Beach
Playa de la Malvarrosa
in Valencia, Spain
Valencia's iconic city beach, wide and lined with cafés and paella restaurants; the quieter northern stretch is a known gathering spot for gay locals.
Where it is
In the seaside district of Cabanyal-Malva-rosa, about 4 km north-east of the centre and easily reached by tram.
Address: Poblats Marítims, Valencia
What it is
Valencia's best-known city beach: a wide strip of fine sand with a long promenade full of restaurants and beach bars, where you can eat the classic paella by the sea. Lively and family-friendly, often busy in summer, with water sports and a long walkway.
History
The beach owes its name to the gardener Félix Robillard, who drained the marshy land from 1848 and planted, among other things, pink mallows (malva rosa). In the early 20th century it became the summer resort of the Valencian middle class; the painter Joaquín Sorolla captured its light in many works.