Valencia might be trying her best to present herself as a cosmopolitan city girl, but just take a look at those dirt-encrusted fingernails and that sturdy frame: this girl is a farmer. The city is surrounded by farmland, to the north, south, and the west. And in the case of the Huerta Norte, the shift from “city” to “fields” happens suddenly, and much more quickly than you’d expect. You don’t have to journey far to experience the hard-working, farm girl side of Valencia.
Exploring the the fields of the Huerta Norte is probably best done by bike, but for today’s tour we decided to walk, starting from the Alboraya metro station. You can see more of the area on a bike, but walking gets you closer to the earth and allows you to better appreciate the amazing variety of produce grown here.
The fields around Valencia have been cultivated for over a thousand years and are one of Europe’s oldest continuously cultivated agricultural landscapes. Between the 8th and 13th centuries, during the region’s long period under Moorish rule, advanced irrigation canals were introduced which are still in use today. This makes up part of the community-based watering system regulated by the Tribunal de las Aguas every Thursday at Valencia’s Plaza de la Virgen.
In the north, they don’t grow any rice like they do just south of Valencia, but seemingly everything else. You’ll see artichokes, cabbage, squash, watermelons, potatoes, celery, lettuce, and of course the tigernut (xufa/chufa) which is used to make the famous Valencian drink called horchata.
We wondered how much of the produce we saw during our hike would eventually end up at the Mercado Central. Probably a lot of it! This walk was absolutely fantastic though there weren’t any big or exciting sights. Sometimes, it’s just nice to be out in the fields, getting some sun, and getting a reminder of where our food actually comes from.
From our Travel Blog.
La Huerta Norte Photos
