Beachside morning coffee in Valencia

Valencia has long been a city to visit to find sunshine during the colder months in the rest of Europe, or to really enjoy a European beach break during Summer. With cheaper prices than Barcelona and Malaga, and a much more relaxed and friendlier atmosphere, I think it’s the perfect place to come to in any season. We are especially lucky here during ‘Winter’, as even now when the roads are snow-blocked in the UK, I’m having coffee on my terrace in shorts, soaking up the sun. When you Skype with friends in January and they ask you if you’ve been away on holiday because you look tanned, and the reply is “No, I’ve just been enjoying the winter sun here”, you know you’ve made a good choice.

In this article you’ll see my favourite beach bar/cafe that is ideal for sunny Sunday mornings. The beaches at this time of the year are relatively quiet, although on particularly warm days (we’ve had a few 23 degree days although it’s only just passed Xmas), it can be a little busier. These beach cafes are on Malvarrosa Beach in the Cabanal area of the city, which is also the area which I live in. It’s great for local food in Valencia, as well as having some fun party places to visit.

Sunny terrace on the beach...

My favourite beach bar/café to visit on a sunny morning is called Cerveceria Freiduria San Patricio, which sits right next to the largest collection of beach volleyball courts. This is the ideal location, as it’s not too far from the centre of Cabanal and the metro/tram lines (which is more than likely the way that you’ll arrive to this eastern suburb of Valencia).

As with any beach bar in a fairly popular place, the prices for a coffee, a beer or a juice are a little inflated, but not by too much. A coffee with milk (café con leche) at this café/bar is about €2.50 which isn’t bad at all (although it’s quite a bit more than the usual €1.50 you find in plenty of quieter areas of the city). But what this place has going for it are two things – the views and the atmosphere. From this café/bar you can look south to the port and the cranes towering in the distance, with golden sand and happy people in between. Malvarrosa Beach is huge, wide and almost never crowded (even in mid-summer you can easily find a spot).

There can often be a bit of wind on the beach during the winter/spring months (especially in January and February) and this bar is ideal during those times as it is much more sheltered than others (which is why I chose this one in particular). This is absolutely the type of beach bar/café that you imagine visiting when you plan a winter-sun break and the fact that I live next to it will never get old.

The Cerveceria Freiduria is also a great place to see locals and feel like part of the city and connect with the people that live here. You can spend time on your own or chat to the waiters and locals who are always happy to include people in their conversations, and you can easily make friends, two-legged or four.

Walking along the wide and pretty beach side promenade, with palm trees lining one side and the beach on the other is glorious. Add in clear blue skies, unexpectedly warm sunny days and you’ve got a recipe for year-round happiness.

 Fun and games on Malvarossa Beach with one of our editors Chris Stascheit - check out his articles about biking in Albufera, close to Valencia.