When Casa Fran opened in 2022 as a hole-in-the-wall hangout, it was exactly the kind of laid-back, quality-driven coffee spot the city had been waiting for. Fast forward and the flat whites and homemade sea-salt cookies have moved to a bigger, more comfortable and design-focused site in the city centre. Just outside sits the towering Gothic fortress, Torres de Quart, one of the original doorways to the city. Climb to the top for just €2 to catch the brilliant views.

Tucked into the narrow streets of El Carmen, the Centro del Carmen de Cultura Contemporánea (CCCC) is one of Valencia’s most elegant galleries. Hosting contemporary exhibitions and local talent, it stages retrospectives on graffiti artists alongside performances of Valencian folk dance. Spread across a 13th-century monastery, the building emanates the unhurried calm of its former life. Even on the hottest days, the mossy Gothic cloisters remain cool, while families retreat to the free playroom, complete with mirrors, cushions and toys.

Raw brick walls and crumbling plaster offer a lovely juxtaposition to the delicate, twinkling necklaces of Rocío Jewels. Inside, founder Rocío Vicén is often found polishing gold signet rings at her battered wooden workbench, while her husband Ferran attends to folks drawn in from the street. They're both local (Ferran's dad and grandad were both born and raised on the next street, in fact), and each piece is a celebration of the perfectly imperfect forms of nature. Try on necklaces linked by silver curls like snail shells and gold stud earrings that look like sea-battered pebbles.  

There's a friendly competition between bars to see who can make the best mid-morning sandwich (the ritual of almuerzo), and Kiosko La Pérgola often comes up trumps. The greasy spoon-style kiosk sits beside a busy roundabout, and people queue down the street to secure a terrace table.  Order the superbombón: a chewy baguette stuffed with pork, cheese, mushrooms, mayo and chips. Beers are customary, as is finishing on a cremaet, a coffee made with lemon and cinnamon-infused rum.