Valencia Race Weekend Tips

Eat paella at La Albufera — the birthplace of the dish

The rice paddies of **La Albufera** (10 km south of Valencia city, a coastal lagoon ringed by rice fields) are where paella was invented. The village of **El Palmar** on the lagoon edge has a string of traditional restaurants serving authentic Valencian paella cooked over orange-wood fires in the classic wide pan: chicken, rabbit, runner beans, and butter beans. Book for Saturday lunch. This is the real thing — not the tourist seafood paella that Valencia's old town restaurants often serve to visitors. The boat trip on the lagoon before or after lunch is excellent.

Hotel Caro is the best hotel in Valencia — book early

**Hotel Caro** (Calle del Almirall, old town) is built inside a 15th-century Gothic palace, on top of a Roman aqueduct (visible in the basement), next to a section of the original 12th-century Moorish city wall. The 26 rooms are extraordinary — each different, all immaculate. The rooftop bar has the best views of the old city. It books out 4–6 months ahead. For the Valencia race weekend, this is the place to stay if you can get it.

Circuit Ricardo Tormo is small — the atmosphere is intense

At 4.005 km, Circuit Ricardo Tormo is one of the shorter tracks on the MotoGP calendar, which means 65,000 fans are packed into a relatively tight space. The **main grandstand** faces the start-finish straight and the tight Turn 1 hairpin — the primary overtaking point. **Grandstand F** (back of the circuit) is slightly more remote but quieter and offers longer sightlines. Buy the circuit map and identify Turn 1 and the back straight hairpin — both are where race-defining moves happen.

November in Valencia — 18–22°C and often sunny

Late November in Valencia is genuine Mediterranean mild — typically 18–22°C during the day, 10–14°C in the evening. The rain is possible (November is Valencia's wettest month) but the famous Valencian sun still appears most days. Bring a warm jacket for the grandstands in the afternoon — the sun drops early in late November and the temperature falls quickly after 16:00. The orange trees throughout the city are in full fruit.

Try horchata and fartons at the Horchatería de Santa Catalina

**Horchata de chufa** (tiger nut milk — white, sweet, cold, and uniquely Valencian) drunk with **fartons** (light, elongated pastry sticks for dipping) is the Valencian institution that locals drink at any time of day. The **Horchatería de Santa Catalina** (Plaza Santa Catalina, steps from the Cathedral — opened 1836) is the most famous in the city. Go at breakfast or mid-afternoon between race sessions on Friday or Saturday. It is one of the great food-culture experiences of the Iberian Peninsula.