Valencia & Murcia

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Valencia & Murcia

Includes  Why Go? Valencia...... 729 Principal settlement in the region and an utterly addictive La Albufera . . . . . 747 city, Valencia exudes confidence. Its sophisticated cultural Requena...... 748 scene, kicking nightlife, quality museums, great restaurants, Sagunto...... 749 understated beach and stunning Modernista and contem- porary architecture make it one of the peninsula’s real jew- Benicàssim . . . . . 749 els. Throughout this sun-bathed coastal pleasure-ground, a Peñíscola . . . . . 750 wealth of festivals awaits you, whether you fancy top-notch El Maestrazgo. . . . 751 rock music at Benicàssim, hooded processions and friendly Costa Blanca. . . . .753 rivalry at Lorca’s Semana Santa, re-enactments of Recon- Murcia ...... 766 quista battles in the numerous Moros y Cristianos festivals or one of the world’s biggest food fights at La Tomatina. Cartagena...... 770 While some of the coastal resorts – hello Benidorm! – are Lorca...... 773 notoriously overdeveloped, there are plenty of places to explore that aren’t. The ancient port of Cartagena has a magnificent array of Roman and Carthaginian ruins, while Murcia is a buzzy regional capital where there’s not a fried Best Places to Eat breakfast in sight. ¨¨Quique Dacosta (p755) ¨¨El Poblet (p743) When to Go ¨¨Navarro (p743) Valencia City ¨¨Daluan (p753) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall Inches/mm 40/104 8/200 ¨¨Cervecería Sento (p760) ¨¨El Granaino (p765) 30/86 6/150

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Best Places 10/50 2/50 to Sleep 0/32 0 J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Caro Hotel (p741) ¨¨Cases Noves (p763) Mar Las Fallas, Aug Paint the Oct The sea’s still ¨¨Hotel Chamarel (p754) Valencia’s wild town red at just about swim- spring festival, Buñol’s tomato mable, there’s ¨¨Villa Venecia (p757) brings some two fight, then hit decent weather ¨¨Mont Sant (p762) million visitors to the coast’s lively but far fewer town. nightlife scene. people. #\

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