Valencia's rise in popularity

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain

Historic yet modern, relaxed yet dynamic, sporty yet athletic and compact yet inclusive – Valencia's growing popularity with cosmopolitan expats looking for an exciting new life in the sun is no surprise.

Spain's third-largest city seamlessly blends an authentic metropolitan lifestyle with the thrills of being a cultural hotspot by the sea. And thanks to its compact size, excellent public transport and manageable population of 800,000, taking advantage of the unique lifestyle is a breeze. Here are the top reasons why Valencia is such an attractive relocation destination for young professionals and families.

Leisure and culture

Key to Valencia's appeal, particularly to families, is its outdoor lifestyle – helped by a climate that offers more than 300 days of sunshine. Those who prefer to be on the water will be right at home – Valencia is a port city with a state-of-the-art marina that was revamped for the 32nd America's Cup a decade ago.

On a cultural level, the historic centre, which includes the atmospheric Barrio del Carmen, is one of Spain's best preserved 'old towns'. New residents will never tire of being amazed by the winding, medieval streets, as well as the Gothic, Baroque and Modernist architecture, including UNESCO sites.

In contrast, the modern City of Arts and Sciences complex, home to Europe’s largest aquarium, epitomises the city’s regeneration plans in terms of long-term development. And true to its spirit, each year Valencia hosts Spain’s largest festival. Could there be a more exciting place to live and raise a young family?

Selecting a property

Valencia has almost every type of residential opportunity a city could offer, from leafy residential avenues to trendy redeveloped areas or modern beachfront developments with well-connected satellite communities. Particularly popular with young families are the small towns of La Cañada, L'Eliana, La Pobla de Vallbona and L'Ria, which run along the same road from the north-west edge of the city. Less hectic and more suburban, they are a short metro ride from the city centre and close to the airport, ideal for expats commuting. The area is also home to a high concentration of international and British schools.

Traditional family villas in L'Eliana start from €275,000, or from €350,000 for newer, modern properties. But head further afield to Llíria or Olocau, which are still well connected but quieter, and older villas can be as little as €100,000, or around €280,000 for newer properties.

Meanwhile, on the southwest side of Valencia are the areas of Chiva and Calicanto and, closer to the centre, Torrent. Again, being well connected and only 20 minutes from the city centre and 10 minutes from the airport, villas in these areas are ideal for young families. There you will also find the El Bosque Golf Club with new frontline golf homes from €210,000.

Further afield, but still within a 30-minute drive of the city, are the traditional towns of Turis and Montserrat, with a choice of family villas from €100,000 to €200,000. Still outside the centre, to the north are El Puig and Puzol, which are just 15 minutes by car from Valencia or a short train ride. Good areas with quiet beaches, with homes within walking distance of the sea starting from around €150,000 and beach properties from €180,000.

A similar distance to Valencia, but on the southern side of the city, are the beach communities of El Perellonet and El Perello, located in the protected L'Albufera Natural Park, which includes a lake surrounded by rice fields. There is also golf at El Saler Golf Club.

For a beachfront location, consider El Cabanyal, a former fishermen's quarter that is becoming increasingly fashionable as it is redeveloped. Or a little further from the centre is the modern area of ​​Alboraya and Patacona Beach, with its selection of modern gated communities.

Education

Valencia has become a hub for international schools. Expat families can choose to educate their children in the local Spanish language or opt to send them to one of the bilingual British or many other international colleges.

Established British and international academic institutions include the centrally located British School of Valencia, the American School of Valencia in the north of the city, and on the west side of the city, among others, you will find the British School of La Cañada, Cambridge House, El Plantío International School, the English Language School of Los Olivos, Entrenaranjos International School and IALE International School. There are also French and German college options.

Health

Valencia's wonderful climate, combined with the Mediterranean diet and outdoor lifestyle, makes Valencia a particularly healthy place to live and raise a family. Spain is regularly ranked as one of the healthiest countries in the world, including by the World Health Organization – according to the OECD, life expectancy is 83.2 years, the highest in Europe and two years more than the UK.

The Spanish healthcare system was recently ranked 9th out of 192 countries in a widely respected index of access and quality in healthcare, making it one of the best in Europe. By comparison, the same index ranked Italy 12th, France 15th and the UK 30th.

When it comes to medical care, Valencia offers a wide range of world-class private and public hospitals and clinics, many of which have English-speaking medical teams dedicated to dealing with international patients. In fact, the NISA 9 du Octubre hospital in central Valencia is considered one of the best in Spain and has its own international department.

Availability

Valencia is a fast and cheap city to travel to. It has a nine-line metro system, Metro Valencia, which connects the city centre with suburban towns, as far northwest as Lliria and Alberic, 40km to the south. Children under ten travel free with an adult on Metro Valencia.

Valencia International Airport is unusually close to the city centre, and a typical taxi ride to the old town is only 20 minutes. MetroValencia also runs directly to the airport via lines 3 or 5, making it easy to get to from most areas of Valencia.

Valencia has two main train stations: Estacio del Nord and Estacio Joaquín Sorolla. Between them, they offer excellent rail connections to the cities and towns along the coast. This includes the city’s RENFE routes north to Barcelona and south to Alicante, as well as the high-speed AVE service to Madrid, which takes just one hour and thirty-five minutes.

Buying property in Valencia

At Deniz Estate we have hundreds of fantastic properties for sale in Valencia and the surrounding towns. Our team will be happy to tell you more about their experience and how you can buy your perfect home in this vibrant city.