Valencia’s coast · Comunitat Valenciana, Spain
Costa de Valencia, Spain: beaches, towns, the Albufera and map
City beaches a tram ride from the old town, rice fields and boats on the Albufera, and long dune beaches down to Gandia and Oliva.
La Malvarrosa, València · Photo: Mihael Grmek, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Costa de Valencia, also written Costa Valencia and sometimes called the Costa Valenciana, is the coast of the province of Valencia in eastern Spain, between the Costa del Azahar to the north and the Costa Blanca to the south. In the middle lies the city of València, with more than three kilometres of beach at El Cabanyal, La Malvarrosa and La Patacona. To the south, the Albufera Natural Park protects 21,120 hectares of lake, rice fields and dunes; beyond it come Cullera, Gandia and the 8.5 km of sand at Oliva. Valencia Airport is about 9 km from the city centre in a straight line.
At a glance
- Where the coast of the province of Valencia, between the Costa del Azahar (Castellón) to the north and the Costa Blanca (Alicante) to the south.
- The Albufera a natural park of 21,120 hectares around Spain’s largest freshwater lake, protected since 1986 and ringed by rice fields.
- On CostaMap 25 coastal town guides, five places on the coast and five campsites on the coast (two inland).
- Airport Valencia (VLC), about 9 km from the city centre in a straight line, with metro lines 3 and 5 into town.
- Warmest and driest July is both the warmest and the driest month (NASA POWER, 2001–2020).
Map of the Costa de Valencia
The map shows the places on the Costa de Valencia that have a CostaMap page, from Sagunto in the north to Gandia in the south, with Xàtiva inland and the campsites over the border in Castellón. Tick a place type to filter it, and click a marker to open the page. The full-screen version is the Costa de Valencia map.
Place type
Area · next level
Coast guideCosta de Valencia
Click a marker to see the place here. Four areas from Sagunto to Oliva, with Xàtiva inland and campsites north into Castellón.
Choose your areaOpen the full Costa de Valencia map →
Choose your area
We split the coast into four areas, from north to south. The choice is mostly between the city, with its beaches a tram ride away, and the quieter beach towns with long dune-backed sands in the south.
Sagunto and the northern beaches
Roman Sagunto above its port, then a run of calm, mostly Blue Flag beaches south towards the city.
- Sagunto – a hilltop castle and a 1st-century Roman theatre, both free to enter, with the quieter beaches of L’Almardà and Corinto below.
- Canet de Berenguer – a single Blue Flag beach, Racó de la Mar, 1,250 m long and backed by a line of dunes.
- Puçol – more than 2 km of Blue Flag coastline with fine sand, calm water and a promenade.
- El Puig de Santa Maria – a Renaissance royal monastery founded by James I, and small beaches sheltered by breakwaters.
València and its city beaches
The city meets the sea at El Cabanyal and La Malvarrosa, a tram ride from the old town.
- Valencia – more than three kilometres of city beach at El Cabanyal, La Malvarrosa and La Patacona, served by metro and tram lines 4, 6 and 8.
- Alboraya – tiger-nut fields for horchata, La Patacona beach and the marina of Port Saplaya.
- Foios – a huerta town north of the city whose beach is now a narrow strip of barely 350 m.
The Albufera, Sueca and Cullera
Rice fields, a freshwater lagoon and 17 km of dune beaches, ending at the castle hill of Cullera.
- Catarroja – one of the quieter places where Albufera boat trips set off, inside the natural park.
- Silla – another quieter starting point for boat trips on the lake, also inside the park.
- Sueca – rice country inside the natural park, with the beaches of El Perelló and Mareny Blau and a paella contest held since 1961.
- Cullera – a castle with a history museum above the town, San Antonio beach of almost 2 km and the mouth of the Júcar.
La Safor: Tavernes, Gandia and Oliva
Long, wide sandy beaches with dunes, the Borgia town of Gandia and the quieter shore of Oliva.
