What to see in Requena
Requena is the great wine town of the province of València and one of the largest municipalities in Spain. Inland, at around 700 metres above sea level, the Barrio de la Villa, its medieval heart, crowns the town with a labyrinth of cobbled alleys, grand old houses and squares that preserve the feel of centuries past.
What to see
Beneath the Villa are the Cuevas de la Villa, a network of underground galleries carved into the rock that once stored wine and served as a refuge in times of conflict. Up top is the castle, with its keep of Muslim origin, now home to the Museum of the Wine Harvest Festival. Rounding out the visit are churches such as Santa María and El Salvador, and the Wine Museum in the Palacio del Cid. Requena is also the capital of the D.O. Utiel-Requena, famous for the native Bobal grape, with numerous wineries offering tastings and guided tours.
Getting there from València
By car it's about 70 km via the A-3 (just under an hour). Historically the C-3 Cercanías commuter line links València with Requena and Utiel; it's worth checking the service status before travelling.
Local tip
If you can, come in late August or early September for the Fiesta de la Vendimia, the oldest wine celebration in Spain, with grape-treading, tastings and a medieval market in the Villa. And don't leave without trying the embutido de Requena (local cured sausage), another of its hallmarks. To plan, see our day trips from València, the pretty villages near València and more villages in the province such as Chulilla.
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Town · FREERequena (Barrio de La Villa)Región — Requena-Utiel (a ~70 km de València)An inland medieval town known for its wine, with the La Villa quarter and an underground labyrinth of caves dug in the Muslim era beneath…
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CastleCastillo y Torre del HomenajeRequena — comarca Requena-Utiel · 💶 Keep tower 2 €; combined Caves + 4 museums ticket 8 €.A fortress of Moorish origin stands on the old-town ridge, with surviving walls and a 15th-century keep over 23 metres tall that now has…
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MonumentCuevas de la VillaRequena — Barrio de la Villa · 💶 Admission 4 €; reduced 3 €; under-18s free.Beneath the old town, an underground maze of about 22 caves carved out in Moorish times served as homes, granaries, silos and wine cellars.
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MonumentIglesia de Santa MaríaRequena — Barrio de la Villa · 💶 Included in the monumental complex combined ticket (Caves + 4 museums, 8 €).A Flamboyant Gothic doorway carved in stone, in the Barrio de la Villa old quarter.
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MuseumMuseo del Vino (Palacio del Cid)Requena — Barrio de la Villa · 💶 Included in the monumental complex combined ticket (Caves + 4 museums, 8 €).Set in the stately Palacio del Cid, this museum traces the history of the wine that made the Requena-Utiel region famous, through old…
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Church · FREETemplo de Santa MaríaBarrio de La Villa (casco histórico), RequenaDeclared a National Monument in 1931, Santa María is famed for its splendid early-16th-century flamboyant Isabelline Gothic doorway, whose…
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Church · FREEIglesia del SalvadorBarrio de La Villa (casco histórico), RequenaBegun in 1380 over a former hermitage to Santa Bárbara and completed in 1533, El Salvador was named the principal church of La Villa in…
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Church · FREEIglesia del Convento del CarmenCalle Carmen, casco urbano, RequenaLinked to a Carmelite convent of medieval origin, this Gothic-Baroque church preserves the Gothic chapel of the Virgen de la Soterraña and…
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Church · FREEAntiguo Convento de San FranciscoBarrio de La Loma, junto a la Hoya de Los Molinos, RequenaFounded by the Franciscans from 1576 and built between 1617 and 1639, this large complex of around 3,600 m² blends Renaissance and Baroque…
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Church · FREEIglesia de San Nicolás de BariRequena — Barrio de la VillaThe oldest of Requena's churches, built as a Gothic temple in the 15th century.
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MuseumCasa Museo de la Seda (Casa del Arte Mayor de la Seda)Requena — Barrio de la Villa · 💶 3 €A house bought in 1740 by the Silk Weavers' Guild as its headquarters, in a dead-end Moorish alley within the Barrio de la Villa, a…
- 🏛️MuseumMuseo de Arte Contemporáneo Florencio de la FuenteRequena — Barrio de la Villa
A museum beside the Cuesta del Ángel, in the heart of the historic quarter, gathering a donation by collector Florencio de la Fuente with…
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MuseumMuseo Municipal de Requena (Convento del Carmen)Requena — Barrio de la Villa · 💶 2 € (reduced 1.50 €)Set in the former Royal Convent of El Carmen, founded in the 13th century and taken into municipal hands after the 1836 disentailment.
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Church · FREEErmita de San SebastiánRequena — Barrio de la VillaA small chapel in the Las Peñas quarter that preserves an exceptional Mudéjar coffered ceiling resting on octagonal Gothic pillars,…
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Monument · FREEMonumento Universal a la VendimiaRequena — Barrio de la VillaA large monument some 18 metres tall on Avenida del Arrabal, by architect Ricardo Rosso and sculptor Esteve Edo, whose first phase was…
- 🍸Cool venueTeatro Principal de RequenaRequena — Barrio de la Villa
A theatre built in 1945 to plans by the Valencian architect Joaquín Rieta, over the former Teatro Circo of 1902, and fully restored in…
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Beach & nature · FREEParque Natural de las Hoces del CabrielRequena — Barrio de la VillaThe largest natural park in the Valencian Community (over 31,000 ha), shared by Requena, Venta del Moro and Villargordo del Cabriel.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Requena from València?
By car on the A-3 (Madrid-Valencia motorway), about 45 minutes. The fastest train is the AVE/AVANT, which reaches Requena-Utiel station in roughly 25 minutes. There's also a regular Monbus coach from València's bus station.
How long does it take from València to Requena?
About 45 minutes by car on the A-3. The AVE/AVANT does it in around 25 minutes to Requena-Utiel station, which sits 5.5 km from the centre in the village of San Antonio.
What is there to see in Requena?
The medieval La Villa quarter, with its castle and Torre del Homenaje, the Cuevas de la Villa carved beneath the houses, the churches of Santa María and El Salvador, and the Wine Museum in the Palacio del Cid. This is Bobal wine country, so a winery visit pairs well with the town.
Is Requena worth visiting with kids?
Yes. The Cuevas de la Villa and the underground passages tend to be a hit with children, and the historic centre is walkable without long stretches. It works as a half-day trip, or a full day if you add a winery.