A thousand food stalls under one roof at the Central Market is just the start.
Handcrafted fans, lace work, and the famous ceramics all compete for your spending
money.
Shopping Streets
Valencian designers are riding a wave of success, and they mix with the big boys of
Armani and Louis Vuitton in and around the Plaza Tossal. Slip through the
alleyways off Calle Colon for more fashion and home décor. Find a
traditional costume fit for the Fallas festival in workshops along Calle Conde
Altea, or Calle de las Cestas, where you'll also find
artisanal wickerwork and leather. Nuevo Centro on Avenida Pio XII is the
largest shopping centre, about five minutes from the central bus station.
The mother of all Valencian markets is the ornately tiled Central Market with
1000 stalls and an embarrassment of gourmet riches, from hams to anchovies. On
Sunday mornings have a rummage round the flea market on Plaza Redonda, where you
might find an antique bargain hidden among the stacks of books, paintings and music.
Arrive early at the markets as most close early in the afternoon. Most shops open
from 10am-2pm and from 4.30pm-8.30pm. Shopping centres generally open from
10am-10pm.