- Tavernes de la Valldigna – about 6 km of beach in three parts, good for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
- Gandia – more than 7 km of coast, the Blue Flag Platja Nord and the Ducal Palace of the Borgias in town.
- Oliva – 8.5 km of fine golden sand and shallow water, with dunes at Rabdells and Aigua Morta.
Inland day trips
These towns are inland, so they are not in the lists above. Ten that combine well with the coast, all reached by train or road from València:
- Xàtiva – a hilltop castle in two parts and the birthplace of two Borgia popes; Cercanías line C2 runs there.
- Requena – an old town, La Villa, with a Jewish quarter and caves below it, in Utiel-Requena wine country.
- Buñol – home of La Tomatina on the last Wednesday of August, on Cercanías line C3.
- Llíria – a UNESCO City of Music with fine Roman mausoleums.
- Alzira – a medieval old town on the Júcar, near the fortified monastery of La Murta.
- Algemesí – a Ribera Alta town known for its UNESCO-listed Mare de Déu de la Salut festival and a free festival museum.
- Carcaixent – an orange route with the Ribera warehouse and Modernist façades, about 40 km from València.
- Chiva – a ruined castle, Sierra de Chiva walks and the El Torico tradition, about 30 km from València.
- L’Eliana – a quiet base on Metrovalencia line 2 with a restored estate tower and walks in the Túria Natural Park.
- Riba-roja de Túria – a castle, a Visigothic-site museum and walks in the Túria Natural Park, west of València.
Towns of the Valencia metropolitan area with their own CostaMap guide: Alfafar and Massanassa (both inside the Albufera Natural Park), Benetússer, Paiporta, Picassent, Mislata, Quart de Poblet, Paterna, Burjassot, Godella and Moncada.
Explore by interest
Six ways into the coast. Each tile opens the part of this guide that covers it.
Best beaches and coves
This is a coast of long, straight sandy beaches rather than coves. Beach flags in the Comunitat Valenciana are green for normal bathing, yellow for caution and red for no swimming (112 Comunitat Valenciana). The selection below is ours, from north to south.
Racó de la Mar
Canet’s only beach is 1,250 m long and 80 m wide, set like a wedge between the beaches of Sagunto with a line of dunes behind it, and listed with Blue Flag status (Comunitat Valenciana).
El Cabanyal, La Malvarrosa, La Patacona
More than three kilometres of golden sand on the city’s seafront, with 32 beach-volleyball courts at La Malvarrosa. Metro and tram lines 4, 6 and 8 run to the beach (Visit València).
El Saler and La Devesa
Inside the natural park: El Saler has 2.6 km of fine sand with natural dunes, and La Devesa, the wildest, 5 km. Pinedo, closer to the city, is the only one of the southern city beaches where pets are allowed (Visit València).
El Perelló and Mareny Blau
El Perelló is 850 m long, and the Garbí wind makes it good for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Mareny de Vilxes, also called Mareny Blau, is 720 m long.
San Antonio and the Júcar mouth
San Antonio, the best known of Cullera’s beaches, is almost 2 km long. North of town, Marenyet runs for almost 2 km to the mouth of the Júcar, and El Faro is a small cove of 100 m beside the cliffs.
Platja Nord and L’Ahuir
Gandia has more than 7 km of coast. Platja Nord is more than 3 km long, and L’Ahuir, at the northern tip next to Xeraco, has a protected ridge of dunes crossed on wooden boardwalks. Both are Blue Flag beaches (Visit Gandia).
Rabdells and Aigua Morta
Oliva has 8.5 km of fine golden sand and shallow water. Rabdells is almost untouched, 1 km long and backed by dunes; Aigua Morta runs for 2,200 m (Valencia Turisme).
Where to stay by town
Stay in València for museums and a city beach without a car, in Sagunto or Canet for a quieter base near the city, and in Cullera, Gandia or Oliva for a beach week.
Sagunto
The castle and Roman theatre above town, and the beaches of Puerto de Sagunto below, with Cercanías trains at the station.
