Valencia Stag Do

A Valencia stag do gets you a proper Spanish city with a beach attached. The old town is full of tapas spots and late bars, the seafront does beach clubs, and the whole place runs on a timetable where dinner at ten counts as early. It’s also the home of paella, which gives you a lunch plan for at least one day.

It suits groups who want sun and big nights out but would rather not spend the weekend in a resort. It’s flat too, which after a couple of late ones feels like a gift.

El Carmen, the old quarter, is the classic start, with narrow streets, busy squares and bars with plenty of character. Ruzafa (Russafa), south of the centre, is the trendier neighbourhood, good for craft beer, cocktails and the tardeo, the Spanish habit of starting drinks in the late afternoon and simply not stopping. In summer, the clubs by the beach and the port keep going until sunrise.

The drink to order is agua de Valencia, a jug of cava, orange juice and spirits. It tastes like breakfast and hits like a bus. Pace the stag accordingly.

Spanish hours apply. Bars fill up late and clubs later still, so a nap after the beach is smart planning. A guided pub crawl through El Carmen saves you herding the group yourself.

Get to the beach at Malvarrosa, then eat paella somewhere near the sea. The Turia gardens, a long park running through the old riverbed, are great for a bike ride (hired bikes and a hangover, what could go wrong). The City of Arts and Sciences is worth a look for the architecture alone, and the Oceanogràfic aquarium lives there too.

For group activities, the outskirts have paintball so everyone can settle old scores, and a boat party off the coast gets the weekend going. Football fans should check Valencia CF fixtures before picking dates.

• Las Fallas. The city’s big festival runs in March and ends with giant sculptures burned in the streets. It’s brilliant chaos, but rooms go early and everything is busier.
• Inflatables. The council has drafted rules to fine people carrying rude inflatables and accessories in public, and to crack down on drinking in the street. Check whether they’re in force before you pack anything daft.
• Getting there. Valencia airport has flights from several UK airports and sits close to the city, with the metro running into the centre. High-speed trains link it to Madrid.
• When to go. Spring and autumn give you warm days without the full summer heat. July and August are hot, so plan the activities for the morning.

Three nights is the right length for a stag weekend in Valencia. Beach and paella on day one, an activity on day two, and El Carmen or Ruzafa every night. Keep the last morning free for coffee and regret, and make sure someone other than the stag is holding the passports.

Madrid is a fast train away if the group wants a bigger city, and Barcelona is the other big beach city on this coast. If the packages below don’t suit, our concierge service can help you build the weekend.

For most groups I’d stay in or near El Carmen, the old quarter. It’s narrow streets, busy squares and bars with plenty of character, and it’s the classic place to start the night, so you’re never far from the next round or your bed.

If your lot are more craft beer and cocktails than cheap shots, Ruzafa (Russafa), south of the centre, is the trendier neighbourhood and the home of the tardeo, where drinks start in the late afternoon and simply don’t stop. Either base works because the city is flat, which after a couple of late ones feels like a gift. In summer, the clubs by the beach and the port keep going until sunrise, so plan on a taxi back from those.

My practical tip: check your dates against Las Fallas in March. It’s brilliant chaos, but rooms go early and everything is busier, so if you’re going then, book beds first and argue about the itinerary later.

Friday Fly into Valencia airport and take the metro into the centre. Dinner at ten counts as early here, so don’t rush. Spend the night in El Carmen and introduce the stag to agua de Valencia, the jug of cava, orange juice and spirits that tastes like breakfast and hits like a bus.

Saturday Get the active bit done in the morning, especially in July and August when it’s hot. I’d hire bikes for a ride through the Turia gardens, the long park in the old riverbed, then head to the beach at Malvarrosa and eat paella somewhere near the sea. Valencia is its home, after all. Have a nap after the beach, because the night starts late. Kick off with the tardeo in Ruzafa, then, in summer, finish at the clubs by the beach and the port, which keep going until sunrise. Check whether the street drinking and rude inflatable rules are in force before the stag’s accessories leave the bag.

Sunday Keep the morning free for coffee and regret. Once everyone is upright, take a slow look at the City of Arts and Sciences for the architecture, with the Oceanogràfic aquarium if anyone wants to stare at fish instead of talking. Football fans should check the Valencia CF fixtures before picking dates, as a game would round the weekend off nicely. Make sure someone other than the stag is holding the passports.