THE ENCHANTING STREETS OF CABANYAL-CANYAMELAR

Cabanyal-Canyamelar is a neighbourhood in Valencia, a short walk away from the Marina and the beach. Its architecture is something unique: row upon row of colourful houses, distinct from the rest of Valencia and most of Spain, and that’s because most of the country lives in flats, not houses. But Cabanyal is different; the streets are lined with enchanting homes with colorful paint or intricate tile unique to the area. The houses come in vibrant shades of the entire rainbow. While I was walking around the neighborhood, there was a fair number of historical homes being repaired and cared for! It was nice to see some fresh paint.

The area is a rare example of a different type of urban format in Spain. Since the rapid growth of Spain´s economy after the dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975, most construction projects were geared towards housing as many families as possible, and flats are often easier than houses to accomplish this goal. Preserving these houses has been very important to the local community. After plans to expand the Blasco Ibáñez Avenue were proposed in 1998, which would include the destruction of over 1,000 homes, the organization “Salvem el Cabanyal” (Save Cabanyal in Valencian), mobilized for the protection and preservation of the community. All plans to destroy the historic neighbourhood were halted in the local government in 2015, which now focuses on the very much needed restoration of the homes instead of their destruction for a road.

I’m personally very glad the expansion of the avenue was an unsuccessful plan. The barrio is not only unique in Spain, but in Valencia too. Just a 5-to-10-minute walk from the beach, you can walk what The Guardian referred to as the third coolest neighborhood in Europe in 2020! Anytime you’re visiting the beach in Valencia, stop by this neighbourhood to visit the homes the community worked hard to preserve.

Report by Bridget Callahan