Free walking tours in Sueca and what to see

Must-sees

Sueca is the capital of the Ribera Baixa and one of the great rice-growing towns of Valencia, with much of its land inside the Albufera Natural Park. In town it is worth following the Modernisme route, which takes in buildings such as the Ateneo Sueco del Socorro, the Casino de la Agricultura and the old asylum. The church of Nuestra Señora de Sales, known as the Convento, is dedicated to the patron saint and has its own museum. You can also visit the house of the writer Joan Fuster, the town's most famous son.

Outside the town, the landscape takes over. The rice fields change throughout the year, from the water that floods them to the green and gold of the harvest, and the hermitage of the Muntanyeta dels Sants, on a small hill in the middle of the fields, is the best viewpoint. Sueca also has about seven kilometres of beach, spread between El Perelló, Les Palmeres, Mareny Blau and other settlements, with dunes and fine sand.

Free tours and guided visits

There are no regular free walking tours in Sueca. The usual approach is to ask at the tourist offices in town and on the coast, which advise on the Modernisme and rice routes. For the Albufera, the most practical options are the boat trips and organised excursions from Valencia, which usually tour the lagoon and the nearby rice fields, and bike routes along the park's tracks.

How long to spend

A morning is enough for the centre, the Convento and a museum. If you want to climb the Muntanyeta dels Sants and tour the rice fields, give it the whole day, with a stop to eat rice, almost compulsory here. In summer, the beach invites you to stay several days. Sueca is known for its international paella competition, which fills the town with cooks and visitors.

Where to stay

If you come for the beach, the most convenient option is El Perelló or Les Palmeres, where there are apartments and a hotel or two near the sea. If the town interests you more, there are few options in the centre, but you will be close to everything. Cullera, very close, has much more choice, and Valencia is less than an hour away by train or car.