MERCADO DEL CABANYAL: THE PERFECT BEACHY STOP FOR A SHOP!

The ‘Mercado del Cabanyal’ is a beautiful public market located just a few minutes away from the beach in Valencia, which has a variety of stalls to shop from in and outside the Mercado building. The main categories include fish and meat, produce, wine, cheese, and baked goods. It is the perfect place to shop for a charcuterie board, a ripe peach, or a great cut of meat.It’s a great shopping location for fresh, quality ingredients from considerate local vendors. The market is very clean and pristine, with many farm-to-table options. The market featured a wide selection of cured meats, fresh catches from the sea, ripe seasonal fruits, quality coffee products, Spanish wines and artisan cheeses too.

The seafood selection has a lot of variety, including squid, lobster, prawns, clams, oysters, cuttlefish, octopus, and snails, all of which are regional favourites in Valencia and make great ingredients for paella. The snails were especially interesting to see because they were alive, crawling around the shop crates, one way to guarantee freshness! The produce selection was diverse and fresh, with only the ripest picks from the region. On the fruit side, there were all the summertime classics: cherries, peaches, pineapple, kiwis, mangos, dragon fruit, and more! The colours of the fruit and vegetable stands were so enticing, showcasing the ripest of the summer harvest.

The market had a variety of butcher stands with Spanish jamón, fresh cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. The butchers are ready to answer any questions you have about the cut of meat or the animal’s origin and cut fresh meat every day. There were several bakery stalls with fresh baguettes, Spanish chocolate croissants, cookies, and loaves of bread, and the aroma around them was quite nice. A great cheese is always nice to pair with some freshly baked bread, and Mercado del Cabanyal had no shortage of great cheeses from all over Spain and France.

Additionally, there were many quality wine stalls, great to have with your bread and cheese! When walking up to the market, you can see a labyrinth of street vendors selling anything from clothes and shoes to souvenirs and bags, all reasonably priced and stylish! These street vendors occupy the blocks around the market, and if you’re willing to look around, there are a lot of gems in there. The beach is a few blocks away from the market, and the breezes from the Mediterranean give a nice break from the intense Valencian heat. The market is amazing, and the areas around it makes it a great stop for a morning shopping spree or an afternoon trip for groceries. Whether you are in Valencia for a while or a short time, the market is a great stop coming to or from the beach!

Report by Bridget Callahan

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

Mercado Cabanyal

Martí Grajales, 4, Poblados Marítimos, 46011 València, Valencia