Mercado de Colón

The Mercado de Colón is an Art Nouveau market building and, by most locals' reckoning, still the city's most beautiful market. Its structure of iron, glass and polychrome ceramics stands in the Eixample, open and full of light, with two mosaic-decorated entrance arches. Vegetables are no longer sold here: after a long restoration it is a space of cafés, horchata bars, restaurants and terraces with a relaxed, local atmosphere.

History and architecture

It was designed by architect Francisco Mora Berenguer between 1914 and 1916 to serve the bourgeoisie of the new district, and opened on 24 December 1916. Mora trained in Barcelona and drew directly on the Catalan Art Nouveau of Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch, visible in the care given to every cast-iron column, exposed brick and mosaic. The façade blends art and message: it depicts commerce, agriculture and the abundance of the Valencian huerta.

What to see and taste

It's worth going in just to look up at the airy nave flooded with light. Notice the sculptural and ceramic details on the arches. Then sit down: this is home to the long-running Horchatería Daniel, serving artisan horchata from Alboraia since 1949 with its fartons, and it's worth trying. The basement holds more food venues.

Practical and insider

It's on Calle Jorge Juan in the Eixample, a stroll from the centre. Entry to the market is free and it opens daily; best mid-morning for almuerzo or at dusk for a drink. Local curiosity: for years there was a popular ice rink beneath the market, and in its 1990s overhaul several underground levels were excavated without touching the nave's historic structure. For more food plans nearby, see our guide to where to eat the best paella, pair it with a baroque coffee at Café de las Horas, and explore more Valencian gastronomy.