Jardí del Túria (Turia Gardens)
When Valencia's Turia river was diverted after catastrophic 1957 floods, the city turned the old riverbed into the longest urban park in Spain — a nine-kilometre green ribbon of palm groves, rose gardens, sports pitches and cycling paths that stitches the entire city together. It is, simply, one of the best urban parks in Europe.
Exploring the park by section
The garden is divided into 18 numbered sections (trams) and each has its own character. Tram 9, near the Palau de la Música, has manicured rose beds and a popular outdoor gym. Tram 4, near Pont de Serrans, is shaded by mature ficus trees and fills with families at weekends. The easternmost sections near the City of Arts and Sciences open up into wider lawns with unobstructed views of Calatrava's white structures.
Rent a city bike from the Valenbisi docking station at Pont de Fusta and cycle the full length in about 45 minutes, stopping at whichever tram catches your eye. The path is entirely flat, well-signposted and separated from traffic for almost its entire length.
Gulliver Park and the Bioparc
Near the western end of the gardens sits Gulliver Park (Parc de Gulliver), where a 70-metre reclining giant is covered in slides and climbing nets that children treat as an enormous adventure playground — one of the most joyful and surreal sights in the city.
The Bioparc Valencia, an acclaimed zoo designed around African savannah habitats, sits at the far western tip of the gardens in Parc de Capçalera. Its gorilla habitat and open flamingo lagoon are genuinely world-class; book tickets online at bioparcvalencia.es to save queuing time.
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