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Grand Voyager | Exploring Valencia  From its historic streets to its beautiful surroundings, Valencia is full of life and flavour. But what is it about this city that makes it such a special place for food lovers?  In partnership with Media City  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/11/12/grand-voyager-exploring-valencia  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00I'm Lily Douse and this is Grand Voyager.

00:05From my base in Qatar, I travel the world to discover incredible places

00:09filled with culture, luxury and adventure.

00:13Along the way, I meet the people, taste the flavours

00:16and experience the moments that make each destination unforgettable.

00:21Today, I'm travelling from Qatar to a Mediterranean city,

00:30alive with history, nature and the smell of great food.

00:36I'm here in Valencia, the birthplace of Paella

00:39and a region that truly celebrates the good things in life.

00:44Walking through the historic area of the city,

00:47you get a real sense of the grandeur of the place

00:50from its polished stone alleys to its iconic monuments.

00:54Valencia is full of picture-perfect moments.

00:57In this episode, I'll be discovering its hidden corners,

01:01its vibrant culture and the people that bring this city to life.

01:06First, I'm checking into my hotel for my stay here in Valencia.

01:10This is Grand Hotel Centenary,

01:13a stunning historic landmark in the heart of the city.

01:16I'm lucky enough to be staying in one of their premium suites.

01:22Its 1920s design captures all the glamour of its golden era.

01:26It has a retro feel and a beautiful view over the city's main square.

01:32Back out in the city, I'm on my way to meet Demi Bonita,

01:36co-founder of Hotspot Valencia.

01:39She's promised to show me some of Valencia's must-see spots.

01:42Today, we're going to the old town.

01:44We're going to taste some typical Spanish things.

01:47We're going to the tourier parks and, of course, the city of art.

01:51Valencia is full of surprises

01:53and Demi knows exactly where to find the city's best hidden gems.

01:59Well, we're here.

02:00This is the oldest horchateria.

02:02I can't wait to try this.

02:05Horchateria Daniel is one of the city's most celebrated spots.

02:08Opened since 1949, its recipes have been passed down through the family.

02:14This creamy Valencian drink is made from tiger nuts

02:17and is often paired with giant sugar-coated pastries called churros.

02:23Valencians have loved this simple combination for generations

02:26and it's easy to see why.

02:30Valencia's old town is full of flavour and charm,

02:33but there's still much more to see

02:35and Demi has the perfect idea for exploring further.

02:39So Valencia is the city to bike,

02:41so let's hop on a bike and discover the city.

02:43I am so ready to do this.

02:46First up on our cycle tour is Mercado de Cologne,

02:50a historic market hall in the heart of the old town.

02:53It's a stunning building and one of Demi's favourite spots.

02:57So it's made by a Valencian architect

02:59and on that side you see the clothes

03:01and then you have the oranges and also the cows.

03:05Valencia by bike is the best way to explore.

03:08One moment you're surrounded by towering buildings,

03:11the next you're gliding through the city's parks.

03:15This futuristic complex is the city of arts and sciences,

03:19one of Valencia's most iconic sights.

03:21And it's here that my tour with Demi comes to a close.

03:24It's been wonderful discovering the best of Valencia's landmarks

03:28and hidden spots.

03:31Valencia truly is a city that lives for food

03:33and nowhere is this expressed more creatively

03:36than at Ricard Camarena restaurant.

03:40Ricard is known for transforming simple local ingredients

03:43into something extraordinary.

03:45Today I'm taking a step into his kitchen

03:48and of course doing some tasting.

03:51Hello Ricard, thank you so much for having me.

03:54Thank you for visiting us.

03:55This double Michelin-starred restaurant

03:57sits alongside an art gallery,

03:59a fitting setting for a chef who turns flavour into art.

04:06In the kitchen, Ricard's team make the most of every ingredient,

04:10a core part of his sustainable philosophy.

