Digital Nomad Guide to Valencia, Spain
This post was updated in September 2023.
I have been living in Valencia, Spain, for more than 4 years now, and so far I love it!
Valencia is an amazing place - it has lovely weather all year round with many sunny days, a pretty beach, a beautiful and large park, a historic city center, not too many tourists and a lot of great restaurants and cafes.
It also boasts an expanding community of remote workers and digital nomads, with a healthy balance of some people staying here long term and others staying for just a couple of months.
Here’s a guide for Remote workers and Digital nomads in Valencia, Spain!
Co-working Spaces
There are plenty of co-working places in Valencia, and new offices keep popping up as the remote worker community grows. Most of them also organize fun social activities amongst themselves.
Here is a list of the most popular ones:
Wayco Coworking - This is perhaps the most famous/popular one. There are two locations in Valencia: one is located in the city center and the other is Ruzafa.
Flying Bean Coffee Workspace - is also a specialty coffee place!
Accommodation
Accommodation in Valencia is cheap compared to other cities like Barcelona and Madrid; but because of the recent influx of foreigners, rents are starting to rise here as well.
For long-term rentals, you can find a decent 2-bedroom apartment for around 800-1300 euros, depending on the area and the state of the apartment. You can have a look at idealista.es and habitaclia for apartment and house listings. You often need to pay a deposit for a longer term rent, usually it is one or two months rent.
For short-term rentals, you can check out Airbnb, where you can rent a one-bedroom apartment for around 600-900 euros a month, depending on the period. In the summer, it is obviously more expensive.
There is also Spot A Home which also has some decent options in Valencia, and the options are often cheaper than Airbnb, I find. When I first moved to Valencia, I also rented a small apartment for a month via this platform.
Prices
Prices are generally pretty low compared to other Northern European cities. You can eat at a pretty fancy restaurant for around 30 euros a person. You can get a coffee at a specialty coffee place for 2.50 - 3 euros.
Wines and food are quite cheap, though I would say that the prices at the supermarkets are generally the same as in other parts of Europe. Having said that, I do notice that Valencia is gaining more and more traction - as more expats are moving here and more tourists are discovering the city. Therefore, prices are already starting to rise, especially prices for accommodation.
Remote working community
As previously said, more and more expats are moving to Valencia, which also includes remote workers and digital nomads. The community itself is great - people are super friendly, supportive and helpful. The group of Valencia Coworking & coffee meets every Wednesday afternoon at a cafe to work together and after go for drinks somewhere.
Here are a few Facebook groups you can join if you find yourself in Valencia:
Valencia | Girl Gone International (only for women)
Neighborhoods
Some of the most popular areas in Valencia for remote workers and digital nomads are:
Ruzafa - Probably by far the most popular neighborhood is Ruzafa, which is the area just below the city center. It's a very cute neighborhood with loads of cafes and restaurants. More on Ruzafa below ;)
Gran Via - located next to Ruzafa, this is probably the most posh place in Valencia and also the most expensive. However, it is a beautiful neighbourhood, close to the city and the park, as well as the city of arts and sciences
Cabanyal - Cabanyal is the area near the beach. Loads of people love it there as it's a very rustic neighborhood very close to the beach.
El Carmen - this historic neighborhood is located on the edge of the center, with a lot of cute little streets and alleys, street art and amazing restaurants.
Beniclamet - this used to be a separate village but as Valencia grew, became part of the city. It's a cute little neighborhood, popular with students and for its nightlife.
Mestalla - Mestalla is an upcoming and newer area and boasts a lot of beautiful buildings. The football stadium of the Valencian team is located here, so it might get busy on game nights!
La Petxina - a residential area that is still super close to the city centre (just 10 min walk!). This means you’re close to the hustle and bustle of the city, but the neighbourhood itself is nice and quiet.
Things to do
There are a lot of great things to do in Valencia and I will soon be writing a dedicated blog post for this topic.For now, you can have a look at this list:
The Beach - Valencia has quite a nice stretch of beach, that can be easily reached by public transport or bike. In the summer, the water has a nice temperature, however, it can be quite busy with tourists, especially at Playa de las Arena and Malvarrosa. If you want to escape the crowds, going to Port Saplaya is a good alternative, which lies just outside of Valencia and easily reachable by bus or taxi.
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias - This futuristic architectural wonder has been featured in the popular series 'Westworld' and truly is a sight to behold. Roam around and marvel at the buildings, visit the museum and the aquarium.
Walking around the city center - The best way to explore Valencia is simply to walk around and discover all the hidden gems in this historical city by foot. The city center of Valencia is not very big; you can probably see everything that's there to see in the center in one day.
Biking or walking in the Turia park - The Turia park used to be a big river running around the city, but because there have been many floodings in the past, the government decided to drain it and build a park in the remaining riverbed. The result is a gorgeous stretch of green, walking and biking paths and many sports fields.
Mercado Central - Foodies will no doubt be enticed by this big fresh food market in the middle of the city. Stroll around, buy a bocadillo (sandwich), drink some freshly squeezed orange juice and try some Horchata. There is even a specialty coffee stand serving delicious coffee!
Have brunch and coffee in Ruzafa - Ruzafa is the hipster neighborhood in Valencia; it's easy to see why with all the coffee places and boutique stores. Located just below the city center, it's a lovely area to have a stroll around - and have a coffee of course! I would recommend going to Blackbird cafe, which is probably my favorite cafe in Valencia. Also check my blog post about where to find the best coffee in Valencia:)
Eat Paella - Valencia is the birthplace of Spain's most famous dish, paella. It is actually quite difficult to find a nice restaurant with a good paella, but I've got some nice local recommendations for you:
Botanical gardens
Botanical gardens - The botanical gardens of Valencia are close to the neighborhood of El Carmen. It’s a lovely place just to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Bay of Javea
Day trips - there are many day trips you can do from Valencia, including:
Day trip to Sagunto - the Sagunto castle is the famous landmark to visit here
Albufera park - this is a big park and lake very close to Valencia. You can even bike there.
Hiking in Chulilla - this is a famous and popular hike called the “route of the hanging bridges” which takes you across, you guessed it, a few hanging bridges and alongside some beautiful river views.
Day trip to Javea or Denia - a few of the popular towns close to Valencia are Javea and Denia, which are both very cute towns. It’s easiest to get there by car.
Things to Eat
There are many great restaurants and cafes in Valencia.
Check out my Ultimate Valencia Food Guide for a list of the best restaurants in Valencia.
And if you’re into specialty coffee also check out my post on Where to find the Best Specialty Coffee in Valencia.
Internet & Sim cards
Internet speed in Valencia is generally pretty fast, but it does depend on the provider.
If you are in Valencia for just a few weeks or months, I’d recommend you to get an eSim, for example from Airalo, which is a very convenient eSim app that I’ve used many times already as well. Simply download the app on your phone, find an eSim for the country you are traveling in, pay and download and you’re ready to go!
You can purchase an eSim via this link with Airalo. (FYI this is an affiliate link - purchasing through this link won’t cost you anything extra and it gives me a little commission, which does really help me a lot:)
I hope that this blog post has painted a nice picture of Valencia because it is truly a wonderful place :)
Questions? Drop me a comment in the comment section below!
