Valencia has a nine kilometre park where its river used to be, and the river did not leave voluntarily. The flood of 14 October 1957 led to the Plan Sur, approved in 1958, which carried the Turia around the south of the city through a new channel built for 5,000 cubic metres per second. The Turia Gardens are a linear park of almost 9 kilometres laid out in the drained bed of the river, divided into 18 numbered sections. The old bed sat empty until 1979, when the council chose parkland over a motorway and commissioned Ricardo Bofill two years later.
What are the Turia Gardens and how are they organised? A linear park of almost 9 kilometres in the drained bed of the river Turia, divided into 18 numbered sections separated by bridges. Sports facilities sit between sections 3 and 6, Gulliver park in 12 and the City of Arts and Sciences in 15.
Walking it or cycling it
Nine kilometres in a straight line is the first decision, and it is worth making before setting off rather than halfway along. On foot the full length runs to roughly two hours without stopping; by bike it comes in comfortably under an hour, which is why the people using the park daily are overwhelmingly on two wheels.
There is a continuous cycle lane and footpath from end to end, with no road crossings, because the whole park sits below street level in the old channel. That is the feature that makes the Turia unusual among big urban parks: it is not a place you cross a road to reach the next bit of, it is one uninterrupted nine kilometre corridor with 18 bridges passing overhead.
The famous parts and their section numbers
Three things bring most visitors into the park, and all three have a number attached. Gulliver park is in section 12, between the Ángel Custodio bridge and the Puente del Reino, where a 70 metre reclining figure from Jonathan Swift’s novel doubles as a climbing frame and slide. Entry is free and it opens daily from 10am to 8pm.
The Palau de la Música is in section 11, between the Aragón and Ángel Custodio bridges, where the layout turns geometric and symmetrical around a large ornamental pool that keeps the sightlines to the building clear. The complex holds the auditorium, a temporary exhibition hall and a café.
The City of Arts and Sciences occupies section 15, on the right bank, running from the Palau de les Arts through the Hemisfèric, the science museum and the Ágora to the Oceanogràfic. Walking that stretch is free; going inside is not, and the arithmetic of which combined ticket pays off is in the guide to City of Arts and Sciences tickets.
How the numbering works
Numbers run west to east, inland towards the sea. Section 1 begins at the Nou d’Octubre bridge and ends at the Casa del Agua, the real entrance at that end of the park, beside the Parque de Cabecera and Bioparc.
| Section | Between | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | Nou d’Octubre bridge to the Casa del Agua | playgrounds, paths and cycle lane |
| Section 2 | from the Casa del Agua, on the old Azud de Rovella | NaTuria environmental interpretation centre |
| Section 3 | the sports stretch begins | athletics and training tracks, running, cycle lane |
| Sections 4 and 5 | Glorias Valencianas bridge to the Artes bridge | rugby pitch, skating rink, petanque, children’s climbing wall |
| Section 6 | San José bridge to the Trinidad bridge | football, softball and baseball, skate park, dog park |
| Section 7 | Trinidad bridge to the Puente del Real | archaeological remains found in the bed |
| Section 10 | Flores bridge to the Aragón bridge | geometric layout and symmetrical planting |
| Section 11 | Aragón bridge to the Ángel Custodio bridge | Palau de la Música, pool and water shows |
| Section 12 | Ángel Custodio bridge to the Puente del Reino | Gulliver park |
| Section 15 | right bank, final stretch | Palau de les Arts, Hemisfèric, science museum, Ágora, Oceanogràfic |
The sports stretch, sections 3 to 6
Four consecutive sections hold nearly all the sports facilities, so anyone wanting to run, skate or watch a game should enter there rather than in the centre. Athletics and training tracks sit in section 3, alongside the cycle lane and a playground.
Sections 4 and 5, between the Glorias Valencianas and Artes bridges, add a rugby pitch with its training area, a skating rink, petanque courts and a children’s climbing wall. Section 6, from the San José bridge to the Trinidad, is the fullest of the four: football pitches, a softball and baseball field, a skate park, an exercise circuit and a dog park.
That concentration explains a scene that puzzles first-time visitors. In section 11 the park is an ornamental pool in front of a concert hall; a kilometre west, in section 6, there is a baseball game going on.
Three entrances cover almost every plan:
- Ángel Custodio bridge for children. It lands directly at Gulliver park in section 12, open 10am to 8pm.
- Anywhere between sections 3 and 6 for sport. Running tracks, skating, football and the dog park sit in that four-section run.
- The eastern end for architecture. Section 15 delivers the City of Arts and Sciences without paying to walk past it.
Where to drop in
There is no main entrance, and looking for one is the usual mistake. With children, the useful access is the Ángel Custodio bridge, which lands directly at Gulliver. For running or skating, any descent between sections 3 and 6. For the Palau de la Música, the Aragón bridge. For the City of Arts, the eastern end.
All 18 bridges work as entrances, so the practical question is not where the gate is but which bridge sits nearest a metro stop. The network runs on the €1.50 zone A ticket set out in the guide to reaching every Valencia beach without a car, and if the weather turns, the schedule of free museums in Valencia covers places that are mostly a bridge away.
Frequently asked questions about the Turia Gardens
How long are the Turia Gardens?
Almost 9 kilometres, running from the western edge near Bioparc to the sea. There is a continuous cycle lane and footpath end to end, so the whole park can be crossed without leaving it or dealing with traffic at any point.
Which section of the Turia Gardens has Gulliver park?
Section 12, between the Ángel Custodio bridge and the Puente del Reino. Access is from the Ángel Custodio bridge and it opens daily from 10am to 8pm. The figure is 70 metres long and children climb and slide down it.
Should I walk or cycle the Turia Gardens?
Cycle if the plan is to see the whole park. Nine kilometres takes roughly two hours on foot without stopping and well under an hour by bike, which is why almost everyone using the park daily is on two wheels rather than walking it end to end.
Why are the Turia Gardens in a riverbed?
Because the river was moved. After the flood of 14 October 1957 the Turia was diverted south of the city under the Plan Sur, and in 1979 the council decided to turn the empty bed into parkland, commissioning Ricardo Bofill for the design in 1981.
Is Gulliver park free?
Yes, entry costs nothing. The park sits in section 12 of the Turia Gardens, opens daily from 10am to 8pm and is reached from the Ángel Custodio bridge. The 70 metre figure works as a climbing frame and slide rather than as a sculpture to look at.
Is the City of Arts and Sciences inside the Turia Gardens?
Yes, in section 15 on the right bank. The stretch begins at the Palau de les Arts and runs through the Hemisfèric, the science museum and the Ágora to the Oceanogràfic, which is where the park stops being garden and becomes architecture.
A city that lost its river in one night took twenty-two years to decide what to put in the gap, and got it right.