dating back to the early 20th century. This space no longer functions as a traditional market but instead offers a wide range of gastronomic options with terraces, restaurants, breweries, and more.
As with all the other Christmas markets, the opening and closing days and hours can vary each year, so it’s best to check them in advance.
Lluis Vives Fair
This could be one of your nearest fair options if you’re staying in the city center. The Lluis Vives Institute is a well-known high school in Valencia, located near the Town Hall. This institute hosts another one of the traditional Christmas markets that take place in Valencia every year.
The market is situated in front of the Estacion del Norte, a grand and iconic terminal station, which is another architectural gem in the modernist style in Valencia.
Mercado de Tapineria
This place also provides a trendy and enjoyable atmosphere in the heart of Valencia’s Old Town. The Mercado is a concept store with emerging and creative projects. It includes restaurants, terraces, shops, and continuously changing events.
One of these events is the Christmas fair, which takes place in December and features live dancing, carols, and a visit from the Three Wise Men. You can be certain to have a great time there and find unique and diverse ideas for your Christmas gifts.
Mercado de Reyes del Cabanyal (The Three Wise Men Market)
Located 5 kilometers west of Valencia, El Cabanyal is a neighborhood by the sea. Every year, the Three Wise Men Market is held here, starting in the first few days of January and continuing until the 6th when their holiday is celebrated. The fair is typically located along Av. Mediterrani in Cabanyal.
Traditionally in Spain, gifts are given on the 6th of January, and children write letters requesting toys from the Three Wise Men.
If you have time in Valencia, a visit to El Cabanyal is highly recommended. Once a fishing village, you can still find picturesque fishermen’s houses with tiled facades. Art collectives and theater projects give this area a new bohemian atmosphere. There are also nice restaurants with a wide selection of seafood and traditional cuisine.
Beefeater Christmas Market
This British-style event is a fun place to visit with your partner or friends. They promote English products like the Beefeater gin brand. You can enjoy live music, hot cocktails, food stalls, as well as stands selling jewelry, handicrafts, and various items for gifts.
It takes place inside the Mercado Colon, at the Down Monkey Business stand.
2. Visit the Valencia Christmas Fairground
Every year, from the beginning of December to the middle of January, both Valencians and visitors can enjoy the popular Christmas Fairground.
This fairground is set up every year between Ingeniero Manuel Soto Street and Avenida de Francia, in the port area, and it has a controlled parking lot for visitors.
In December, this area is bustling with activity and is suitable not only for families with kids but also for couples and young people in general. There is a wide variety of mechanical attractions, as well as raffles, bingo, and several game booths. Food is available at various stalls, including fast food like hamburgers and pizzas.
The fairground is well-organized and equipped with an ambulance, medical supplies, restrooms, and proper security for all the rides.
3. Enjoy a Show at a Circus
December is the month when traditional circus shows are offered in Valencia. It’s a highly anticipated time for children and the general public who love these performances.
Circuses usually run promotional campaigns. If you buy tickets in advance or online, you can get discounts, so it’s a good idea to check in advance for these offers.
4. Take a Tour of Belenes in Valencia
“Belén” is the Spanish name for Nativity scenes, which are typically displayed in December in churches, museums, art spaces, and other places.
This old custom actually started in Italy and became popular because of the Franciscan movement. Saint Francis of Assisi was the first to set up a live nativity scene in a forest in Greccio on Christmas in the year 1223.
One spectacular Nativity scene is the live one presented every year at the City of Arts and Science. You will see Mary spinning on a spinning wheel, and Joseph working in his carpentry workshop. This is part of the Christmas market that operates in this complex.
Visit the Glass Hall of the Town Hall to enjoy their Nativity scene, as well as the one set in the Plaza de la Reina in the center of Valencia.
A Nativity scene that is over a hundred years old is displayed in the church of the Virgen de los Desamparados at the Plaza de la Virgen in the historic center. Additionally, in the open air at the same plaza, there is another Nativity scene that is traditionally set up there every year.
5. Go Ice Skating
In addition to the ice skating rink that is set up every year at the Christmas market in the Town Hall Square, you also have the opportunity to go ice skating at the Fun on Ice rink. This place is open all year round, so it’s a great activity if you’re in Valencia and want to try something different. You can even take lessons if you’re new to ice skating.
Fun on Ice is located next to the Bonaire Shopping Mall in Valencia.
6. Attend the Three Wise Men Parade
The Three Wise Men Parade is a traditional event that happens on January 5th every year in most Spanish towns, with various variations. In this parade, the three Wise Men – Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar – along with their entourage, take part.
The procession, often featuring children’s entertainment and various shows, winds its way through the main streets of each town. It’s a massive event filled with lights and colors, and children, accompanied by their families, welcome the Three Wise Men.
Remember how important the Three Wise Men are to Spanish kids, as per their tradition, it is they who leave the gifts for children on the night of January 5th.
The Three Kings Parade of Valencia runs through the main streets of the center of the City of Valencia on January 5, starting at 6:00 p.m.
7. Try a Cup of Hot Chocolate with Churros
Winters in Valencia are relatively mild, with an average temperature of 14 degrees Celsius (57.2°F). A cup of traditional hot chocolate with churros becomes the ideal companion for spending a December evening in Valencia.
Several places in the center of Valencia offer this classic combination. Some of the most popular ones are Horchatería Daniel in the Mercado Colón, Santa Catalina next to the Cathedral, and Chocolatería Valor at the Plaza de la Reina.
8. Try Traditional Valencian Winter Dishes
Puchero Valenciano is the typical dish of the province, primarily served during Christmas. Suited for cold days, it’s a hearty dish prepared with a variety of ingredients. It includes chicken thighs, beef bones, pork backbones, beef ribs, potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, turnip, and rice.
This Puchero also features balls made with pork, pine nuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, and egg, wrapped in a cabbage leaf, and served on the table along with the rest of the meal.
Another classical winter dish in Valencia is Arroz Caldoso. It’s a type of soup made with rice, chicken, rabbit, tomato, green beans, and seasoned with paprika, saffron, olive oil, and salt.
