{"id":46335,"date":"2023-11-16T17:37:16","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T16:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/?p=46335"},"modified":"2026-09-16T16:18:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T14:18:01","slug":"visit-valencia-central-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/visit-valencia-central-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Valencia Central Market: Our Recommendations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A visit to Valencia\u2019s Central Market<\/strong>\u2014or Mercado Central, as it\u2019s known in Spanish\u2014is a must-see during any stay in the city. This large covered market offers visitors the chance to admire one of Valencia\u2019s most beautiful Modernist buildings while discovering local products. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/visit-valencia-spain\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"7494\">our visit to Valencia<\/a>, we were captivated by its atmosphere, colors, and smells. In this article, we\u2019ll share all our tips for planning your visit, choosing the best time to go, and sampling some local specialties. <\/p>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-ppn-cv-practical-info ppn-practical-block\"><div class=\"ppn-block-title ppn-practical-block__title\">Practical Information for Visiting the Central Market in Valencia<\/div><p class=\"ppn-block-intro\">Everything you need to know to plan your visit.<\/p><div class=\"ppn-practical-list\">\n<article class=\"wp-block-ppn-cv-practical-item ppn-practical-item\" data-icon=\"clock\"><div class=\"ppn-practical-item__label\"><span class=\"ppn-practical-item__icon\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"9\"><\/circle><path d=\"M12 7v6l4 2\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><div class=\"ppn-block-title ppn-practical-item__title\">Hours and Best Time to Visit<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ppn-practical-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open Monday through Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Closed on Sundays and holidays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For a quieter atmosphere, come early in the morning. Avoid waiting until the end of business hours, as some shopkeepers start packing up before closing time. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/article>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"wp-block-ppn-cv-practical-item ppn-practical-item\" data-icon=\"ticket\"><div class=\"ppn-practical-item__label\"><span class=\"ppn-practical-item__icon\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M4 7h16v4a2 2 0 0 0 0 4v4H4v-4a2 2 0 0 0 0-4z\"><\/path><path d=\"M12 8v2M12 14v2\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><div class=\"ppn-block-title ppn-practical-item__title\">Cost and Estimated Time<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ppn-practical-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Admission is free, and no reservation is required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allow about 45 minutes to walk through the aisles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plan on spending about 1 to 1.5 hours if you want to take photos, chat with the shopkeepers, and buy something for lunch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/article>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"wp-block-ppn-cv-practical-item ppn-practical-item\" data-icon=\"pin\"><div class=\"ppn-practical-item__label\"><span class=\"ppn-practical-item__icon\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M20 10c0 5-8 12-8 12S4 15 4 10a8 8 0 1 1 16 0z\"><\/path><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"10\" r=\"2.5\"><\/circle><\/svg><\/span><div class=\"ppn-block-title ppn-practical-item__title\">Address and access<\/div><\/div><div class=\"ppn-practical-item__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Address: Pla\u00e7a de la Ciutat de Bruges, s\/n, 46001 Valencia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The market is located in the historic center, right across from the Loge de la Soie.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>St. Mary&#8217;s Cathedral is located about 400 meters away. The area is easy to explore on foot. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/article>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Modernist Landmark Worth Exploring<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Mercado Central<\/strong> is a true masterpiece of Valencian Modernism. The project, designed by Francesc Gu\u00e0rdia i Vial and Alexandre Soler i March, dates back to 1914. Construction continued until 1928, under the final supervision of Enrique Viedma Vidal, before the market was inaugurated that same year.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once inside, take a moment to look up. The stained-glass windows, mosaics, colorful ceramics, and large metal structure let in plenty of light. Despite the hustle and bustle of the market stalls, the building remains a pleasant place to explore and never feels cramped.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With more than 8,000 m\u00b2, the March\u00e9 Central is one of the largest covered markets in Europe. The architects succeeded in creating a functional space while preserving many details inspired by Valencia\u2019s heritage. We loved strolling around there.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"798\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jkgyr3ddxhi-jpg.webp\" alt=\"Mercado Central Valencia\" class=\"wp-image-45745\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jkgyr3ddxhi-jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jkgyr3ddxhi-jpg-400x266.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jkgyr3ddxhi-512x340.webp 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compared to the other European markets we\u2019ve explored, the one in Valencia stands out for its elegance and lively atmosphere. La Boqueria in Barcelona and the market halls in Budapest each have their own charm, but the Mercado Central offered us a different experience. Its vaults and iron columns rise above our heads, reminiscent of the grand structures of the early 20th century.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to Eat at the March\u00e9 Central in Valence<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As soon as we walked into the market, we were greeted by a riot of colors and scents. Fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish, Spanish cured meats\u2014they were everywhere. Matthieu was beside himself with excitement, because he loves to eat and discover new specialties.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"45740\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ydx1yfjumjg-jpg.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45740\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"969\" data-id=\"45790\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-scaled.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45790\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-scaled.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-400x189.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-1200x568.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-512x242.webp 512w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-768x363.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115144-1536x727.