04:14They create dishes inspired by the seasons

04:16and each one is carefully crafted

04:18and rich in Valencian character.

04:21Today, I'll learn how to prepare a special dish

04:25guided by Ricard himself.

04:27This is our signature dish

04:29and this is a Valencian oyster

04:31and it's very sweet.

04:33We prepare with avocado,

04:35galanga root, lemon and oil.

04:38We mix all together.

04:40Getting hands-on with a two Michelin-star chef

04:43is a little intimidating,

04:44but Ricard puts me at ease,

04:47guiding me through each step.

04:49This is avocado and galanga oil.

04:52Mmm, it smells amazing already.

04:54With the main ingredients mixed and prepared,

04:57Ricard shows me how to plate the oyster dish.

05:00It's surprising how much precision

05:02goes into every detail.

05:04I'm pretty proud of this, Ricard.

05:06What do you think?

05:07It's very good for the first time.

05:09Now I get to try some of Ricard's creations.

05:13Each dish looks incredible.

05:15Loaded with layers and textures,

05:17you can really feel the passion

05:18that's gone into every dish.

05:20It's pure perfection.

05:23And the dessert is manga,

05:26green curry, seeds and herbs.

05:29Thank you so much.

05:30The best ending for an incredible dinner.

05:33Ricard and his team

05:35are truly masters of their craft,

05:37turning simple, local ingredients

05:39into extraordinary works of art.

05:44Just outside Valencia lies Albuferra,

05:47a vast freshwater lagoon.

05:50This beautiful landscape

05:51is home to farms and wildlife.

05:54To learn more about this special place,

05:56I'm meeting Ian,

05:58founder of Very Valencia,

06:00who knows every hidden corner of the lagoon

06:02and its cultural significance.

06:04Well, we're here in the rice fields

06:06of La Albuferra in Valencia,

06:08which is where they grow the rice

06:10to make the best paella,

06:12which hopefully we'll get to try later.

06:14But first, let's go out on the boat,

06:16have a look at the lake.

06:17I think that's a great idea.

06:19Let's do it.

06:20Ian and his team offer tours

06:22and experiences that reveal

06:24the authentic side of Valencia

06:26and its surroundings.

06:28These waters have shaped

06:30local communities for centuries

06:31and many of their age-old techniques

06:34are still alive today.

06:36So here, Lily, right behind us,

06:38we've got some fishing nets.

06:40Now, the fishermen here

06:40have been using this technique

06:41for over 700 years

06:43to catch eels.

06:45So you can't see it,

06:46but under there,

06:47there's like net tunnels

06:48which get tighter and tighter and tighter.

06:51The eel goes in

06:52and it can't get out.

06:54What significance does this area have

06:57for the local people,

06:58the people from Valencia?

07:00Well, a lot of Valencians

07:01that live in the city

07:02would come here for lunch.

07:03It's known as the place to go for a paella

07:05and just have a nice day out.

07:07Around 140 million square metres

07:09of Alba Ferris wetland

07:11are devoted to rice cultivation,

07:13producing roughly 120 million kilograms each year.

07:17I mean, the city,

07:18you can see it there on the horizon.

07:20That's how close we are,

07:20but you feel like you're in another world here.

07:22It's a privilege

07:23to have this so close to the city.

07:25We're very lucky.

07:26A lot of visitors to Valencia,

07:27they miss it

07:27because they're concentrating on the city,

07:30but this is such a hidden gem.

07:31You can come,

07:31you can have lunch

07:32or you can just go out on the boats,

07:33you can explore the fields,

07:35you can visit the historic buildings.

07:36There's so much to do here.

07:38It's hard to believe

07:39this peaceful place

07:40is so close to the city.

07:41You can see why locals love to come here

07:44and enjoy the beautiful nature.

07:46It's truly stunning.

07:48Close by,

07:49in the nearby village of El Palma,

07:51Ian has arranged for us

07:53to try authentic paella,

07:54the dish that made Valencia world famous.

