The best areas to live in Valencia

Thinking about moving to the Valencian Community but don’t know where the best areas to live in Valencia are? The capital has a wide range of options for you: unique districts and neighbourhoods where you can make your home; Valencia can adapt to your needs, tastes and budget. It’s one of the most sought-after cities to live in, as it’s not just a big city; it also has the sea, a pleasant climate and a good network of services and infrastructures. 

What are the best neighbourhoods to live in Valencia?

If you are moving to the capital of the Turia, whether for work or study, you’ll surely be wondering what the best areas to live in Valencia are. Note that some neighbourhoods such as El Carmen and Ruzafa are the most recommended for young people and students. If you’re moving to Valencia with your family, then you might consider the City of Arts and Sciences, Patraix, Arrancapins, Benimaclet, El Pla del Real and Cabañal-Cañamelar. 

Neighbourhoods for young people

For young people, Eixample. This is the city’s trendiest district. Just a few years ago it was a marginal neighbourhood that is now very popular with young people, particularly the Ruzafa neighbourhood. If you’ve been to Madrid or lived there, Ruzafa is known as the Valencian Malasaña, because like its Madrid namesake, it has that hipster, cosmopolitan and urbanite vibe. Ruzafa is a stone’s throw from the city centre and is also a tourist spot in the Valencian capital, as it has a wide array of restaurants, bars and shops. The Central Market is worth visiting here. 

Ciutat Vella, Valencia’s oldest area, is where the El Carmen neighbourhood is, which makes it a tourist hotspot in itself. This neighbourhood is not far from the cathedral and the Lonja de la Seda (Silk Exchange). El Carmen is also perfect for young people, as it is one of the city’s most vibrant areas: if you like to party, this is the spot for you. It’s a place that attracts bohemians, artists and students because of the neighbourhood’s cultural life. 

Good areas to live in Valencia: the best for families

If you’re looking for an apartment or family home, you’ll want to know what the best neighbourhoods in Valencia to live in are, particularly if you have children or pets. For families, there is nothing like a neighbourhood with green areas, playgrounds, schools, etc. Which neighbourhoods have the best services for families?

Benimaclet

If you’re a student, then perhaps Benimaclet is the neighbourhood for you. It’s a stone’s throw from the university. It has an excellent infrastructure network and is very well connected to the centre of Valencia, just a 15-minute walk away. Because it is a student neighbourhood, it is perfect for families with children attending university. What’s more, it has a wide range of leisure and dining options, as well as pedestrian streets that make it safer.

Pla del Real

A stone’s throw from Valencia CF’s football ground is what is known as Valencia’s greenest district. Pla del Real is one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods to live in, as it is in a unique location: halfway between the sea and the city centre. It also has hospitals, universities, green areas and is very well-connected by the underground. 

AQ-Turianova

This future Valencian neighbourhood will have 2,400 homes and will be located in the Fuente San Luis sector, next to La Fe Hospital. These new-build apartments in Valencia (of which more than 1,200 will be developed by AQ-Acentor) represent the city’s largest real estate growth. The neighbourhood will have excellent connections to the most important parts of the city, by public transport and by car alike. What’s more, there will also be large cultural, sporting and educational areas, as well as a big urban park.

City of Arts and Sciences

The Valencian neighbourhood par excellence for families with children and pets, as well as for couples, is the City of Arts and Sciences in the Quatre Carreres district. It’s a benchmark in Valencia, with its breathtaking buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava, which are also built on the banks of the Turia. 

This neighbourhood has a wide range of restaurants, bars and cafés, as well as shopping centres, green areas for sports, museums and tourist spots such as the Reina Sofía Palace and the Oceanografic. Finally, you should know that the homes in this neighbourhood, unlike in El Carmen or Ruzafa, are newly built. 

Patraix

Patraix is in the outskirts to the west of Valencia. It’s a neighbourhood with many schools and hospitals, as well as old houses, although there are also new builds. It’s a neighbourhood that provides a high-quality of life and is perfect for families with children. You can do sport in the open air and it has a multicultural vibe that you will love. One of the advantages of Patraix? How close it is to the Joaquín Sorolla train station. 

El Cabañal-Cañamelar

This neighbourhood is part of the Poblados Marítimos district and has the advantage of being very close to the Malvarrosa, which is the city’s largest beach, as well as the port of Grau. This neighbourhood is renowned for its old fishermen’s houses with tiled façades. Although it is quite far from the centre, it is very well-connected by public transport. 

Arrancapins

Arrancapins is a neighbourhood in the Extramurs district, a suburb. You can get to the centre by public transport or you can take a 15-minute walk. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to live, this could be the neighbourhood for you, as it isn’t a major tourist spot. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have spectacular areas such as the Botanical Gardens or the Quart Towers, but it does mean that you won’t fall victim to the mass tourism that the city’s other neighbourhoods attract.

Check out our different developments in Valencia: Arcos, Alhambra and Riodeva. Welcome to Valencia!