Valencia

Valencia was founded as Valentia Edetanorum by the Romans in 138 BC, but its golden age arrived under Moorish rule, when the city became a centre of learning, agriculture, and hydraulic engineering — the elaborate irrigation system of acequias that still waters the huerta surrounding the city dates to this period. El Cid captured Valencia in 1094 and held it briefly; the definitive Christian reconquest came in 1238 under King Jaume I of Aragon. The legacy of these layered civilisations is woven into the city's fabric: a Gothic cathedral built atop a mosque, which was itself built atop a Roman temple, encapsulates Valencia's palimpsest identity.

Modern Valencia is a city in creative ferment. The City of Arts and Sciences, Santiago Calatrava's futuristic complex of white concrete and glass rising from the drained Turia River bed, has become one of Spain's most recognisable landmarks — its Hemisfèric planetarium, Oceanogràfic aquarium (the largest in Europe), and Príncipe Felipe science museum draw millions annually. The Turia Gardens, a nine-kilometre linear park in the former riverbed, thread through the city with cycling paths and orange groves. The Barrio del Carmen, Valencia's bohemian old quarter, pulses with street art, independent galleries, and bars that don't get going until midnight.

Valencia is, indisputably, the birthplace of paella, and eating it here is both a culinary and cultural event. Authentic paella valenciana features rabbit, chicken, green beans, garrofón (large white lima beans), and snails — never seafood, despite what the rest of the world assumes. For a seafood version, order arroz a banda or arroz negro (blackened with squid ink). The Mercado Central, one of Europe's largest covered markets and an Art Nouveau masterpiece, overflows with tiger nut milk (horchata), cured ham, saffron, and Valencia oranges.

Day trips from Valencia reveal the diversity of the Comunitat Valenciana. The hilltop castle of Xàtiva, birthplace of two Borgia popes, offers panoramic views thirty minutes south. The Albufera Natural Park, a coastal lagoon just ten kilometres away, is the original habitat of paella rice and a birdwatching paradise — sunset boat rides through its reed-fringed waters are magical. The cave paintings of the Valltorta Gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lie ninety minutes north.

Valencia's modern cruise terminal welcomes AIDA, Ambassador Cruise Line, Aurora Expeditions, Azamara, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard, Explora Journeys, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Ponant, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Saga Ocean Cruises, Scenic Ocean Cruises, Seabourn, Silversea, TUI Cruises Mein Schiff, Viking, Virgin Voyages, and Windstar Cruises. Nearby ports include Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, and Cartagena. The best months are April through June and September through October.