I'm planning on taking a trip to Valencia this September, but something caught my eye in the Spain guide from Frommers. They said that the beaches directly north and south of the port are too poluted to swim in. This is the first I've read of that. Anyone know if it's true???

Also, how long of a bus or tram ride is it from the center of the old city to the beach? Is it quite a trip?

Thanks!

I don't know the answer to your questions, but here's a review of some of the beaches close to Valencia. It is in Spanish, with a brief reviews in English. Playas de Valencia

There are three beaches in the Valencia municipality that have earned a blue flag rating (these beaches have to meet all sorts of environmental and safety standards):
El Saler
La Devesa
Pinedo

You can see the whole list for the region of Valencia here:

http://www.blueflag.org/blueflag/2006/Spain/ComunidadValenciana?sort=municipality&order=asc

But just because a beach doesn't have a blue flag doesn't mean that the water isn't clean... it may not earn a flag because there is a riptide or no life guards or the access to the beach is difficult (which is the case for some of the prettiest beaches in Spain).

I've just come back from Valencia and I spent 2 days at the beach - the one(s) to the north of the harbour. I was very impressed by the quality of both the beaches and the sea, which I swam in on both days. The water was clear, seemed very clean and, almost a week later, I have not yet developed any diseases or allergies and all my organs seem to be functioning as well as ever! But seriously, it is a lovely strip of beach and the sea is really great for a dip - there was no seaweed, oil film, jellyfish, or any other rubbish floating about in/on it.

Another thing I liked about these beaches was that, unlike at Barcelona, there were no lowlife beachbums hanging around, and the ambience was really chilled. You can happily leave your stuff on the beach when you go for a swim and not have to worry about it (I certainly wouldn't have done that at Barca on my own!). Of course, I was there in the last week of Sept, and no doubt it gets a lot busier in July and August, but I'd be surprised if the type of people who go there would be any different, just more of them.

i agree with puppyfeat, valencia beaches are not only cleaner but nicer to be around. I usually spent my beachholidays in the south of france or the barcelona north of city. Last year try valencia for the first time and i like it better than barcelona.
of course my favorite is still lacanau-océan near bordeaux! but i am biased here ok

I ended up answering my own question, as we stayed on the beach for a week at the end of September. We LOVED the city and the beaches were pristine, at least when we went.

The bars and restaurants down near the port were great. If you're ever there, I'd highly recommend the mixed drinks at Gabanna. FABULOUS!

We stayed further north, on Calle Mare Nostrum, which was away from the crowds, and it provided us the opportunity for a nice 20-30 minute walk to get to the bars.

Now this thread give me some nice memories! I stayed in Valencia for about 6 weeks a generation ago. Most of the time at a camp site called Coll Vert near the Pinedo Playa (still exists). That was a great beach, and maybe still is? Anyway, it was only a short trip with the bus into the center of Valencia, which is perfect for combining peace and quiet with pulsating city life.
Oh happy days...