Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain and is the perfect combination of art, culture, nightlife, stunning beaches and the most incredible modern architecture.

The quality of life is renowned as exceptional. Prices are lower across the board than its neighboring cities Madrid and Barcelona, and it is truly such an easy place to be. Distances are never more than 20 minutes tops, whether by car or on foot, which is such a welcome change to rush hour jams and long commutes.

The region’s climate is incredible and even better, Valencia seems to have its own microclimate. It does have the odd tropical-type storm called Gota Fria around October time where it pours for two days consecutively, but 95 percent of the year is sun, sun and yes, more sun! The coldest it gets is in January and February, when temperatures lower to between 10-20°C in the day and a low of 2°C at night. For the rest of the year you can expect to have lunch outside in jeans and a t-shirt and, with this great weather comes the light. The light here is just dazzling, so much so that Instagram has a filter called Valencia and was inspiration for Valencian painter Sorolla’s artwork.

The overall atmosphere is fun, and the people are very warm and open. Valencians are incredibly social and thanks to the great weather, spend a lot of time outdoors together – typically in big groups! Food and drinks-wise, there are more restaurants and bars here than you could ever need and the local food is delicious, easy and cheap.

Last but not least, perhaps the most enjoyable thing about Valencia is the choice of places to visit in the surrounding areas – the nearest beaches are just fifteen minutes away from the city center and there is stunning countryside for hikes and cycling very close by. In just one hour’s drive north you can be in the mountains and ski in the winter, and in just an hour and a half east you can be on some of the most stunning beaches in the Mediterranean.

There’s not a lot to complain about really, however I have found there are some less positive aspects. Firstly, salaries sadly are relatively low and employment opportunities, especially if you don’t speak Spanish are limited. I highly recommend coming to Valencia if you already have employment or you are a business owner looking to continue your work while living here. Dropping everything to come on a whim to Valencia and expecting to find the dream job could be a bit of a disappointment for you.

The other and often very frustrating downside to Spain is the bureaucracy. Everything and anything important from getting your residency and setting up a bank account can be time consuming and quite stressful – a lot of patience is required. I set up Encantada learning from my own experience to help take the stress out of these more painful processes.

Last but not least, the pace of life here is much more relaxed than you might be used to – which is a good thing if you are looking to slow things down a bit. Just be warned, it may take you at least half an hour to buy bread at the bakery because small talk with your local baker is just the done thing here, and the general answer to everything is really is either mañana mañana or poco à poco. 

My incredible experiences in this city have taught me that Valencia is a great place to live and the pros far outweigh the cons. If you are thinking of coming to live here or even visit, please do get in touch with us at Encantada – we will be happy to assist with any questions you might have!