History and a beachCanet de Berenguer
One Blue Flag beach of 1,250 m with dunes behind it, between Sagunto and Puçol.
Families, a quiet beach
València
The old town, the Central Market and the City of Arts and Sciences, with the beach a metro or tram ride away.
A first visit, no car
Cullera
A castle hill above the town, San Antonio beach and the mouth of the Júcar, in one of the Albufera park’s municipalities.
Beach week, castle views
Gandia
More than 7 km of coast and the Ducal Palace of the Borgias in town, at the end of Cercanías line C1.
Long beaches by train
Oliva
8.5 km of shallow, sandy beaches with dunes, the southernmost town in this guide.
Dunes, a slower weekCampsites
Two of the campsites we list through Campcation are by the beaches of La Safor. Distances and places come from the campsites’ map coordinates.
Camping La Naranja
In the Grau i Platja district of Gandia, on the coast of La Safor.
See the campsite →
Camping & Bungalows San Vicente
In Xeraco, north of Gandia, by a beach of 3 km with a ridge of dunes.
See the campsite →Also in Valencia province: Camping La Escalada in the Marxuquera hills of Gandia, and Camping Playamonte inland in Navarrés. Over the border in Castellón, on the Costa del Azahar: Camping Monmar in Moncofa, HolaCamp Chilches at the beach of Xilxes, and Camping Altomira inland in Navajas.
Things to do
Gothic València
Valencia Cathedral was built between the 13th and 15th centuries on the site of a Roman temple that later became a mosque. Since the 15th century it has kept the Holy Chalice in its own chapel, believed to be the cup of the Last Supper. Entry is €12 (€6 reduced); the bell tower, El Miguelete, opens daily 10:00–18:45 (Visit València, checked Oct 2026).
The Serranos Towers, a 14th-century city gate, survived the demolition of the walls in 1865; entry is €2 and free on Sundays. La Lonja, the silk exchange built between 1482 and 1533, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 (UNESCO).
The City of Arts and Sciences
Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences stretches for almost 2 km along the old bed of the Turia: the Oceanogràfic aquarium with nearly 45,000 animals of 500 marine species, the Hemisfèric IMAX cinema and planetarium, an interactive science museum and the Palau de les Arts opera house. Visit València’s ticket shop lists the whole complex from €47.75 (checked Oct 2026).
The Turia Garden, 9 km of park in the former riverbed, leads there from the old town on foot or by bike (Visit València).
Roman Sagunto
Sagunto Castle began as an Iberian settlement and was built up by Romans, Visigoths, Muslims and Christians; it served as a military garrison until the early 20th century. Below it, the Roman theatre dates from the 1st century AD and still hosts performances (Comunitat Valenciana).
The castle, theatre and history museum are free and closed on Mondays; from 15 October they open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–18:00 and Sundays 10:00–14:00 (Sagunto Turismo, checked Oct 2026).
Borgia Gandia
The Ducal Palace of the Borgias is a Gothic palace from the 14th and 15th centuries with later Renaissance and Baroque additions. Nearby stand the Collegiate Basilica of Santa María, the Seu de Gandia, and the archaeological museum MAGa in the 14th-century Sant Marc hospital, with finds from the caves of Bolomor, Parpalló and Les Meravelles (Comunitat Valenciana).
Paella valenciana and horchata
The official recipe uses round rice with the D.O. València label, chicken, rabbit, ferradura green beans, garrofó butter beans and tomato, seasoned with olive oil, saffron, sweet paprika and rosemary; the toasted rice at the bottom of the pan is the socarrat (Visit València). Visit València calls El Palmar, in the Albufera, the birthplace of paella; its other dish is all i pebre, eel stewed with garlic and paprika.
In the city, the Central Market has more than 250 stalls in an Art Nouveau hall and opens Monday to Saturday 07:30–15:00. North of town, the tiger nuts of Alboraya are the base of horchata, a drink with Designation of Origin status (Comunitat Valenciana).
