The Valencian Community runs down the Mediterranean from Castellón to the Costa Blanca around Alicante. Valencia city has become one of the most popular places in Europe for remote workers and families: it has beaches, a huge park along the old riverbed and good schools, at lower cost than Barcelona or Madrid.
The Costa Blanca, especially between Dénia and Alicante, has long-established British, Dutch, German and Scandinavian communities.
Climate
Mediterranean: mild winters (rarely below 5 °C on the coast), long warm summers, and about 300 sunny days a year in many coastal towns. Late summer and autumn can bring sudden torrential rain (DANA).
Best time: Year-round on the coast; March (Fallas) and May, June and September are especially good.
Food and drink
Paella valenciana (chicken and rabbit, not seafood), arroz a banda, horchata with fartons, oranges, and turrón from Jijona.
What it’s like
Valencia city is easy-going and flat, built for cycling, with the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences at one end of the Turia gardens. Alicante is smaller and sunnier. The northern Costa Blanca (Jávea, Moraira, Altea) is green and hilly; the southern part around Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa is flatter, drier and cheaper.
Weather risk
The region sees episodes of extreme rain, usually between September and November. The October 2024 DANA flood south of Valencia killed more than 200 people. When house-hunting, check whether a property is in a flood zone (the regional PATRICOVA map shows this).
Living here
Valencia has become much more expensive since 2021 but still costs less than Barcelona or Madrid. The Costa Blanca has many services in English. Valencian is used in schools in much of the region.
Getting around
AVE trains reach Madrid in about 1 hour 50 minutes from Valencia and 2.5 hours from Alicante. The TRAM d’Alacant runs up the coast to Benidorm and Dénia.
Towns and cities in Valencian Community
Valencian Community
Valencia
Spain’s third city: city beaches, a 9 km park in the old riverbed, the City of Arts and Sciences, paella’s home and a big remote-work commu…
€€€€ 2 to 3 days
Valencian Community
Alicante
A sunny port city with a castle above the beach, a palm-lined promenade, and the Costa Blanca and its big foreign community all around.
€€€€ 2 days
Valencian Community
Jávea (Xàbia)
A green, upmarket Costa Blanca town with coves, the Montgó massif and a large, settled international community.
€€€€ 2 days
Valencian Community
Altea
A white hilltop old town with a blue-domed church, art galleries and pebble beaches, next to Benidorm but nothing like it.
€€€€ 1 day
Fiestas in Valencian Community
Frequently asked questions
Is Valencia good for families?
Yes. It has beaches, flat cycle lanes, the Turia park, many international and bilingual schools and a lower cost of living than Madrid or Barcelona.
What is the best time to visit Valencian Community?
Year-round on the coast; March (Fallas) and May, June and September are especially good.
What is the weather like in Valencian Community?
Mediterranean: mild winters (rarely below 5 °C on the coast), long warm summers, and about 300 sunny days a year in many coastal towns. Late summer and autumn can bring sudden torrential rain (DANA).
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