City of Arts and Sciences: Valencia's Selfie Spot Supreme

When we moved to Valencia in 2008, the City of Arts and Sciences was already the city’s most famous landmark. We’ve seen it grow a little – the Assut de l’Or Bridge and the Àgora were inaugurated in 2008 and 2009 respectively – but for the most part, the City has stayed the same; a gleaming, futuristic magnet for selfie-takers and aficionados of wild architecture.

City of Arts and Sciences

The change we’ve really noticed throughout the years, has been the increase of visitors. Back in 2008, this complex often felt like a ghost town; it was far away from other sights, and Valencia itself simply didn’t attract many tourists. But that’s changed. Now, there are rows and rows of buses parked outside the complex every day, and especially if cruise ships are in town, the number of people touring the CAC (as it’s often abbreviated) can be overwhelming.

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But despite the suffocating crowds, we’ve not lost any of our initial love for the place. The City of Arts and Sciences still strikes us as utterly audacious, and we continue to return regularly, usually in the mornings or at sunset, when the crowds have subsided somewhat.

Two Parakeets

Foreign humans aren’t the only ones who have been descending upon Valencia in unbelievable droves. So have the parakeets. Back when we were new in the city, we would notice these green fellows once in awhile. Maybe once a week. But these days, there are huge swarms everywhere you look. It’s probably not something to celebrate – they are an invasive species run amok. But they’re a really cute invasive species, and fun to watch. Great locations to spot them are at the Turia River Park or the Viveros Gardens (opens in a new tab).

Valencia spoils photographers like me. I’m never bored in this city, and never run out of things to shoot. There’s always some kind of event going on, the sunsets are beautiful, the buildings impressive, and the famous Mediterranean light that bathes everything in a soft glow is as much an inspiration to me, as it was to Joaquin Sorrolla. Sometimes I think about leaving my camera at home, because I’ve already got enough pictures of Valencia, but I always end up taking it anyway – this city is full of surprises, and you never know when you’re going to encounter something amazing.