Nightlife

Where you go at night in Valencia depends on when you visit. The best area in the cooler months is historic Barrio Carmen, in the city center. Valencia is famous for its marcha (nightlife) and for its bohemian bars. Calle Alta is a good street on which to start your tasca bar-crawl, as is the historic core around Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Some of the most evocative tascas don't even have clear signs -- your best bet is to jump into and out of whichever appeals to you.

A longtime local favorite is Barcas, Barcas 7 (tel. 96-352-12-33), among banks and office buildings in the heart of town directly north of Estación del Norte. It serves drinks and tapas (including small servings of paella) at the stand-up bar. You could conceivably stop here for your first cup of coffee at 7am and for your final nightcap at 1am. In the evening there is often live music. The establishment is more popular as a bar than as a restaurant. It's open daily from 7am to 1am. Drink prices start at 1.50€, and tapas cost 4€.

In the Barrio del Carmen, Disco City, 16 Calle Pintor Zariñena (tel. 96-391-41-51), is a dance club with a black-on-black decor, with a wall of mirrors lining the dance floor. It attracts the under-30 crowd, who come here to dance to funk, soul, and R&B. It's definitely for late-nighters, as the scene doesn't get rolling until 3am. Cover is usually 15€.

In summer, the emphasis switches to the beach, Playa de Malvarrosa. Valencia is hot and steamy, and the cool night sea breezes are especially welcome. Everyone from teens to 40-somethings congregates around open-air bars, which play music, often have dance floors, and are open from late May to September. Drinks usually cost 3€ to 5€. There are also discos in this part of town, one of which is the Akuarela Playa (tel. 96-385-93-85; www.akuarela.es), Calle Eugenia Viñes 152. Entrance is 10€ to 13€, and drinks are several euros more than in the open-air bars.

Valencia is Spain's third-biggest city and, after Madrid and Barcelona, the country's biggest gay center. Most of the action is in the historic center in the Barrio Carmen, particularly along Calle Quart. Valencia is a progressive, liberal city, and visitors need have no fear about being "out" on the street. For more information, interested parties can contact Lambda, Vivons 26 (tel. 96-334-21-91; www.lambdavalencia.org). There are many clubs, bars, coffee shops, saunas, hotels, and restaurants from which to choose. The best publication for what's happening, and when, is Madrid-based Shangay, distributed free in gay establishments.

As in many cities, gay men have to some degree elbowed lesbian interests out of the way. As in the rest of Spain, the night starts late, and 10pm is considered quite early. One of the best places to go is Café de la Seu, Calle Santo Caliz 7 (tel. 96-391-57-15; www.cafedelaseu.com). All shades of pinkdom can have a relaxing drink for 2€ to 5€ daily from 6pm to 2am. Go-Go dancers evoking the '60s and drag shows make for lively evenings at Venial, Quart 26 (tel. 96-391-73-56; www.venialvalencia.com), with a cover that can vary with the event. Hot, sweaty bodies -- many of them available -- turn up here for Latino nights on Thursdays, house nights on Friday and Saturday, and just X-rated gay fun on Sunday. The dance floor is one of the most active in town. Take bus N4.

Much more highbrow than the nocturnal activities above, the Palau de la Música, Paseo de la Alameda 30 (tel. 96-357-50-20; www.palaudevalencia.com; Metro: Alameda), presents an impressive array of 200-plus programs a year. Between September and October, the prestigious Valencia Orchestra is in residence. The fantastic hall seats 1,793 guests and has wonderful acoustics. After a concert here, Placido Domingo claimed that "Palau is a Stradivarius." Held up by 10 porticoed pillars, the dome evokes a greenhouse; designer José María de Paredes won the national prize awarded annually for architecture. The most prestigious orchestras in the world, as well as directors and soloists, appear here. An on-site art gallery is open daily from 10:30am to 1:30pm and 5:30 to 9pm. Ticket prices vary depending on the program, but are generally in the 10€-to-80€ range.

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Autopista del Saler 1 (tel. 96-197-58-00; www.lesarts.com), is the grand opera house of Valencia. It's housed in a futuristic, helmet-shaped building that is part of the City of Arts and Sciences, a dazzling complex of polished glass. This dramatic structure has helped transform Valencia from a neglected port city into a cool resort. Some of the world's most prestigious opera companies perform here. Tickets, costing from 20€ to 175€, are sold at the box office Monday to Friday noon to 8pm. The box office also opens 3 hours before the start of a performance.