Spot a tourist paella before you sit down

Caro Hotel, a five-star stay in the Seu-Xerea quarter, sits in two historic buildings and a stretch of the old Arab city wall runs through it. Rooms are individually designed, and the site carries layers from Roman to Gothic times. It is a short walk from the cathedral. Book direct and ask for a room that shows the…

Corpus Christi is one of Valencia's oldest festivals, with a first procession recorded in 1355. It falls 64 days after Easter, on a Sunday in late spring or early summer. At midday there is the Cavalcada del Convit, in the afternoon the horse-drawn rocas, and in the evening the procession with petals from the…

Jimmy Glass has run on Calle Baja in El Carmen since 1991 and is a dedicated jazz room, not a bar with the odd gig. Live sets with local and visiting players are listed through the year. Reserve ahead, because seats are given in order of booking, and check the current programme online. Go for the music, and stay for a…

Valencia's regional day on 9 October starts with a civic procession at midday, following the Reial Senyera from the town hall to the Jaume I statue, and ends with a mascletà in the square. It is also Saint Dionysius, the day of Valencian lovers, when pastry shop windows fill with the mocadorà, marzipan fruits wrapped…

Valencia loves its wind bands, and the Banda Sinfónica Municipal plays a series of outdoor concerts in the Jardines del Palau de la Música in June. They have been on Thursday evenings at 20:15, with programmes from film music to zarzuela and tango. Entry is free until the garden is full, so arrive early and bring a…

The Rastro is Valencia's big Sunday flea market, with hundreds of stalls of second-hand clothes, antiques, books, collectibles and furniture. It sits near the Beteró metro stop at the avenida de los Naranjos, close to El Cabanyal, and it closes at 14:00, so go in the morning. Bring cash, and combine it with a stroll…

The Mercado de Ruzafa is a neighbourhood market with more than 160 stalls, mostly local produce, fish, pickles, salted goods and huerta vegetables. It is quieter than the Central Market and closed on Sundays, so go on a weekday morning. The market has been running shorter hours while energy-efficiency works last, so…

The medieval Serranos Towers were the city's main gate, and their top terraces look over the old town and the Turia garden. Go late in the afternoon for softer light, but check the hours because last entry is half an hour before closing and Sundays end early. Rain, fog or strong wind can limit the climb, and the…