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<\/figure>\nHow to live like a local in Valencia<\/h2>\n1. The basic dictionary (and our language)<\/h3>\n
Valencia has two official languages: Spanish and Valencian. You\u2019ll hear lots of people speaking Valencian in the street. If you want to win the locals\u2019 hearts, learn these magic phrases:<\/p>\n
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- \u201cBon dia\u201d \/ \u201cBona vesprada\u201d:<\/strong> Good morning \/ Good afternoon.<\/li>\n
- \u201cAd\u00e9u\u201d:<\/strong> Goodbye.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You also need to know three words that aren\u2019t in the official dictionary but are the cornerstone of how we communicate:<\/p>\n
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- \u201cYe\u201d:<\/strong> Our all-purpose greeting. A cheerful \u201cYe\u201d as you walk into a bar replaces any \u201cHola\u201d.<\/li>\n
- \u201cNano\u201d:<\/strong> The equivalent of \u201cmate\u201d or \u201cbuddy\u201d (\u201cYe, nano, long time no see!\u201d).<\/li>\n
- \u201cLa Terreta\u201d:<\/strong> This is how Valencians affectionately refer to their homeland. It means home and pride in what\u2019s ours. That\u2019s why we\u2019re called Terreta Flats<\/strong>: we want our apartments to be your little Valencian home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2. The Valencian clock (and the art of the siesta)<\/h3>\n
If you come in summer, you\u2019ll notice it fast: the sun is in charge. True Valencians know that between 2 pm and 6 pm the streets are for the brave.<\/p>\n
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- The strategic siesta:<\/strong> It\u2019s not a myth, it\u2019s survival. After lunch, the best thing to do is enjoy your apartment\u2019s air conditioning and rest.<\/li>\n
- Evening life:<\/strong> Our social life starts when the sun goes down. If you book a dinner table before 9 pm, you\u2019ll probably eat alone. Most people sit down for dinner between 9:30 and 10:30 pm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. The soundtrack: volume, gunpowder and brass bands<\/h3>\n
If there\u2019s one thing that defines us, it\u2019s that we live life intensely, and you can tell (and hear) it. Valencians are expressive and we talk loudly<\/strong>; if you hear us at the next table in a bar, don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not arguing, we\u2019re passionately putting the world to rights!<\/p>\n
Partying is also in our DNA, and for us there\u2019s no celebration without two key ingredients:<\/p>\n
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- Firecrackers:<\/strong> We love gunpowder. Even if you don\u2019t come for Fallas, there\u2019s a good chance that on any weekend you\u2019ll hear firecrackers or see fireworks celebrating a wedding, a christening or a neighbourhood festival.<\/li>\n
- Charangas:<\/strong> Groups of local musicians (brass and percussion) who take to the streets to liven up any event. If you hear trumpets in the distance, follow them: there\u2019s bound to be a good atmosphere. In Valencia, silence is overrated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. Everyday food: much more than rice<\/h3>\n
Paella is queen, but daily life rests on two other delicious pillars:<\/p>\n
Almuerzo (Esmorzar)<\/h4>\n
Forget the idea of brunch<\/em>. Between 10:00 and 11:30 am, bars fill up for \u201cesmorzar\u201d, the Valencian mid-morning breakfast. It\u2019s not a snack, it\u2019s a ritual.<\/p>\n
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- Close to home:<\/strong> Natzaret, where you\u2019re staying, still keeps the essence of an old fishermen\u2019s neighbourhood untouched by mass tourism. Just step out of Terreta Flats and sit down at any local bar to order your picaeta<\/em> (peanuts and lupin beans), your half-baguette sandwich (try the \u201cBrascada\u201d with beef and ham) and your Cremaet<\/strong> (coffee with flamed rum and lemon), although we recommend \u201cCasa Martinot<\/a>\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Horchata and granizados<\/h4>\n
Mid-afternoon, the official snack is Orxata<\/strong> (tiger nut horchata) with fartons<\/em>. If you find it too sweet, the alternative is a lemon granizado (slush). You can have one anywhere in the city, but we recommend going to the Mercado de Col\u00f3n<\/a>.<\/p>\n
