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With over 200km of cycle paths and 300 days of balmy sunshine, Valencia is an ideal biking city that’s entirely flat, spanning a grid system with access to coastal boardwalks, expansive boulevards and cinematic nature parks.

Not only that, Valencia’s well-thought-out urban regeneration turned an oft-flooding river into a lush winding park, making for one of Europe’s more unique cycle routes and a fabulous way to wind towards the Mediterranean. In fact, such is Valencia’s progress in continuously adding cycle lanes, green spaces and sustainable transit initiatives that it was awarded the .

So on that note, here are some of the best places to ride in Spain’s third-largest city.

1. Turia Gardens

Best for families

Torres de Serranos to the City of Arts and Sciences; 3.1 miles (5km)

After a devastating flood in 1957 when nearly three-quarters of Valencia was inundated by floodwater, the city diverted the Turia River around its western outskirts to the Mediterranean Sea. The drained riverbed was then converted into a serpentine parkland running for 5.5 miles (9kms) through the city to the space-age City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) complex.

The 14th-century Torres de Serranos towers are a good place to begin a cycle through the Turia Gardens (Jardines del Turia) as they’re near many of the city center bike hire shops, and are an interesting historical sight in their own right. Rolling down the stone ramps, access to the park’s cycle lanes is easy and soon you’ll be gliding past tall palms, bright flowerbeds, angular sculptures, sports fields and languid parks with locals picnicking under the sun.

Look out for the Puente de las Flores on the way south; it’s one of many bridges, but this one is lined by hot pink hanging flowers and makes for a gaudy photo stop. Eventually the bizarre shapes of the City of Arts and Sciences will appear on the horizon, and the pools and promenades flanking the buildings mean there’s ample space to marvel at the architecture. They’re host to some fascinating exhibitions, and there’s the world-class °¿³¦±ð²¹²Ô´Ç²µ°ùà´Ú¾±³¦ zoo just behind which is perfect for families (you can actually see some of the zoo’s multicolored birds from the path behind the enormous curved L’Agora building).

2. Seafront Promenade (Paseo Maritimo)

Best for leisurely coastal rides

Marina to La Patacona; 2.5 miles (4km)

Starting from the extended arm of its marina, Valencia’s beaches sweep north for several kilometres and are 200 yards wide in places. They’re also entirely separate from the city center, so the atmosphere here feels like an escape to an unhurried seaside town.

Look out for the huge crisscrossing flags fluttering outside the marina (one Spanish flag and the other denoting the region of Valencia), as this is the best place to begin a leisurely ride along the palm-fringed boardwalk flanking the beach’s golden sands.

Head north along Playa de las Arenas where some of the busiest hotels and restaurants look out toward the glittering Mediterranean, including the ornately-tiled where writer Ernest Hemingway regularly visited for paella in the 1930s.

This section may involve a bit of slaloming as it’s busy with dawdling tourists, but things ease off a little after turning the right-angled corner up to Playa del Cabanyal. Glide past locals throwing themselves around on the sand playing volleyball, and consider a beer and bocadillo pitstop at the Beachbol bar, where its wooden deck and sun-faded parasols look like they could be basking in the Caribbean.

Continue up to Playa de la Malvarrosa, arguably the most well-known of Valencia’s beaches. Dotted with restaurants, there are rows of handy bike racks behind the palms meaning you can stop if you’d prefer to eat here instead. Bring Valencia’s most relaxed cycle route to an end at the idyllic Playa de la Patacona, where lazy hammocks are available for rent if you want to watch the sun go down in comfort.

Love beaches? Here are the best in Valencia.

3. The Old City

Best for soaking in the sights

Loop starting and ending at Plaza de la Virgin; distances vary

Central Valencia’s old town is a whitewashed collection of medieval cathedrals, lively squares, narrow alleys and handsome boulevards. It’s also where the majority of bike hire shops are. Essentially, it’s a place for an easy-going ride to take in the sights, with no particular route to follow though I’d try to avoid the busy shopping hub of Carrer Colón, and especially the often gridlocked area near Valencia’s Modernista train station (Estación del Norte).

I’d suggest beginning by rolling through the Plaza de la Virgen, with its ornate fountain sculpture watched over by the gothic Catedral de Valencia (the Basilica of the Virgin Cathedral) and the soaring bell tower El Miguelete. Head south beside the cathedral’s imposing walls before emerging into the now fully pedestrianized Placa de la Reina, with its bright palms and busy bistros showing how much nicer things can look without cars (go back in time on Google Streetview if you don’t believe me).

A short ride down Carrer de Sant Vicent Màrtir brings you to the Plaça de l'Ajuntament, arguably the most spectacular of Valencia’s squares with its multicolored fountains and grand neoclassical Ayuntamiento dominating the scene (another busy main road was removed from here in recent years).

If you head west past the Gothic Torres de Quart towers and dreamy botanical gardens, you can join the Turia River Garden for a lush glide toward the Torres de Serranos and loop back to Plaza de la Virgen.

4. L'Albufera Nature Park

Best for nature enthusiasts

Pinedo to El Palmar; 7.7 miles (12.5km)

While Valencia’s beaches are away from the busy center, they’re still very much part of the city. But if you want a real escape then Parque Natural de la Albufera (L'Albufera Nature Park) might be the answer. Sitting just south of Valencia, this bucolic landscape of rice fields, swaying reeds, swooping cormorants and a vast lagoon looks nothing like the rest of the city.

Public transit is an option, but riding there is easy too with the flat terrain and a dedicated cycle lane running parallel to the coast at Pinedo. It’s a good 30 to 40 minutes to the lagoon however, so I’d recommend this only to those in good physical condition (especially if visiting during the humid summer).

Shortly after the lagoon appears, you’ll come across the Mirador El Pujol and this is a good spot to enjoy electric boat rides around the lake with a guide who’ll explain the park’s biodiversity and how the sustainable new boats don’t disturb nature.

Continue down Carrer de Vicent Baldoví or head off onto one of several side paths where the silence and tranquility of L’Abufera really comes into its own. The journey along Carrer de Vicent Baldoví concludes at the small hamlet of El Palmar, where there are a host of friendly neighborhood restaurants to relax with a traditional paella or an Agua de Valencia.

5. Via Verde Xurra

Best for getting off the beaten path

Torre Miramar to Puçol; 10 miles (16km)

As well as redeveloping its untrustworthy river, Valencia has also put its former rail lines to good use and the Via Xurra is a meandering 16km greenway that once formed part of the old Valencia to Zaragoza line. Now a pink tarmac pathway, it’s an easy-going flat route the entire way.

Beginning at the Torre Miramar roundabout in the Benimaclet neighborhood, it passes through pretty olive and orange groves, then past the village of Alboraya before emerging into languid farmland after the Carraixet river.

The route continues through villages and groves with the distant Sierra Caldonera mountains in the distance all the way up to the town of Puçol. Feel free to turn back here, though there are some curious sights if you feel like venturing east toward the coast, including the 13th-century Puig Monastery and the Marjal de Rafael wetlands.

Tips for cycling in Valencia

• While Valencia has made huge strides with its cycling infrastructure, it can still feel like a very car-centric city, especially outside the old center. So make sure to stay in your cycle lane and watch out for traffic at all times.

• The city’s bicycle hire scheme allows visitors to pick up a bike from 275 stations across Valencia available 24/7. A one-week pass costs €13.30 and is best for visitors.

• There are plenty of independent bike hire shops in the old town, especially around Plaza de la Virgen.

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