"Las Fallas" Nunca Fallan

Barely a week after my mom was here exploring southern Spain with me, and I was off again on a new adventure! This time, Lindsey, Ashley, Jessee, Forrest, Michelle, and I, set off to Valencia for one of the biggest celebrations in Spain from the 15th to 20th of March — Las Fallas! What began as an old carpenter’s tradition of burning left-over wood to celebrate the arrival of spring, now has evolved into the construction and ultimate burning of ginormous temporary works of art. Today, neighborhoods and artists around Valencia work together to build these Fallas, often spending millions of euros, to compete in city-wide competitions before they are burned at the culmination of days of celebration. However, the tradition of Las Fallas is not solely the burning of these structures. Each night there are large firework displays, while midday brings firecracker barrages called mascletás, and processions take place during the entirety of the days to bring flower offerings to a large structure in the city center. Between catching all of the events, eating paella, going to the beach, and setting off fireworks of our own, we never had a “quiet” moment in Valencia! Nevertheless, I would return for Las Fallas in a heartbeat!  

LAS FALLAS DAY 1: Travel

While I will count this as my “first day” in Valencia, most of it was spent traveling and then arriving at my Airbnb later that night. As a large group, we all took the early afternoon bus from Vigo to Porto. Being that we had some time to kill before our flight, we walked to a traditional Portuguese restaurant nearby the airport for some vino verde. Feeling good, we boarded our Ryanair flight to Valencia.

Having landed just outside of the city that evening around 11pm, we parted ways. As Lindsey and I rented a room from Airbnb near the outskirts of Valencia, we took the city’s underground metro system while our friends hired a taxi to take them to their hostel near the center. On the metro, there were already tons of young people starting the party for Las Fallas! it was a good way to put ourselves in the mindset for the coming days.

We arrived just after midnight to the apartment to meet with our Airbnb host. She was very kind and understanding of our late arrival and settled us in right away! Before heading to bed, we made plans with the rest of our group to determine our plan and meeting place for the morning.

LAS FALLAS DAY 2: Fireworks & Las Fallas

Lindsey and I woke up early, and while she was getting ready, I ran to a nearby grocery store to pick up a couple breakfast items for the week. Our hostess gave us full access to her kitchen to cook and she even made us coffee and homemade bread for breakfast. While I was nervous about renting a room from a live-in host, so far our stay was outstanding! Now that both of us were full to the brim and ready for the day, we left our apartment to meet up with the rest of our friends in the center about 35 minutes away.

Arriving in front of the impressive Catedral de Valencia, we met with the rest of our group for drinks in a cafe around the corner. That morning we walked to the Mercado Central, viewed the Fallas, and explored the many streets of Valencia. As there were people setting off fireworks all around us in the small alleyways, we decided to buy our own to participate in all the fun! If it weren’t for Las Fallas, walking around the city during this time would have sounded like a war zone. From 8am to 4am the following morning, there were continual bangs and explosions all around the city.

Around lunchtime, Ashley left to meet up with her friend who was living in the city, so Forrest, Michelle, Lindsey, and I brought a small picnic to a big city park and spent the afternoon enjoying the sun and eventful people watching. Upon finishing our picnic, Forrest decided to leave and do some exploring of the city on his own, so Lindsey, Michelle, and I, went to a bar for some drinks to kill time before the main firework event that evening. Right outside the bar we stopped at was a large line of fireworks filling the entire block. We were told they were to be set off soon, so I went outside to watch the craziness! To be entirely honest, it was pretty scary to see high power pyrotechnics explode just 15 yards away from you, but I would not have missed it for the world!

That night was also the first big fireworks show of the celebration. We didn’t get the best viewing spot, however it didn’t take away from the show! It was better than any fireworks displays I had seen before -- Valencia did not disappoint! I couldn’t wait to see what the following nights had in store as they were to get bigger and better as the Fallas celebrations continued.

Late that night, Lindsey and I began our walk to return to our Aribnb. While our map led us right to our apartment, we actually had a fairly difficult time finding our door…because a huge concert stage was blocking it! Always seeking opportunities as they come, we decided to partake in the fun and danced along for a while. Leaving the party a bit early, we headed inside to attempt to get some sleep — that didn’t go over too well as the music from outside did not stop until 4am that morning!

LAS FALLAS DAY 3: Valencian Beaches & Paella Valenciana

As it was a beautiful day in Valencia, our group decided to spent it lounging on the beach. Lindsey and I were the first to arrive at the Playa de Cabañal and scouted out the best spot. Our Airbnb hostess was nice enough to lend us beach towels and a blanket to lay out, so we were able to spend our morning in the sand and surf in total comfort. The rest of our friends as well as Jessee arrived a couple hours later, and we decided to treat ourselves with a formal Spanish lunch. Even though we had a long wait to be seated, our meal was beyond worth it! I split a large pan of traditional valencian paella -- made with rabbit and chicken -- with part of our group. If I were to choose one of my favorite meals from this trip, paella valenciana would have to be it!

Exhausted from the sun and large meal, we decided to return to the center of the city to relax. That evening, we all regrouped at Sagardi -- a basque tapas bar -- for drinks and snacks before the fireworks that evening. Before we walked north towards the old canal, we stopped at the Plaza de la Virgen to watch the offering of flowers to the Virgen de los Desamparados -- the patron saint of Valencia. The processions of Fallerias who brought the flowers to the Virgen was a very emotional experience. Many people were crying as they were able to represent their families and neighborhoods during a ceremony signaling the conclusion of their efforts from the past year.  

