- 🎄 City Hall nativity scene: 1 December – 3 January, free.
- 🛍️ Christmas market (Mercado Central): 10 December – 4 January, 9:00–22:00.
- 🧸 Expojove, the big kids’ fair: 26 December – 4 January.
- 🏃 Marathon: 6 December · San Silvestre 5K: Wednesday 30 December, 20:00.
- 🍇 New Year’s Eve in Plaza del Ayuntamiento: the 2026 programme hasn’t been announced yet.
- 👑 Staying for 6 January? Our Three Kings in Valencia 2027 guide comes out on 9 November.
Valencia does Christmas outdoors: around 15 °C in December, so your coat is mostly a fashion statement. Here’s what is confirmed, what is still to be announced, and real travel times from our apartments in Nazaret: a quiet neighbourhood, away from the bustle of the city centre, yet well connected by Metro Line 10 and buses 4 and 95. No traffic jams, and no paying for parking every time you head out.
Two Spanish quirks to know: – Kids get their presents on 6 January, from the Three Kings. – At midnight on the 31st you eat 12 grapes, one per chime. Practise. Seriously.
Christmas 2026 calendar
| Date | What | Status |
|---|---|---|
| November | Christmas lights switch-on (more neighbourhoods this year) | Date due in early November (21 November in 2025) |
| 1 Dec – 3 Jan | Nativity scene in City Hall’s Salón de Cristal | Official · free · opening hours not yet published |
| Sun 6 Dec, 8:15 | Valencia Marathon, start at the City of Arts and Sciences | Official |
| 10 Dec – 4 Jan | Christmas & Kings market by the Mercado Central, 9:00–22:00 (until 2:00 on 24 Dec) | Official |
| 26 Dec – 4 Jan | Expojove at Feria Valencia, 11:00–20:00 (31 Dec 10:00–14:00; 1 Jan 16:00–21:00) | Official |
| Wed 30 Dec, 20:00 | San Silvestre 5K, Calle Xàtiva → Plaza del Ayuntamiento | Official |
| Thu 31 Dec | New Year’s Eve chimes, Plaza del Ayuntamiento | Programme usually announced in the last week of December |
Checked 26/10/2026 against official sources. We’ll update the pending dates as soon as they’re published.
How long it takes from Terreta Flats
| Plan | 🚗 Car | 🚲 Bike | 🚇🚌 Public transport (door to door) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oceanogràfic | 4 min | 7 min | Metro Line 10 Natzaret → Oceanogràfic (2 stops), ~14 min · bus 95, ~13 min |
| City of Arts and Sciences (Marathon start) | 6 min | 8 min | Metro Line 10 to Ciutat Arts i Ciències-Justícia, ~17 min · bus 95, ~18 min |
| Roig Arena | 7 min | 11 min | Metro Line 10 to Quatre Carreres (4 stops, 8 min) + 11 min walk, ~26 min |
| Gulliver Park | 6 min | 12 min | Bus 95 direct, ~20 min |
| La Marina (New Year’s Day stroll) | 10 min | 10 min | Bus 95 to La Marina-Metro Neptú, ~22 min |
| San Silvestre start (Calle Xàtiva) | 10 min* | 16 min | Metro Line 10 to Alacant + 5 min walk, ~27 min |
| Plaza del Ayuntamiento | 10 min* | 18 min | Metro Line 10 to Alacant + 9 min walk, ~31 min · bus 4 direct, ~38 min |
| Mercado Central (Christmas market) | 11 min* | 19 min | Bus 4 direct (Llotja-Mercat Central stop), ~38 min · Metro Line 10 + 15 min walk, ~37 min |
| Feria Valencia (Expojove) | 17 min | 40 min | Metro Line 10 + Line 3, 5 or 9 (Xàtiva) + Line 2 to Carolines-Fira, ~1 h |
*Road closures and pricey parking in the centre at Christmas: take the metro or a bike.
Car times are without traffic (OpenStreetMap). Bike times assume ~18 km/h on bike lanes, rounded down. Public transport times come from the Metrovalencia timetables and the official EMT GTFS feed (Oct–Nov 2026), include the 7-minute walk to Natzaret stop and don’t include waiting time. – Metro Line 10: every 15 min on weekdays, every 20 min at weekends and on holidays. – Bus 4: every ~10 min. – Bus 95: every ~9 min, Monday to Friday only.
Timetables can change over Christmas: check metrovalencia.es and emtvalencia.es before you set off.
Nativity scene, lights and the Christmas market
The City Hall nativity scene (Salón de Cristal) is free and open from 1 December to 3 January; this year it celebrates 700 years of Valencia’s Corpus Christi. The 2026 opening hours aren’t out yet (last year it opened in the mornings and on some afternoons). The Christmas market by the Mercado Central sells toys, nativity figures, decorations and packaged sweets, 9:00–22:00 from 10 December to 4 January. The date of the lights switch-on will be announced in early November (in 2025 it was 21 November); we’ll add it here once it’s official.
Christmas with kids
- Expojove (26 Dec – 4 Jan) is the children’s fair of the season: workshops, theatre and games. Buy tickets online. It’s 17 min by car; in 2025-26 the Feria car park cost €1.80/hour (max €18/day), so check this year’s rate on feriavalencia.com.
- Oceanogràfic: 7 min by bike or 2 metro stops.
