Sun and swimming guaranteed in September: it's the perfect destination 2 hours from Paris
September often means gloom and dreariness. What if this year you escaped the gloom of the new school year with one last sunny getaway? Here's one to discover, at least virtually! Less than a 2-hour direct flight from Paris, there's a seaside town where summer is playing overtime.
There in September, the sun is still shining and swimming is at an ideal temperature of around 24.5°C. According to La Chaîne Météo , the month of September "is most often characterized by sunny weather", and minimum temperatures "on average of 21°C" and "maximums of 24°C", with a maximum feel of 28°C.
The advantage of going in September is that you won't encounter the stifling heat, crowds, or high-season prices. You can enjoy sea bathing without having to fight to lay your towel down on the beach! And that's not all: you can happily combine swimming with cultural visits. We're talking about a good compromise between urban and seaside, with both sides easily accessible via tram stations or the beach bus.
This beautiful city in September is Valencia (Valencia in Spanish) on the east coast of Spain. You can spend the morning at the beach in glorious sunshine at Malvarrosa in the north, a kilometer-long beach lined with a charming promenade, or at El Saler in the south, surrounded by beautiful dunes and pine forests.
In the afternoon, you will stroll through the narrow streets of the Carmen district where the sumptuous Cathedral of Saint Mary of Valencia is located or explore the City of Arts and Sciences with its futuristic architecture which houses the Palace of the Arts, a planetarium, an interactive science museum, a botanical garden and L'Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium in Europe (10 hectares)!
Foodies won't be left out. Did you know that Valencia is the world capital of paella, no less? September is a great time to attend World Paella Day on Saturday the 20th, which culminates in the International Paella Competition, with chefs competing in a public square to win the title of "World's Best Paella Cook."
On the seafront, you won't want to miss the chance to quench your thirst with a horchata de chufas, a true local non-alcoholic institution that is drunk iced and accompanied by a fartón, the small stick of sweet yeast dough that is iconic in the province of Valencia. You can taste other local specialties, such as fideuà (the Catalan cousin of paella made with small short pasta instead of rice) at the unmissable Central Market, whose building is easily recognizable by its Art Nouveau design.
Forget your routine and treat yourself to a trip to Valencia. The direct flight between Paris and Valencia is only 2 hours, and nothing could be simpler than reaching the city center from the airport via the metro in about twenty minutes for 5 euros. Who can beat that?
L'Internaute
