Mercat Central de Valencia

The Mercat Central is one of Europe's great food markets, housed in a glorious 1928 Modernista hall of iron, glass, and ceramic tile, its domes letting light pour over hundreds of stalls. This is a working market where Valencians shop daily, pyramids of oranges, mounds of saffron and spices, jamón hanging from hooks, just-landed seafood on ice, and the produce that feeds the city's famous rice dishes.

Wander to take in the architecture and the theatre of the trade, then graze: a glass of vermouth and a plate of jamón at the central bar, fresh horchata, or olives by the scoop. It sits beside the Llotja de la Seda (a UNESCO-listed silk exchange) and the church of Santos Juanes, so it's an easy, atmospheric stop in the old town.

Don't miss

• The 1928 Modernista hall, domes, ironwork, and ceramic tilework
• Stalls of Valencian oranges, saffron, jamón, and seafood
• Grazing at the in-market bar with vermouth and jamón
• Fresh horchata, a Valencian specialty
• The neighbouring UNESCO-listed Llotja de la Seda silk exchange

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Mercat Central de Valencia

Cheapest way inThe Essentials of Valencia in a Guided Tour4.9★ · 71 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$19 per personSee dates →Most bookedValencia Old Town Tour with Wine & Tapas in 11th Century Historic Monument5★ · 3,586 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$84 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleGRAND CITY Private Guided Tour on Bike, E-Bike, E-Step or Segway5★ · 80 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$76 per personSee dates →

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Getting there

Know before you go

• It's a morning market, most stalls close by mid-afternoon and it's shut Sundays.
• Come hungry: graze jamón, olives, and a vermouth at the central bar.
• Try horchata, the local tiger-nut drink, often paired with fartons.
• Pair it with the Llotja de la Seda silk exchange right next door.

A bit of history

Completed in 1928, the Mercat Central is a masterpiece of Valencian Modernisme, designed to give the city a grand covered market. Its tiled domes and ironwork rival the era's great market halls, and it remains one of the largest fresh-food markets in Europe, still central to daily life.