- Gulliver Park: a giant lying in the Turia gardens for kids to climb on, and it’s free.
Shopping and Santa next door: CC Saler and El Corte Inglés
- CC Saler (Autopista del Saler 16) is the closest mall to the flats. In 2025 it had:
- Santa from 5 December.
- One of the Three Kings from the 26th.
- Free kids’ shows and workshops.
- A “kids’ New Year’s Eve” on 30 December.
The 2026 programme isn’t out yet; we’ll add it when it is. – El Corte Inglés Avenida de Francia (C/ Pintor Maella 37) is the nearest branch of Spain’s big department store, about 1.5 km from CC Saler. Handy for last-minute presents and turrón. – Staying more than 11 nights and prefer the city centre? Our attic (seasonal rental, 11-night minimum) puts you a stroll from El Corte Inglés Colón, so you can carry the shopping bags home without a metro ride or a physio. Ask us about dates. – Sundays and holidays: in Valencia’s high-tourism zones, shops may open every Sunday and holiday until 5 January, except 25 December and 1 January. Each mall sets its own hours, so check its website before you go.
| 🚗 Car | 🚲 Bike | 🚇🚌 Public transport | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CC Saler | 7 min | 10 min | Metro Line 10 to Ciutat Arts i Ciències-Justícia + 3 min walk, ~15 min · bus 95, ~19 min |
| El Corte Inglés Av. de Francia | 6 min | 9 min | Metro Line 10 to Oceanogràfic + 9 min walk, ~19 min · bus 4, ~24 min |
Coming earlier for presents? Our Black Friday in Valencia 2026 guide comes out on 2 November.
Marathon and San Silvestre
The Marathon starts on Sunday 6 December at 8:15 at the City of Arts and Sciences, an 8-minute bike ride from your door; see Valencia Marathon accommodation. The San Silvestre 5K is on Wednesday 30 December at 20:00, in fancy dress. Run on the 30th, eat grapes on the 31st.
New Year’s Eve: the chimes and getting home
The free party is in Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The 2026 programme hasn’t been announced yet; in 2025 there were children’s chimes at noon and, at night, the square opened at 22:00 through five entry points, with DJs on the balcony and fireworks at 23:59.
Heads-up for getting home: the 31st is a Thursday. In 2025 FGV ran the metro all night on New Year’s Eve, with a Line 10 train every 40 min to Natzaret; the 2026 special service is usually announced in the last days of December. If there’s none this year, the last Thursday Line 10 train leaves Alacant at around 23:00, before midnight, and you can use: – Bus 4 from Plaza del Ayuntamiento to Natzaret, until 01:35 on the normal timetable. – A bike: 18 min. – A taxi: about 10 min.
Or skip the crowds altogether: grapes and cava on the terrace at the flat.
Concerts at the Roig Arena
Melendi (12–13 Dec), Locos por la Música (19 Dec), Rudolph the musical (26–28 Dec), New Year’s Concert (1 Jan) and Harry Sinfónico (2 Jan), per roigarena.com on 19/10/2026. The arena is 7 min away by car, 11 by bike, or 4 stops on Metro Line 10 (8 min) to Quatre Carreres plus an 11-minute walk. Full list: Roig Arena concerts.
Bringing your dog?
Dogs are welcome (extra fee). On Metrovalencia, only small pets in a closed carrier and assistance dogs can travel; EMT buses also require a carrier (max 45 × 35 × 25 cm) and an EMT Mascota card. With a medium-sized dog, get around by bike, on foot or by car; street parking is free. More in Valencia with pets.
Bank holidays
- Tuesday 8 December: bank holiday. Monday 7 December is not a holiday in the Valencia region, but it is in Madrid and Andalusia.
- Friday 25 December and Friday 1 January: two long weekends.
Getting around from Nazaret
You sleep in peace, away from the noise and crowds of the city centre at the height of the festive season, and you’re in the thick of it within minutes.
- Metro Line 10: a 7-minute walk away.
- Bus 4: to the old town.
- Bus 95: to La Marina and the City of Arts.
- Pinedo beach: 10 min by car or by bike.
- El Carmen: Metro Line 10 doesn’t go there, but for stays of more than 11 nights our seasonal-rental attic is close to the centre and El Corte Inglés Colón. Ask us about availability.
FAQ
When can I see the City Hall nativity scene in Valencia? From 1 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, in the Salón de Cristal. Entry is free.
When is the Valencia Christmas market 2026? From 10 December to 4 January, 9:00–22:00, next to the Mercado Central. On 24 December it stays open until 2:00.
When is Expojove 2026? From 26 December 2026 to 4 January 2027, at Feria Valencia.
How do I get back to Nazaret after midnight on New Year’s Eve? In 2025 the metro ran all night, with a Line 10 train every 40 min to Natzaret; the 2026 service is announced in late December. If it isn’t repeated, the last Thursday Line 10 train leaves at around 23:00 and you can take bus 4 (until 01:35), a bike (18 min) or a taxi.
🎄 Spend Christmas in Nazaret, 4 min by car from the Oceanogràfic
✓ Best price guaranteed when you book direct · 🅿️ Free street parking · 🐾 Pets welcome (extra fee) · ★ 4.9/5 on Google Check Christmas availability →
Read next: Valencia in November and December · Group travel to Valencia · Rainy day in Valencia · Coming soon: Three Kings in Valencia 2027 (9 November)
