Turia Gardens
Five and a half miles of park in a riverbed diverted after the 1957 flood.
Duration
1 hr – 3 hrs
Best time
Mornings, or late in the day
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
In 1957 a flood of the Turia killed dozens of people in Valencia. The first decision was to divert the river south of the city, which was done; that left an empty bed nine kilometres long running through the centre.
The state's plan was to put a motorway in it. Valencians opposed it, under the slogan 'el llit del Túria és nostre' — the Turia bed is ours — and they got a park. It crosses the whole city, under its eighteen old bridges, with sports pitches, a rose garden and cycle paths.
Getting there
The park crosses the city west to east. You go down by ramps from almost any bridge in the centre.
What to bring
- 1.5 L of water
- Cap
Rules on site
Nine kilometres long: hire a bike rather than walk — there are docking stations along the route. Several stretches have no shade, best avoided in the middle of the day in summer.
