Valencia, Spain, is getting ready to host the 2026 Gay Games and tourism boosters are already preparing to put the city’s best face forward with the hopes of converting some of the estimated 8,000-12,000 attendees to return again and again. For LGBTQ+ visitors the city has it all, from world-class beaches, nightlife and restaurants to centuries-old culture and history.
Gay Games run June 27-July 4. June through August are the busiest times for tourism to Valencia. That’s when Europeans flock to the city to take advantage of warm sunny days and twilight nights, when the sun doesn’t set until about 9:30 p.m. and even then Valencia doesn’t really get dark for another hour.
The Gay Games includes 33 venues, 22 of which are government-owned, and all but a handful are in the city limits. Besides the competitions themselves, Gay Games host a number of social gatherings and the Gay Games Village, similar to the Olympic Village, will be located in the expansive grounds of the modern and iconic Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias buildings.
Getting around
If you plan on going to Valencia, don’t rent a car. It’s not worth the hassle of traffic and finding a place to park. The city center is just an 18-minute ride on the Metro from the Valencia airport. Download the app for the city’s bike sharing program (www.valenbisi.es) before you go or plan to take public transit to get around. You can tap your credit credit card to pay or buy a tourist card ahead of time. Uber works in Valencia but if you are coming to or from a major event, it could be challenging to find one.
If you want to fly into Barcelona or Madrid and combine two cities in one trip, Valencia is about a 1.5 hour high speed train ride from Madrid and 2.5 hours from Barcelona. Level Airlines, the sister company to Iberia Airlines, has some great deals flying into Barcelona from several cities in the U.S. If you can get a good deal with Level, it may be worth it to fly into Barcelona and take the train from the heart of downtown Barcelona to downtown Valencia.
A center of history
With a population of nearly 800,000, Valencia is Spain’s third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona. It was there, in 1488, that Christopher Columbus first approached Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to ask for Spain’s backing to find a new route to Asia. Portugal had already turned him down, but by 1492 the Spanish royals were more receptive to Columbus’s sales pitch.
At that time, Spain was finally overcoming centuries of Muslim domination. Feeling more optimistic about their country’s future Isabella and Ferdinand green-lit Columbus’s famed 1492 journey. It all began in Valencia.
What to see
Modern times saw the beautification of the city following the flood of 1957 that took at least 81 lives. The city decided to divert the river so it flowed outside of the downtown area.
Almost 12 miles of the old riverbed were transformed into parkland with the crown jewels being the aforementioned Ciudad de las Artes (City of Arts and Sciences) buildings that look a little like the Sydney Opera House. The sprawling and stunning complex first began construction in 1996. It is made up of six unique buildings including a hands-on science museum, concert hall and Europe’s largest aquarium.
A little further down the riverbed, you will find the Gulliver playground, built to resemble the storybook Gulliver being held down by ropes. The kids get to play the Lilliputians as they climb and slide over Gulliver.
The historic center of Valencia used to be surrounded by a wall. Two ornate massive entry gates remain and have become very popular tourist attractions. The Torres de Quart offers great views of the old city and the new riverbed park. The other gate tower, Torres de Serranos, offers similar views. The gates were sometimes used as jails and the bell on the side of the gates was used to signal when a prisoner escaped. The Serranos tower was used to hide and protect art during the Spanish civil war.
Valencia’s main cathedral, Catedral de Valencia, has the so-called Holy Grail, a chalice that may have been used by Jesus in the last supper. The cup dates back to Jesus’s time. Jewels were added to the bottom of the cup. That opulence wouldn’t have been characteristic of Jesus’s life as a humble carpenter. Just a short walk away from the cathedral is the Iglesia de San Nicolas, sometimes called Spain’s Sistine Chapel with its meticulously restored ceiling paintings.
Mercado Central is a nearly 100-year old indoor market in the heart of the old town and is jam-packed with stands selling locally produced and harvested fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. It is the very traditional way the Spanish bought what they needed in the days before refrigeration, so freshness had to be a priority.
Nightlife
The gay-popular Russafa neighborhood is adjacent to the historical old town. It’s packed with bars and restaurants. Some could be considered gay-friendly while others hetero-friendly. The bars and businesses come alive starting around 7 p.m. and many keep going well into the morning while they still have customers. The nearby main street, Gran Via, hosts larger disco dance spaces.
Some of the more gay-popular bars include La Bella de Cadiz, Franky Four Fingers, Comics, and La Boba y El Gato Rancio in Russafa, the cruise bar Homens (close to the central station), El Cafetin and Trapezzio in El Carmen (downtown), and The Muse, the stop before Deseo 54, the popular weekend gay disco that doesn’t open until 1 a.m. They keep the party going until 7:30 a.m.
Gay-owned Cafe de Las Horas in Old Town is known for its striking red Victorian decor. Try Valencia’s signature drink there, Agua de Valencia made with orange juice, cava and sometimes gin. You will see piles of oranges all over the bar. Valencia oranges, by the way, are named after the city. Valencia has adopted oranges as one of the symbols of the city and you will see it on buildings and signs throughout the region.
Daylife
The northern end of the Playa de la Malvarrosa is the most popular of Valencia’s beaches overall. The main gay beach is south of Valencia in La Albufera region. It’s called Playa de l’Arbre del Gos. It is clothing optional and frequented by men and women. It is between the El Saler and Pinedo beaches. Look for a large abandoned chimney stack. Buses 14 and 15 go to Pinedo beach and you can walk from there. Or the 25 bus stops at El Saler beach on the other side.
A good way to get the lay of the land is by doing a bicycle tour. Valencia is flat and has bike trails everywhere. A walking tour of downtown Valencia is also worth doing. A number of companies offer the tours. Some offer free tours and make money on tips.
Valencia is an affordable city compared to US standards. Spain is not a tipping country and tax is usually included in the final price, so the price you see is the price you will pay. You can get a light breakfast for $5 or lunch or dinner for less than $15 out the door. By the way, the Spanish generally eat a very light breakfast. Sometimes toast with tomato sauce or olive oil. The biggest meal is a late lunch at around 2 or 3 p.m. Dinner seldom happens before 9 but is usually very light.
If you travel to Valencia between now and when the Gay Games start in June, you will see signs all over the city boasting of its host city status. Valencia is sponsoring billboards announcing the LGBTQ+ competition. The city government also strongly supports the Games, which they hope will be an economic boost to the city.