Afternoons at Hotel Las Arenas de València

The tardeo is a Valencian and Alicante habit that takes visitors a while to understand: going out in the afternoon instead of at night. It starts while it is still light, there is music and there are drinks, and it winds down at the hour when other cities are only beginning. In August the logic is practical. By late afternoon the heat has eased, and Spanish dinner is still hours away.

Where the Hotel Las Arenas is

It sits on Carrer d'Eugènia Viñes in the Poblats Marítims, on the seafront promenade beside the Cabanyal. That means you can stack the day: afternoon on Malva-rosa or Las Arenas beach, a shower, then straight on without moving the car. If you have not decided which beach, this comparison covers the three easiest to reach.

Getting there, and what to expect

The metro reaches the beach: Metrovalencia's tram runs out to the Poblats Marítims and several EMT bus lines come down to the promenade, so no car is needed. This is a hotel rather than a beach bar, so people dress for it. Swimwear and a towel over the shoulder will feel wrong. The offer is cocktails, food and a varied music programme, and it runs until 31 August. Prices, which afternoons are on and whether you need to book a table are not stated here, so confirm them on the official page.

The neighbourhood, before or after

The Cabanyal is the reason to come out here anyway: tiled house fronts, a grid of low streets and a neighbourhood life nothing like the old town. A few blocks away is Casa Montaña, a tavern dating from 1836 and one of the city's standard vermouth-and-tinned-fish stops, and La Fábrica de Hielo, an old ice factory turned cultural venue. For more places to eat standing up, see where to go for tapas.