Finally, following the throngs of partygoers, we marched towards the best view of the fireworks and squeezed our way in. Just as I had predicted the night before, the fireworks were bigger and better the second night around! As tomorrow was the final night of the city's fireworks displays, it was hard to imagine how they could get better than that. So far, my expectations for the 4th of July have risen significantly! As the night came to a close, Lindsey and I made our long walk to our Airbnb and settled in for the night.

LAS FALLAS DAY 4: Horchata & Siesta

Unfortunately Lindsey had to leave to go back to Vigo for work today, so I made breakfast for the both of us before we said our goodbyes. With the plan to meet up with the rest of my group at the Central Market at noon for an early lunch, I left the Airbnb early to do a little bit of exploring on my own. Near the market, I took my time to tour the Iglesia de los Santos Juanes as well as the many vendors who where situated around the block.

After meeting everyone else at the market and grabbing a small lunch, we decided to take our time walking around the city streets and enjoying the fallas. During our walk we stopped inside a famous horchata café called La Horchatería Santa Catalina. Horchata in Valencia tastes and is actually made quite differently than Mexican horchata. While Mexican horchata is traditionally made with jicaro seeds and rice, Valencian horchata is made with tiger nuts. Personally, I thought the Valencian horchata was more watery and not as “spicy”  in comparison to its Mexican counterpart. However, it sure was refreshing! Afterwards, we spend the rest of our afternoon in the park where we took a short siesta to catch up on lost sleep.

For dinner, we returned to a small restaurant we found earlier in the day near the market. We spent a long time drinking, eating more paella, and planning for our big day tomorrow! This evening was also the finale of the huge fireworks celebrations. Jessee, Michelle, and I, worked our way onto the bridge as the night before to secure an even better spot. Surprisingly, I met a group of students from Pullman, WA, in the crowd who chatted with us as we waited. Finally, the show began! I have never seen anything like the fireworks finale in Valencia before in my life. The show lasted over 30 minutes, included a large scaffolding which they shot fireworks off of in all directions, and never ceased to amaze. I can't say enough as to how incredible the experience was. Although the main event of Las Fallas was to take place the next day, I would definitely return for the fireworks alone.

LAS FALLAS DAY 6: The Mascletá & La Cremá

Waking up the next morning, I made breakfast, packed my bag, and said goodbye to my incredible Airbnb host. I met up with our group at their hostel across the city and I gave them my backpack to keep there for the day. We all left together from the hostel and headed once again towards the Central Market. Snacks in hand, we walked around the corner to La Lonja -- The Silk Exchange. Although the large building was empty inside, the significance of the site is due to its history. One of the most prestigious places where silk was sold along the Silk Road, La Lonja symbolizes the rise of Valencia’s wealth and power within Spain and the world.

Being that we had all been out of the US for months, we could not resist the temptation of Taco Bell for a quick lunch before the Mascletà. Perfectly situated, all we had to do to partake in the Mascletà was squeeze out the door. The Mascletà itself is a very loud, smokey, and colorful, display of gunpowder and fireworks going off in the middle of the day. We packed ourselves in between the thousands of people to get a good view of the celebration and put in our earplugs. The spectacle was much different than anything I had experienced before! It was so loud you could feel the explosions in your chest and so much smoke was emitted that it even blocked out the sun.

As the Mascletà finished, we decided to take a long walk across the old canal to see the winning Falla out of the 700 entered that year. It was no surprise to see why L’Antiga took home the first place trophy. The childhood themed Falla had so much detail and was successfully able to connect to all ages and generations present. Everyone in our group was pretty tired after a long morning, so we decided to take a bus back to the center and rest before a late night.

That evening, we went out for yet another paella dinner! This time, I wanted to switch things up so a couple of us ordered arroz negro. With much of the same ingredients as seafood paella, arroz negro is a Valencian specialty that uses squid ink to dye and flavor the dish. While it wasn't my favorite dish of our trip, I was happy to have tried the squid ink...even though I may not order it again!

Finally, it was time for the concluding event of Las Fallas -- La Cremà. Near the restaurant where we ate dinner, we stayed to watch the burning of a large Falla. The celebration began with a short fireworks display before the Fallera lit the fuse to begin the roaring fire inside the structure. The whole event took place in a small square between residential buildings and firefighters worked hard to avoid damage. It was a truly incredible experience, yet a little sad, to watch the fire engulf such beautifully crafted Fallas.

An hour later, we made our way to the center plaza of the city for the grand burning of the enormous Ayunamiento Falla. Terribly timed, this was also the moment when Valencia experienced a rare out-of-season downpour of rain. To begin, again there was a large fireworks display before the Falla caught flame. Even from three city blocks away, we felt the heat on our faces from the fire. Although we were soaked to the bone, it was not a sight to be missed.

With my clothes and only pair of shoes still dripping with water, I collected my backpack from my friend’s hostel and left for the airport around 3am that evening. While it was a pretty rough night of no sleep and soaked shoes, I would not have changed a thing. I can’t wait to begin planning my trip back to Valencia next year -- ¡Vive Las Fallas!