Boats and birds on the Albufera
L’Albufera became a natural park in 1986 and a Ramsar wetland in 1989 (Generalitat Valenciana). More than 300 bird species use it, among them herons, flamingos and cormorants; the Racó de l’Olla centre explains them (Visit València).
Boat trips in the traditional albuferenc boats usually last about 40 minutes and cost €4 to €6, with no booking needed according to the park authority (Albufera Natural Park). Sunset is the most popular time, so Visit València advises booking ahead then. Most boats leave from the Gola de Pujol jetty; El Palmar, El Saler, Catarroja and Silla are quieter.
When to go
Average temperature and rainfall for the model grid point at 39.45, -0.35 (Valencia area), from NASA POWER for 2001–2020. The grid cell averages to 389 m above sea level, so the seafront is likely a little warmer, especially in winter. Read it as a guide to the seasons, not a beach forecast.
July is the warmest and driest month, and September the wettest. Dates for the calendar: the Fallas in València, UNESCO-listed since 2016, with the main days from 15 to 19 March (Visit València); La Tomatina in Buñol on the last Wednesday of August; and the rice harvest around the Albufera, which begins in early September.
Itineraries
Both plans use only places with their own CostaMap page.
Three days
Day 1
Old València
Start the morning in València at the Central Market, more than 250 stalls in an Art Nouveau building; it opens Monday to Saturday from 07:30 and is closed on Sundays. Walk on to the cathedral, built between the 13th and 15th centuries and home to the Holy Chalice; visits start at 10:30 on weekdays, and the Miguelete bell tower opens daily at 10:00. In the afternoon see La Lonja, the Silk Exchange built in the 15th and 16th centuries, and end the day at the Serranos Towers, open until 19:00 Monday to Saturday.
Day 2
The Turia and the beach
Walk or cycle the Turia Garden, a 9 km park in the former bed of the River Turia, to the City of Arts and Sciences, the Santiago Calatrava complex that stretches for almost 2 km; metro line 10 also stops there. Spend the morning in the Oceanogràfic aquarium or the interactive Science Museum, both open from 10:00. In the afternoon take metro line 4, 6 or 8 to La Malvarrosa, part of more than three kilometres of golden sand with El Cabanyal and La Patacona, and stay by the sea for the evening.
Day 3
The Albufera
In the morning take EMT bus 24 from the city centre to El Palmar, a village of canals and rice fields that Visit València calls the birthplace of paella. Boats run throughout the day until sunset: a trip on the lake in a traditional albuferenc usually lasts about 40 minutes, costs €4–6 and needs no booking, and boats also set off from Catarroja. Stay for rice or all i pebre, the local eel stew, at lunch, then spend the afternoon in the pine forest and dunes of La Devesa de El Saler.
Seven days
Days 1–3: as above, based in València.
Day 4
Sagunto
Cercanías lines C5 and C6 stop at Sagunto. In the morning climb to the castle, an Iberian settlement later built up by Romans, Visigoths, Muslims and Christians, then see the Roman Theatre from the 1st century AD, which still hosts performances. Entry is free; both are closed on Mondays and close at 14:00 on Sundays. In the afternoon go down to the coast for El Grau Vell, a fort overlooking the Mediterranean, and end the day on Racó de la Mar, the 1,250 m Blue Flag beach of Canet de Berenguer.
Day 5
Cullera
Line C1 trains from Valencia Nord stop at Cullera, where the station sits beside the N-332, west of the town centre. In the morning climb to the castle, which houses the Municipal History and Archaeology Museum, next to the 19th-century Sanctuary of La Mare de Déu del Castell. Spend the afternoon on San Antonio beach, almost 2 km long, or at El Faro, a 100 m cove beside rocky cliffs. Towards evening head to the mouth of the Júcar, where you can fish or take a boat trip.