07:58So here we have chicken.

08:01We've got chicken,

08:02we've got rabbits

08:02and the snails in there as well.

08:05This is a real Valencian paella.

08:08The rice is from the fields out there.

08:10This dish is a symbol of Valencia's identity,

08:13simple ingredients brought together

08:15to create something truly iconic and delicious.

08:21Just an hour from Valencia,

08:23tucked away in the mountains,

08:25is the beautiful village of Chulilla.

08:27With its whitewashed houses

08:29and terracotta rooftops,

08:31this village looks like something

08:33straight out of a postcard.

08:35It's quiet, peaceful

08:36and full of charm.

08:38The perfect place to wander and explore.

08:41Walking through Chulilla,

08:43you really feel like you're stepping back in time.

08:46The old narrow streets,

08:48the incredible buildings

08:49and the jaw-dropping views.

08:52You can really see why people love this place.

08:56Today I'm meeting Dimitri Blatov,

08:59a local resident and founder

09:01of Valencia Mountain Enthusiast.

09:03He's going to show me

09:04some of the best spots around Chulilla.

09:08Dimitri has been living here

09:09for over seven years,

09:11long enough to know

09:12every hidden area

09:13and quiet street in the village.

09:16Chulilla sits roughly

09:17400 metres above sea level

09:19and has just a few hundred inhabitants.

09:23At its peak,

09:24it's the village's most historic site,

09:26known locally as the Arabic Castle.

09:28So here we are

09:29in the incredible castle walls.

09:31Can you tell me a little bit

09:32about the history?

09:33Yeah, so the town,

09:35the village,

09:36the castle,

09:36date back to 13th century.

09:38So it's more than 800 years old.

09:41And this was protecting the village, right?

09:43Yeah, so the main role of the castle

09:46was a defensive fortress

09:47to protect the people living here

09:49and later the village itself.

09:52The fortification was originally constructed

09:54during Spain's Islamic period,

09:57when this whole area

09:58was part of Al-Andalus.

10:00Today, only parts of the old fortress remain,

10:03but you can still feel the history around you.

10:06After scaling the heights of the mountain,

10:09it's time to head down towards the river

10:11and these winding stairs

10:13are not for the faint-hearted.

10:16This is Chulilla's most famous hiking route,

10:19a trail that crosses a series

10:20of suspension bridges

10:22high above the canyon.

10:23I do have a fear of heights,

10:26but today I'm facing my fears.

10:29This area has become a favourite

10:31for adventurers,

10:32hikers and climbers

10:33from around the world.

10:35The river here flows all the way to Valencia

10:38and out to the Mediterranean Sea.

10:41Over the years,

10:42it's shaped this spectacular canyon.

10:43The path continues down through the gorge.

10:47We pass old walkways

10:49and river branches

10:50and eventually under a natural rock arch.

10:53Fascinating sights

10:54that make this trail so unique.

10:57A little further on

10:58is a stunning Blue Lagoon,

11:00the perfect place to swim in the summer.

11:03So this is the Blue Lagoon.

11:05It is indeed.

11:06Charco Azul, it's called.

11:08You see that there's a dam behind us,

11:09that's a Moorish dam

11:11built back in 12th century

11:13and the Arabic word for dam is azut.

11:17So the name comes for Charco Azut.

11:20Later, people started calling it Charco Azul,

11:22referring to the colour of the water.

11:24So it changed over time.

11:26Fed by natural springs

11:28and surrounded by mountains,

11:30this lagoon is one of Valencia's

11:32most beautiful spots.

11:35What an incredible way to end my journey

11:38with breathtaking views like this.

11:41Valencia truly doesn't disappoint.

11:44From its incredible food and culture

11:46to hidden gems like this,

11:48I'll definitely be coming back.

11:50And as they say in Valencia,

11:52hasta la próxima.

11:54Until next time.

Grand Voyager | Exploring Valencia

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