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s the perfect place to discover the local products. Don&#8217;t miss the <strong>Iberian ham<\/strong>, the <strong>olives<\/strong>, and, of course, the <strong>oranges from Valencia<\/strong>. We took the opportunity to grab a quick lunch, along with a small smoothie to recharge. We should have gotten two.   <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Talk with store owners<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What makes the <strong>Mercado Central<\/strong> truly special is also the atmosphere in its aisles. We found the vendors eager to share a cooking tip or explain where their products come from. All you have to do is ask them. Now\u2019s the time to break out your best Spanish.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These interactions add a human touch to the visit\u2014something we particularly appreciate during our travels. It\u2019s also for moments like these that we travel and continue to discover new destinations. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our Tips for Making the Most of Your Visit<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019d especially like to see the market when it\u2019s quiet, we recommend arriving shortly after it opens. We visited between 10 a.m. and noon. This time slot allowed us to enjoy a market that was still quite lively\u2014after the regulars had done their initial shopping but before the market closed. However, it can get much busier on weekends and during peak tourist seasons.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Set aside at least an hour if, like Matthieu, you enjoy browsing all the stalls and sampling a little bit of everything. If you\u2019re short on time, you can also walk through the main aisles in 30 to 45 minutes, but it would be a shame not to take a little food break. <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"2048\" data-id=\"45775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-scaled.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45775\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-scaled.webp 969w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-284x600.webp 284w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-757x1600.webp 757w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-242x512.webp 242w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-568x1200.webp 568w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-768x1623.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115551-727x1536.webp 727w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"969\" data-id=\"45785\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-scaled.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45785\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-scaled.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-400x189.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-1200x568.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-512x242.webp 512w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-768x363.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20211001_115236-1536x727.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to See Around the March\u00e9 Central<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After your visit, continue on foot through the narrow streets of the historic center. You\u2019ll find plenty of caf\u00e9s and restaurants where you can extend your lunch break. We stopped about 100 meters south of the market, in <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/k8LwyRw5mkrCfonY8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a small square with a playground<\/a>. It was the perfect spot to eat and let our daughter swing after a morning of sightseeing.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also easily visit the Loge de la Soie, located right across the street, and then head to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/visit-saint-mary-valencia\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"44616\">Sainte-Marie Cathedral in Valence<\/a>, about 400 meters away. The market, therefore, fits very easily into a day spent exploring the historic center. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can probably tell, we loved this visit, and we highly recommend adding the Central Market to your itinerary. In our opinion, it&#8217;s one of the most impressive markets we&#8217;ve ever visited, both for its architecture and its atmosphere. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feel free to leave us a <strong>quick note<\/strong> below to let us know if you&#8217;re planning this trip, <strong>ask<\/strong> us <strong>any questions you may have<\/strong>, or <strong>share the article<\/strong> on social media. You can also find us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pourquoipasnous_voyage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our Instagram account<\/a>. We&#8217;ll be happy to reply.  <\/p>\n<div style='text-align:right' class='yasr-auto-insert-visitor'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A visit to Valencia\u2019s Central Market\u2014or Mercado Central, as it\u2019s known in Spanish\u2014is a must-see during any stay in the city. This large covered market offers visitors the chance to admire one of Valencia\u2019s most beautiful Modernist buildings while discovering local products. During our visit to Valencia, we were captivated by its atmosphere, colors, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-guide","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ppn_cv_model":"guide","_ppn_cv_presentation":"","_ppn_cv_hero_caption":"","_ppn_cv_brief_title":"","_ppn_cv_brief_title_level":"0","_ppn_cv_brief_item_title_level":"0","_ppn_cv_brief_items":"","_ppn_cv_toc_levels":"h2,h3","_ppn_cv_sidebar_modules":"author","_ppn_cv_sidebar_author_text":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_map_title":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_map_url":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_activities":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_activities_cta_label":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_activities_cta_url":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_stays":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_stays_cta_label":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_stays_cta_url":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_note":"","_ppn_cv_related_ids":"","_ppn_cv_author_text":"","_ppn_cv_sidebar_modules_explicit":true,"_ppn_cv_partnership_enabled":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[124,72,125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spain","category-travel-guides","category-valencia"],"acf":[],"_wp_attached_file":null,"_wp_attachment_image_alt":null,"rank_math_primary_category":"119","rank_math_title":"A Visit to Valencia's Central Market: Our Review and Tips","rank_math_description":"Check out our recommendations for visiting the Central Market in Valencia, one of the city's must-see attractions.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"valencia central market,mercado central valence","yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20221016_164359-scaled.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46335"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85315,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46335\/revisions\/85315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pourquoi-pas-nous.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}