Ciberfallas International

Despertá

* Most of the streets in the city are closed to everything but pedestrian traffic and it is difficult to get around. The best way to get around is either by walking or taking the public transportation. Driving a car is not a good idea.
* Most of the restaurants are very crowded and some are not open. There is usually very long waits and slow service and you should plan for this in your schedule.
* Most of the hotels are also very crowded and should be booked in advance.
* Many people throw fireworks near pedestrians and its very easy to get burnt or injured.
* Some of the fallas like Nou Campanar are well outside the city center and are quite far by foot, it is much easier to take a bus.Sot de Chera, Xátiva, Sagunto, among others.

* Take a day trip to the Albufera to see this fresh water lake and the surrounding area where rice is grown. The Albufera is also known to host an interesting variety of migratory birds. The local village in the area, El Palmar, is also a good place to try paella and other local dishes.
* Take a trip to the beaches of Saler. These beaches are on “protected” land and are the cleanest and most secluded beaches near the city. Accessible by bus but complicated. A round-trip taxi ride should cost between 10€-20€, depending on how far along the beach you go.

* Manises, fifteen kilometers soutwest of Valencia, is not only the site of Valencia’s airport but also an important center for pottery. Some 100 ceramics factories are in the municipality, where the art has been practiced for 700 years. At the MCM museum there are exhibitions about the history of ceramics in the area.

* Rent a car and do a day trip to any number of picturesque villages or small cities in the region, including  Chulilla, Sot de Chera, Xátiva, Sagunto, among others.

By plane

Valencia Airport (VLC) is 9 km from the city center. The bus to Tùria station departs every 11 minutes and takes about 30-40 minutes. Additionally there is the Aerobus which goes directly to the city center, but costs a bit more. Local trains run every 20 minutes. Subway goes directly to the town centre from the Airport.

Valencia is served by Iberia, Spanair, Clickair, AirBerlin, TuiFly, Lagunair, Ryanair, Vueling and several other airlines.

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If you are coming to Valencia for the first time in Fallas, you will probably think it is total chaos, you won’t know where to sleep if you haven’t booked in advance, how to get here, where you can park, or even when the shops open while the fiesta is on.
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You can consult the tourist web of the Land of Valencia on the Internet at www.landofvalencia.com or tourist Contact Center [902 12 32 12] if you want additional information on fallas or on travel arrangements.

www.ciberfallas.com

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In March, Valencia undergoes a transformation: The quiet, hard-working city changes its appearance, its sound, its smell and its rhythm and becomes the venue for an enormous week-long party. The Fallas take over the streets and provide a show that stimulates all the senses.

Cartel de Fallas 2009

It all starts at the end of February. From the ancient Torres de Serranos, the Fallera Mayor (the Queen of the Fallas), chosen from all the falleras of the city, issues the Crida: a call to her people and to everyone to come and join in the festivities. It is the beginning of an unforgettable experience: the Fallas.

The official programme offers a diverse range of activities that run through March, intensifying as the Fallas week (March, from 15th to 19th) approaches. Decorative lighting covers the 370 falla group headquarters spread throughout the city. Valencia becomes an immense and unparalleled museum, born to be destroyed, once its mission is accomplished: the exposure of the negative side of life, exposed to be ridiculed and incinerated.

Falla of the Town hall

If there is one event that stands out above all others, it is the floral offering to the Virgen de los Desamparados (Our Lady of the Forsaken); all the falla groups meet at their casal (headquarters), dressed in traditional costume.

On the night of the 19th of March, St Joseph’s day, the festival reaches its conclusion; the music ends and the last firecrackers announce that it is all over for another year. A year of anticipation and effort is purified and laid to rest through the flames of the bonfires. The falleros stand and contemplate the scene as the fire devours the works of art that were created to be destroyed. The visitor experiences a strange sensation of fascination and understanding of why the fallas must be burnt. The fallero is already planning for next year’s festival; the visitor is planning to come back.

http://www.turisvalencia.es