Day 6
Gandia and Oliva
Cercanías line C1 runs from Valencia Nord to Gandia. Start the morning at the Ducal Palace of the Borgias, an early Gothic palace from the 14th and 15th centuries, and the Gothic Colegiata, also called the Seu de Gandia. Then visit MAGa, the archaeological museum in the old Sant Marc hospital, with finds from Cova del Parpalló. In the afternoon continue to Oliva, whose beaches of fine golden sand and shallow water stretch for 8.5 km; Rabdells is almost untouched, 1 km long and backed by dunes.
Day 7
Xàtiva
Take Cercanías line C2 from Valencia Nord inland to Xàtiva, the town where two Borgia popes, Callixtus III and Alexander VI, were born. Spend the morning at the castle, a Site of Cultural Interest split into a Lower and an Upper Castle, with Roman and Islamic remains. Head back to València in the afternoon for your flight home from VLC: metro lines 3 and 5 link the city centre with the airport, with trains every 15–20 minutes and a ride of about 20 minutes.
Getting there and around
By air
Valencia Airport (VLC) at Manises is about 9 km from the city centre, 27 km from Sagunto, 41 km from Cullera and 64 km from Gandia in a straight line. Metro lines 3 and 5 run to the centre every 15–20 minutes in about 20 minutes (Visit València). For Oliva, Alicante-Elche (ALC) is about as close, 81 km (coordinates from OurAirports).
By train, tram and bus
Renfe Cercanías runs from Valencia Nord to Gandia (C1), Xàtiva (C2), Buñol (C3) and Castelló (C6); Sagunto station is on C5 and C6 (Renfe). Metro and tram lines 4, 6 and 8 serve the city beaches, and EMT buses 24 and 25 the Albufera.
By car and sea
A car helps for the beaches of Oliva and the inland towns. The port of València has daily ferries to the Balearic Islands and Italy (Visit València).
Practical and safety
- Beach flags: green is normal, yellow means caution (go no deeper than your waist), red means no swimming. Follow the lifeguards and call 112 in an emergency (112 Comunitat Valenciana).
- Jellyfish: rinse a sting with seawater, never fresh water, and cool it for 15 minutes with ice in a bag; do not use ammonia or vinegar (Valencian health service).
- In the Albufera: no fires, dogs on a lead, stay on the marked paths, and no fishing in the lake or the reserve areas (park rules).
- Fire: when the Generalitat declares a wildfire pre-emergency, every kind of fire is banned, even in authorised recreation areas (Generalitat).
- Closed days: Sagunto Castle and its Roman theatre on Mondays, València’s Central Market on Sundays. During the 2026 Fallas, Cercanías trains did not run into Estación del Norte at mascletà time, 13:00–15:00.
FAQ
What is the Costa de Valencia?
The coast of the province of Valencia in eastern Spain, between the Costa del Azahar and the Costa Blanca. This guide covers it from Sagunto in the north to Oliva in the south.
Which are the best beaches on the Costa de Valencia?
For a city beach, La Malvarrosa and La Patacona; for dunes, El Saler and La Devesa in the Albufera park; for a beach week, Platja Nord in Gandia and the 8.5 km of Oliva.
Is there a map of the Costa de Valencia?
Yes. The map above shows every place on the coast with a CostaMap page, and the full-screen version is on the Costa de Valencia map page.
Can I reach the beach from València without a car?
Yes. Metro and tram lines 4, 6 and 8 run to the city beaches, EMT buses 24 and 25 to the Albufera, and Cercanías trains to Sagunto and Gandia.
Where does paella come from?
Visit València calls El Palmar, a village in the Albufera rice fields, the birthplace of paella. The official recipe uses chicken, rabbit, green beans and garrofó, not seafood.
When are the Fallas?
The main days are 15 to 19 March, ending with the burning of the monuments on the night of 19 March. Events start on 1 March, with a mascletà every day at 14:00.
Neighbouring costas
Costa del Azahar
The province of Castellón, north of Sagunto, where three of the campsites on this page are.
Costa del Azahar guide →
Costa Blanca
The province of Alicante, south of Oliva, with Dénia and Xàbia closest and Alicante-Elche airport.
