Padel in Valencia — a Volle Guide
Three years ago, we lived in Valencia. This time we came back with rackets, a WhatsApp group, and four weeks on the calendar.
This is the second entry in the journal that follows the sun — the first traced how we got here at all; Valencia felt like the natural place to pick the story back up.
The tournament announcement came through the WhatsApp group within days of arriving. Rob signed up. Tali joined the group class running at the same time, and we stayed on afterwards for drinks, making new friends before the trip had properly started. Old friends heard we were back before we'd finished unpacking. Some places you visit. This one, we returned to.
Where we stayed
An eclectic apartment in El Carmen, the kind of neighbourhood that rewards a bike more than a car. Close enough to cycle to the park most mornings, and close enough to walk to Central Market most days — which we did, more often than not.
Where we played
Calderona Wellness opened the trip — Rob's tournament, and Tali's group class running alongside it, both on the same afternoon. It's a stunning club, a genuine mix of indoor and outdoor courts, with the kind of social vibe that has a DJ playing in the evenings. About fifteen minutes' drive outside the city, and worth every minute of it. We were back a couple of weeks later for a different reason: Volle sponsored Padel Sisters Valencia's tournament there, and we showed the Jama set on court for it.
Beyond Calderona, Rob picked up a few games at 7 Padel — eleven indoor courts, centrally located, and about as easy as padel gets: book online and you're playing within the hour. It reads more as a padel sports club than a social one, which suited the quick games between other things. He also played at Enjoy! Samaranch, a looser mix of covered and uncovered outdoor courts with an indoor-outdoor gym on site — close enough to the beach that the whole place carries a beach-leisure feel rather than a strictly sporting one.
The best coaching sessions of the whole four weeks, though, came from ACE Academy — the kind that quietly fixes something you didn't know was broken. Aner and Nico are top level coaches, the best coaching experience Rob has had, fully recommend them players of all levels.
Market days
Most mornings started at Central Market — peaches and figs with yoghurt back home. Lunch went one of two ways: a bocadillo of jamón and queso carried home, or pintxos in the shade of the palm trees with a glass of Agua de Valencia, depending on the day. Dinner was often home-cooked, built from whatever inspired us at the market that morning.
A lovely woman at Café de Camilo sold us ground coffee beans for our morning coffee at home, and Consum covered everything else — groceries, and cheap but genuinely good bottles of wine.
Our favourite swim
Malvarrosa. The bikes made it an easy decision most afternoons rather than a planned outing — close enough that "should we go to the beach" and "we're at the beach" were separated by about twenty minutes.
Staying in rhythm
Not every day was a match or a night out. Viva Gym filled the days in between padel, with boot camp in the park some weeks, old friends included. More nights were spent cooking at home than eating out — except for Camiri, home to our favourite burger ever, worth the exception three times over.
Evenings that had nothing to do with padel
Thursday nights meant pub quiz. Some nights meant salsa and bachata on a terrace overlooking the marina. Others were slower — Tinto de Verano and a long catch-up with friends, going nowhere in particular. Viriato was practically on our doorstep, so wine there needed no plan at all. Ruzafa had our favourite tapas at La Santa, and Argentinian milanesa at Estación Cero on the nights we wanted something different.
What we packed
Packing for a month in Valencia looked the same as packing for anywhere else on the road.
Our suitcases already carry daily life. A few things always make the cut: rackets, padel shoes, Volle outfits, sweatbands, quick-dry towels, water bottles we refill instead of replace, and enough sunscreen for a Mediterranean June.
June was already hot, so no jackets or jeans needed. A washing machine in the apartment meant we could pack fewer clothes, and had room to spare.
Rob's go-to was our men's padel shirt, cut from Forma — built to shed heat through four weeks of matches that never let up. Tali packed two pieces from our women's padel clothing — the Mango Jama outfit for the group class at Calderona, and the Julianna for casual hits closer to the apartment.
Three things we'd do differently
Truthfully, not much. Four weeks of playing, cooking, dancing, and turning up wherever felt right — that's the version we'd happily repeat, not rewrite.
Next stop
We're writing this from a train to Alicante. More on that one soon.