5. Sunday is Paella Day<\/h3>\n
For us, paella is the reason to get the family together on Sundays. If you want a top-notch paella away from the apartment, you have excellent local options:<\/p>\n
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- Head to the Huerta:<\/strong> Leave the city for a bit and book at traditional farmhouses such as Alquer\u00eda del Pou<\/a><\/em> or El Brosquil<\/a><\/em>. Pure authenticity.<\/li>\n
- By the sea:<\/strong> Staying in Natzaret, you\u2019re a stone\u2019s throw from the coast. Head to the Malvarrosa promenade to enjoy classic rice dishes with the sea breeze.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\ud83d\udc49 The Terreta Flats secret:<\/strong> Imagine eating an authentic wood-fired Valencian paella in your apartment\u2019s living room or on the terrace, without cooking or getting dressed to go out. We have the contact of the best paella makers, who cook it in a traditional iron paella pan and bring it piping hot to your door. If you fancy this treat, send us a WhatsApp and we\u2019ll give you their direct contact.<\/strong><\/p>\n
6. Free time: neighbourhood plans and getaways<\/h3>\n
Valencians love to make the most of weekends and long evenings.<\/p>\n
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- On two wheels from Natzaret:<\/strong> There\u2019s a Valenbisi station just 100 metres from the apartment. A 100% Valencian plan is to grab a bike in the late afternoon and ride to La Marina de Val\u00e8ncia<\/strong> (right next to the neighbourhood) or follow the green route along the old Turia riverbed.<\/li>\n
- From beach bar to mountain:<\/strong> In summer, afternoons are spent having a drink by the sea (like at Chiringuito El Ocho in Patacona) or on trips to the coves of D\u00e9nia<\/strong> or X\u00e0bia<\/strong>. In winter, we swap the sand for mountain hikes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
7. Sunsets you can\u2019t miss<\/h3>\n
To end the day like a true local, watch the sun go down from one of these magical spots:<\/p>\n
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- Right on your doorstep:<\/strong> Take a walk from Terreta Flats to La Marina de Val\u00e8ncia<\/strong>. Watching the sunset colours reflect on the water and on the iconic Veles e Vents building is a luxury just a few minutes away on foot.<\/li>\n
- L\u2019Albufera:<\/strong> The great classic. Watch the sky turn orange over the calm waters of the lake, surrounded by rice fields.<\/li>\n
- El Garb\u00ed:<\/strong> If you prefer heights, head up to the Garb\u00ed viewpoint in the Sierra Calderona for a spectacular panoramic view of sea and mountains.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- L\u2019Albufera:<\/strong> The great classic. Watch the sky turn orange over the calm waters of the lake, surrounded by rice fields.<\/li>\n
- From beach bar to mountain:<\/strong> In summer, afternoons are spent having a drink by the sea (like at Chiringuito El Ocho in Patacona) or on trips to the coves of D\u00e9nia<\/strong> or X\u00e0bia<\/strong>. In winter, we swap the sand for mountain hikes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- By the sea:<\/strong> Staying in Natzaret, you\u2019re a stone\u2019s throw from the coast. Head to the Malvarrosa promenade to enjoy classic rice dishes with the sea breeze.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Head to the Huerta:<\/strong> Leave the city for a bit and book at traditional farmhouses such as Alquer\u00eda del Pou<\/a><\/em> or El Brosquil<\/a><\/em>. Pure authenticity.<\/li>\n
- Charangas:<\/strong> Groups of local musicians (brass and percussion) who take to the streets to liven up any event. If you hear trumpets in the distance, follow them: there\u2019s bound to be a good atmosphere. In Valencia, silence is overrated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Evening life:<\/strong> Our social life starts when the sun goes down. If you book a dinner table before 9 pm, you\u2019ll probably eat alone. Most people sit down for dinner between 9:30 and 10:30 pm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \u201cNano\u201d:<\/strong> The equivalent of \u201cmate\u201d or \u201cbuddy\u201d (\u201cYe, nano, long time no see!\u201d).<\/li>\n
- \u201cAd\u00e9u\u201d:<\/strong> Goodbye.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n