As I strolled through the Gothic cathedral with the audioguide to my ear, my thoughts began to wander. It was late afternoon in the third city of my European trip, and I was in awe when I first stepped inside the building, just another church in the heart of yet another historic city. At this point, I was mechanically playing the role of tourist, letting my intuition guide me. I snapped a few photos of an ornate side chapel that caught my eye and headed for the exit.
But two words on the audio guide made me take notice. I hit the rewind button. No way. But apparently, without doing anything, I'd stumbled upon what archaeologists believe to be the actual Holy Grail: the gold chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper.
By pure luck: without any effort, without even realizing that I was in the city in which it was kept, I stumbled upon the elusive relic of legend here in the Cathedral of Valencia.
In fact, Valencia, Spain, may very well be the Holy Grail of travel destinations. While many destinations tout something for everyone and a little bit of everything, Spain's third-largest metropolis actually offers multiple types of getaways in one place. And that serendipitous discovery was just the beginning of a series of delights for me.
Right in the heart of the historic city
El Miguelete is the bell tower of Valencia Cathedral in Valencia, Spain.
Rachel Chan/Travel + Leisure
Home to Romans, Visigoths and Muslims, Valencia's Old Town is packed with more than 2,000 years of history, dating back to 130 BC. But what makes the city so fascinating is also its sheer size: it's one of the largest historic centres in Europe.
As well as stumbling upon the Holy Grail in the cathedral, I climbed the 207 spiral steps to the Gothic El Miguelete Tower, built between 1381 and 1424. The panoramic views from beneath its still-ringing bells testify to the enormity of the old town and the endless expanse of the maze of winding streets below.
Since returning to ground, I've made several visits to Mercado Central de Valencia, the largest fresh produce market in Europe, where I sampled everything from wine and cheese to Spain's famous cold cuts. But the most delicious treat was the most local of all: Valencian horchata, made with tiger nuts and slightly sweet and refreshing.
I was passing through Plaza de la Virgen just after midday on a Thursday when I stumbled upon the Water Court (Tribunal de las Aguas), a tradition that's been going on for more than 1,000 years. In the outdoor hearings, democratically elected peasants sit in 17th-century chairs to pass judgement. When an official spotted me, a curious tourist, he invited me to sit in the historic chair for a photo and then introduced me to the court's bailiff.
A glimpse into the future
The exterior of the Queen Sofia Palace of Arts in Valencia, Spain, designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Rachel Chan/Travel + Leisure
Just a few kilometres to the southeast, time leaps forward into the future at the City of Arts and Sciences, a futuristic complex designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and built along the old bed of the Turia river, breathing new and innovative life into the centre of Valencia.
Hemisféric was the first to open in 1998 and features a convex building representing an eye that acts as a 3D theatre with a concave screen. The area is also home to the continent's largest aquarium, the Oceanografic, an interactive science museum and performance venue, Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts, Lumbracle Terraza, an open-access garden, and Caixaforum Valencia, dedicated to exhibitions combining history, art, science and technology.
Exploring each place is a different cultural experience, but simply walking or even biking through the City of Arts and Sciences feels like taking a trip to the future.
Mediterranean beach holidays
Sunset on a sandy beach in Valencia, Spain.
Rachel Chan/Travel + Leisure
When one thinks of discovering millennia-old cities of the past and future, nothing seems more remote than sunbathing on a sandy beach. Yet a 20-minute train ride (you could also take a 10-minute car) transported me to the most extensive beach on Spain's Mediterranean coast.
In fact, Valencia has over 12 miles of golden beaches, with some particularly striking wide expanses of sand at Cabanyar and Malvarrosa beaches. The promenade between the two beaches is a sophisticated promenade with a mix of boutiques, gift shops and charming cafés, enticing visitors with local cuisine.
But this is more than just a city beach: there are plenty of water sports facilities, the biggest of which is the Beach Volleyball Complex and Malvarrosa Reef.
Nature, brutalism and innovative cultural discoveries
Residencial “Espai Verdo” is an apartment building designed by Antonio Cortés Ferrando in Valencia, Spain.
Rachel Chan/Travel + Leisure
One of the first things you'll learn about Valencia is that it's the birthplace of paella. What you might not expect is that it's located in the Albufera Natural Park. Just six miles south of the city, you'll discover the city's other side: a relaxing natural haven surrounding a huge freshwater lagoon. Home to more than 300 bird species, the Raco de Roja Interpretation Centre offers overviews and observation decks. To experience the quintessential Albufera experience, book a boat tour and paella tour.
Also adding to Valencia's character are Espai Verde, an MC Escher-esque brutalist apartment complex built by Antonio Cortés Ferrando in the early 1990s, and Bomba Gens, a digital arts centre housed in a former Art Deco factory in the city's burgeoning arts district, Marxarenes.
Underlying all this is the city's smarts, rooted in a dedication to sustainability and digitalisation, which earned it the title of European Smart Tourism Capital two years ago. Madrid and Barcelona may be Spain's flagship tourist destinations, but Valencia offers all kinds of holidays, with far fewer crowds.
