I believe many people have visited Spain and thought to themselves, “I could live here”. I can 100% relate, as those were my thoughts when I first visited Spain, specifically Barcelona. The vibes, the people, the music on the streets, the sun, the sea, it’s an intoxicating cocktail, in the best sense of the word. A few years later, here I am, living in Valencia for over a year. I will let you know the things I love and things I hate about living in Valencia from my genuine experience. Most of them should be applicable to Spain over all, but some will be specific to the city of Valencia.
Let’s start with the positives.
Things I love about living in Valencia, Spain
The quality of life is amazing
Spain does many things right, but the quality of life has to be the most important aspect of it all. I think very few countries can offer what Spain has to offer.
You can easily access local and fresh produce all year-round. The fruits and vegetables are very tasty. Valencia is surrounded by 120 km2 of fertile fruit and vegetable farms.
Valencia is very walkable and also bikable due to its surface being very flat. This city takes pride in being very pedestrian friendly and also in its 200 km long bike lanes, it’s one of the things I love the most about living in Valencia.
Valencia is also very green, it’s even the European Green Capital 2024., you can find more details here. Valencia offers its residents lots of options for green spaces. The Turia Gardens are like everyone’s backyard. You can practice yoga, you can have a picnic, celebrate a birthday, it has a very welcoming vibe.
Also, if you have kids, you can be sure they will be welcome. Everyone loves kids, they are complimented in public transport, they have little activity tables in pharmacies, you can see them in bars and restaurants with their families even at night and also, there are bars with playgrounds nearby in many places in the city. You can be sure that socializing is a priority in Spain.
The people are nice
I feel like Spain has very welcoming people, they are always ready to chit-chat and help if you have any questions or need some help. Also, they are open-minded and you will feel welcome no matter what.
The climate is very pleasant
The Mediterranean climate has hot summers, but mild winters, which is the perfect mix in my opinion. July and August can get quite hot due to the humidity, but 2 months of high heat are a good compromise for 10 months of overall nice weather. In Valencia, you can sunbathe comfortably between April and October, which is a bliss.
You can sit at terraces all year round
As I previously mentioned, the weather is very nice in Valencia and you can see people sitting at terraces even in winter, especially at lunch time when the sun warms you. I am very grateful for that.
There are plenty of things to do in your free time
In my opinion, this is something unbeateable about living in Valencia and in Spain in general, there is always something going on! A festival, an exhibition, there are shows and you can visit amazing places very easily from wherever in Spain.
The nature is spectacular in Spain, it has long beaches at the sea in the South but also the ocean in the North. Spain is also the second most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland. You can also ski seasonally.
Valencia is nested between the mountains and the sea, making it an ideal city to live for nature lovers. It has many hiking trails and the Valencian Community is the autonomous community with the most blue-flag beaches, meaning the cleanest waters.
Valencia also has Fallas, a glorious festival, filled with fireworks, and celebrations, where the community comes together to celebrate their work. It is usually the thing you either love or hate. Besides Fallas, there are many other occasional festivals, which are very diverse and fun, like the kite festival, wine festival, medieval markets, dance festival, and the list can go on.
Now let’s talk about the uglier parts. Of course the city and the country are not perfect, like nothing ever is. Let’s cover the tougher parts about living here.
Things I hate about living in Valencia, Spain
The job market sucks
The job market is not ideal. It is very hard to find a job as a foreigner in Spain, which is a noteworthy aspect of life in Valencia and Spain in general. Knowing Spanish is very important, as even though a job at an international company may not request it in the job description, a recuiter told me some hiring managers still prefer Spanish speaking people. It makes sense after all.
So, if you believe career is an important pillar in your life, I suggest making a strategic plan. It is definetly not impossible, but you need to be aware that it may take some time. If you work remotely and/or you are a frelancer, registering as an autonomo is a good option that offers you flexibility as well.
Whatever your situation is, make sure you are aware of the situation and make sure you are prepared with patience and some basic Spanish.
The bureaucracy is never ending
Whatever you might need to do, you will need a cita (appointment). The appointments are very hard to get, you need to be at a certain time online to get it, to click constantly, and to have your details ready. It’s a very stressful situation. Also, not always you will have access to all the paperwork needed for a certain procedure, so that is also sometimes a guessing game.
Again, not impossible, but you need some practice to get into the rhythm (and patience as well, if you can see a pattern forming).
The streets can get dirty
This is something I did not expect to find, dog poop, everywhere… It’s very disappointing, to be honest. In Valencia, dog owners are also obligated to clean after the dog’s pee. I am not sure what the problem is, if the penalties are not strong enough, or not enforced, but it’s an embarrassing problem to have. The streets are cleaned regularly though, but in the meantime, some people could use some manners.
Final thoughts
Valencia is an amazing city, I love living in it. The same goes for Spain, the country is incredible, very diverse, with loads to offer! For me personally, the good things outweigh the bad ones. This may not be the case for you necessarily and that’s okay. Every person is different and that is beautiful.
I also wrote a blog post about 10 exciting reasons to move to Valencia, Spain, which you might find interesting.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the things I love and hate about living in Valencia, Spain. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!