Costa Blanca guide →Sources and freshness
Checked 5 October 2026 · 9 sources Show
Checked 5 October 2026. Official:
- Visit València on the city beaches, the southern beaches, the Turia Garden, the cathedral, the Serranos Towers, the Central Market, the City of Arts and Sciences, the Fallas, the Albufera, El Palmar, paella and the metro
- UNESCO on La Lonja and the Fallas
- Comunitat Valenciana tourism on Sagunto, Racó de la Mar, El Puig, Alboraya, Cullera, El Perelló, Tavernes, Gandia, Oliva and Xàtiva
- Sagunto Turismo
- Puçol Turismo
- Ajuntament de Foios
- Visit Gandia
- Valencia Turisme on Oliva, Sueca and rice
- the Generalitat on the Albufera park, boat trips, park rules, beach safety, jellyfish and fire. Transport: Aena, Renfe Cercanías, Renfe on the 2026 Fallas, ferries, OurAirports for Valencia and Alicante. Where the Costa de Valencia lies: Spanish Wikipedia. Climate: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020. Locations and straight-line distances: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Photo credits · 42 photos from Wikimedia Commons Show
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, not altered except for cropping: La Malvarrosa, València by Mihael Grmek (CC BY-SA 3.0); Sagunto Castle by 19Tarrestnom65 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Seafront, València by Raffaele Nicolussi (CC BY 3.0); L’Albufera by Estroncio (CC BY-SA 3.0); Port of Gandia by velomartinez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Xàtiva Castle by Falk2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); La Malvarrosa, València by Juanedc (CC BY 2.0); La Lonja, València by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA (CC BY 2.0); Central Market, València by Bene Riobó (CC BY-SA 4.0); El Saler and the Albufera by Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez ( Qoan ) (CC BY-SA 3.0); Xàtiva by Sjaak Kempe from Groningen, The Netherlands (CC BY 2.0); Xeraco beach by Gato Preto (CC BY-SA 4.0); Canet d’en Berenguer by Tuquequeviajero (CC BY-SA 3.0); La Patacona, Alboraya by Laayudante (CC BY-SA 4.0); El Saler by Ron Oliver (CC BY-SA 4.0); El Perelló, Sueca by Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Cullera by Alexis Zaytsev (CC BY-SA 4.0); Gandia beach by mfapanoramico (CC BY 3.0); Oliva by ChristofUllrich (CC BY-SA 3.0); Sagunto by 19Tarrestnom65 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Valencia by Américo Toledano (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cullera lighthouse by Alexis Zaytsev (CC BY-SA 4.0); Gandia by Joanbanjo (CC BY-SA 4.0); Oliva by David Adam Kess (CC BY-SA 4.0); Bellreguard beach, La Safor by Constantin Groß (CC BY-SA 3.0); Marjal de la Safor, Xeraco by Fotosluis (CC BY-SA 3.0 es); View from the Serranos Towers, València by Rafa Esteve (CC BY-SA 4.0); City of Arts and Sciences, València by unknown author (CC0) (CC0); Sagunto Castle by Simon Burchell (CC BY-SA 4.0); Palau Ducal, Gandia by Joanbanjo (CC BY-SA 3.0); Paella valenciana, València by Francesc Fort (CC BY-SA 4.0); El Palmar, Albufera by https://www.flickr.com/photos/51470606@N05/ (CC BY 2.0); Plaça de la Mare de Déu, València by Enric (CC BY-SA 4.0); City of Arts and Sciences, València by Maxim Karpinskiy (CC BY-SA 3.0); L’Albufera by Allpe (CC BY 3.0); Sagunto Castle by 19Tarrestnom65 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cullera by Alexis Zaytsev (CC BY-SA 4.0); Port of Gandia by velomartinez (CC BY-SA 3.0); Xàtiva Castle by Simon Burchell (CC BY-SA 4.0); Peñíscola, Costa del Azahar by Jiří Sedláček (CC BY-SA 4.0); Dénia, Costa Blanca by velomartinez (CC BY-SA 3.0).