Valencia may have hit the headlines for flooding but a warm welcome awaits visitors

In the days and weeks following the cataclysmic flooding that overwhelmed so many of Valencia’s suburbs, a grim reminder of nature’s power was visible to motorists who, understandably, sought to give the city a wide berth.

From the hills above, where the orbital motorway affords a route around the city to the west, hundreds of abandoned cars could be seen, caked in mud, left in a kind of halfway scrapyard by the emergency services.

To many observers, who’d seen nightly reports recounting the effects of a year’s worth of rain which fell in just one day, leaving 224 dead, it must have seemed as if Valencia, too, had been washed away. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While it’s true that many of the suburbs affected by the storms are still recovering, the heart of the city – a surprisingly large but accessible cultural, commercial and residential complex – emerged from the deluge relatively unscathed.

For this, Valencianos have the government to thank. In October 1957, 81 people died when the banks of the Turia river overflowed after days of torrential rain. In the chaos, water, gas and electricity supplies were cut off, whole districts were marooned and around 8,500 homes were destroyed.

As a consequence, the government approved the Plan Sur, rerouting the problematic Turia river three kilometres from its original course. This measure had two main consequences – solving the city centre’s flooding problem, and creating a fabulous park and six-mile promenade on the now dry river bed.

Today, these green lungs have given new life to Spain’s third largest city. At their southern end lies the Science Park, undoubtedly the most futuristic collection of buildings anywhere in Europe. Comprising a science museum, an IMAX cinema and a giant SeaWorld-style aquarium, it has been used as the backdrop to a number of sci-fi productions including Tomorrowland and even an episode of Doctor Who.

Walking around its impressive and imposing grounds, dwarfed by the visionary buildings, it’s hard to believe one of Europe’s most historic and best-preserved cities is just a pleasant stroll away, along the former route of the Turia.

On our visit, we saw roller-bladers, electric scooter riders and cyclists co-exist happily with lovers strolling hand-in-hand in the warm sunshine, stopping to smile at the playgrounds, bandstands and open-air cafes along the route that leads you gently into the heart of the old town.

Here, you’re spoilt for choice. Do you shop in the chic shopping quarter, with its high-end boutiques and big-name brands, or disappear into the maze of narrow streets where ancient, impeccably preserved churches and the cathedral await, with their golden artefacts and, so it is claimed, the real Holy Grail?

We chose a more secular delight – the Central Market, a bustling, pounding collection of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish stalls that is hailed as the largest fresh produce market in Europe. Certainly, you could easily spend half a day wandering around, marvelling at the array and diversity of what’s on offer. Don’t leave, though, without sampling two of Valencia’s most famous products – horchata, and paella.

Horchata is a drink made with soaked, ground and sweetened tiger nuts. Like many local delicacies found throughout Europe, this is not for everyone. It’s best drunk cold, to mask the slightly sickly taste. The paella, though, found throughout the city bubbling away in their giant pans, is far more appetizing. Invented in Valencia, locals will argue that you haven’t tasted the real paella until you’ve eaten the rabbit version from one of the market vendors.

Science, culture, religion, history. It’s all here in Valencia, but as the Mediterranean’s largest port, it also boasts a wonderful coastline and just a half-hour’s cycle south from the cruise liners and the container ships, along a dedicated and flat path, you’ll find Pinedo, a charming little beach village where a thin forest of pines divides the surf shops, the campsites and the rough and ready café bars from the white sands and the impossibly blue sea.

There are car parks here, too, if you’ve driven here (all free, of course) and it would be a shame not to spend a day lounging on the beach or frolicking in the gentle surf to ensure you get the whole Valencia experience.

Tourism since the floods is down around 18 per cent but the city is trying hard to attract visitors and is at pains to point out that there is a warm welcome awaiting you here. After a couple of days – the typical city break – you will find its charm has seduced you and you’ll soon be back for more.