Turia Gardens Bike Ride

The Jardines del Turia is a 9 km linear park that runs through the centre of Valencia in the bed of the Turia river. After the 1957 flood (the worst in Valencia's history, 81 people killed, 200,000 displaced), the city diverted the river around the urban perimeter. The dried riverbed was converted into a park in the 1980s after citizens successfully defeated a plan to turn it into a motorway. Today it connects the old town to the City of Arts and Sciences in a continuous green corridor with gardens, sports courts, playgrounds, fountains, and the Parque de Gulliver (a giant Gulliver figure on the grass with climbing structures inside). Bikes can be rented at any ValenBisi city bike station (EUR 0.50 for 30 minutes, registration requires a credit card or the app) or from private rental shops near the old town. The full 9 km ride from the Torres de Serranos to the City of Arts and Sciences takes 30-40 minutes at a relaxed pace. The gardens are flat, car-free, and connect the main sights.