A comprehensive Valencia neighbourhood guide: Where to live

Discover the 6 best neighbourhoods in Valencia and find out which one is the best based on quality of life, safety and suitability for internationals.

Yordan

4 minute read

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Updated on 12 Aug 2024

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Living

Located on Spain’s east coast and known for its perpetual sunshine, Valencia’s neighbourhoods are breathtaking.

No wonder it ranks as one of the best cities to live in Spain. Each of Valencia’s neighbourhoods has its unique vibe. No doubt, choosing the best neighbourhood in Valencia truly is a challenge!

We have explored 3 factors of the best 6 Valencian neighbourhoods in-depth:

• Quality of Life
• Internationality
• Safety

The El Carmen neighbourhood is the most popular area of the Ciutat Vella district of Valencia. It’s exactly where the city centre of Valencia once used to be! This explains the historic buildings, some of which on the UNESCO world heritage list.

Despite getting modernised over the past 10 years, El Carmen has solidified itself as one of the most lively and trendy old neighbourhoods for tourists to visit in Europe.

That, of course, doesn’t come as a surprise. But what is it like to make El Carmen your permanent home? Find out below!

1. Quality of Life

El Carmen is the old medieval centre of Valencia. The neighbourhood is lively thanks to the many restaurants and dance cafes in the area.

The narrow historical streets have their walls covered in art made by local creators, making up for a funky vibe. Being such an active area, El Carmen attracts many young people each year.

But, the plenty of restaurants, clubs and bars result in many of the streets being loud at night. Prepare yourself to experience Valencia's vibrant nightlife when moving to El Carmen.

Good news: some smaller streets aren’t that popular, which means that they are more tranquil than the rest of the area.

The narrow streets imply that buildings are close to each other. As a result, lower floors get little to no sunlight, making the apartments chilly during the winter months. Keep in mind to look for options on the higher floors in your search for accommodation.

Being at the heart of the city, El Carmen is a wonderful destination for sightseeing. Yet, you shouldn’t expect to find many supermarkets and similar conveniences.

2. Internationality

El Carmen’s charming streets are attractive to internationals from all over the world. Living here, you won’t feel like an imposter in this internationally popular neighbourhood.

3. Safety

Despite the neighbourhood’s liveliness, El Carmen rarely presents its residents with safety concerns. Of course, depending on where you’re moving from, you may have to adjust to the environment.

Located 5km away from the city centre, El Cabanyal is comprised of 3 areas. The area used to be mainly populated by fishermen.

1. Quality of Life

After a period of dispute between the locals and authorities, El Cabanyal ended up as a protected historical zone. Most houses in the area are renovated old fishermen’s huts, contributing to a one of a kind living experience.

As El Cabanyal is less touristy than other neighbourhoods in Valencia, it’s not as commercialised. Yet, this is going to change in the coming years! The abandoned industrial facilities in the area are being repurposed to become cultural venues.

Being near the beach, El Cabanyal is a great option for those who want to live near the sea. Yet, one thing to keep in mind is that the beach becomes deserted during the winter months. This means that you’d have to get to the city centre if you want to enjoy the company of a crowd.

2. Internationality

As an up and coming area of the city, El Cabanyal has become a housing hotspot for ex-pats from all age groups. Especially the ones who have embraced the digital nomad lifestyle. You are not going to feel out of place as an international here!

3. Safety

El Cabanyal is a safe neighbourhood overall but it's more prone to crime than the others we mention. Make sure to be on alert at night.

Until 1972, Benimaclet was a separate municipality. Little surprise, the district has maintained its quiet, small-town life ambience until today.

1. Quality of Life

Benimaclet is unparalleled in its uniqueness when compared to the other neighbourhoods in Valencia. Despite being part of the 3rd-largest city in Spain, it’s the type of neighbourhood where everyone knows each other.

Benimaclet is home to several universities in Valencia and is well connected to the city centre with public transport and the Valencia airport. The neighbourhood also provides plenty of options for entertainment that you can make use of.

2. Internationality

Although Benimaclet has managed to keep its culture virtually intact, it favours an international environment. Besides the locals, there are many newly arrived expats, international and local students.

3. Safety

Benimaclet ranks as one of the safer neighbourhoods in Valencia.

Though Cánovas & Mercado de Colón are two independent neighbourhoods, they are close to each other and share a lot of common traits.

1. Quality of Life

The 2 neighbourhoods form the more affluent part of central Valencia. You can expect to come across more higher-end shops and restaurants than in the rest of Valencia.

Although this part of the city is the most upscale area of the city, you can still find a good deal of inexpensive accommodation.

With the proximity of the area to the city centre, Turia park and the plenty of public transportation, you’ll feel at home in no time!

2. Internationality

Like most central areas of popular European cities, the Cánovas & Mercado de Colón Area are home to a wide array of cultures.

3. Safety

The Cánovas & Mercado de Colón Area rank as one of the safer areas in Valencia.

Mestalla is located just east of the city centre of Valencia.

1. Quality of Life

Mestalla is calmer than the other neighbourhoods in Valencia and the cost of living is much lower.

Good news: Mestalla is within biking or walking distance from the city centre and the beach. Besides that, the area is well connected to the rest of the city via a good public transport network.

2. Internationality

Its affordable living and tranquillity make Mestalla attractive to locals and internationals alike.

3. Safety

Based on its proximity to the city centre, Mestalla is one of the safer areas of Valencia.

You want to soak up the buzz of Valencia? Dive into the bustling life between historic old buildings and vivid bars in El Carmen.

On the fast track? The up-and-coming area of El Cabanyal, near the beach, is your match made in heaven.

Benimaclet gives you that small-town feel in Spain's 3rd-largest city.

If you are looking to set anchor in a central, up-town and trendy area, the Cánovas & Mercado de Colón Area is your best choice.

For an affordable and tranquil living experience without sacrificing access to the vibrant city centre, the exploring homes for rent in Valencia's Mestalla neighbourhood is the place to be for you!

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