Disclosure: I was given a complimentary tour of the street art in Valencia in exchange for this review but as always, all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links.
What first comes to mind when you think of Valencia, Spain? Perhaps it’s the fiery Las Fallas festival, the impressive City of Arts and Sciences or the delicious paella. But what most people don’t know is that Valencia has a prominent street art scene.
Street art in Valencia has been popular since the early 90s amongst both local and international artists alike. Now the city boasts many local street art festivals that attract collaborations amongst some of the best street artists in the world.
Although I enjoy seeing art in museums, there’s something exhilarating about street art. It’s relevant. It’s bold. It’s educational. Street art provides you with an insider’s look at culture and is arguably the best way to understand the values and struggles of the locals by the locals.
I had the pleasure of getting up close and personal with the works of street artists on this Street Art Tour in Valencia. Although I had done my fair share of street art exploring while wandering through the cobblestoned streets of the Valencia old town, I knew almost nothing about the arts scene.
That’s where my tour guide came in. She’s a street art enthusiast to the max and incredibly knowledgeable about the arts scene and the street art in Valencia. Not only does she go hunting for new art in her spare time, but she’s also met a lot of these artists personally. How’s that for some serious street cred?
I’ll give you some more details about the tour itself later in this post, but first, let’s meet some of the prominent artists that dot the streets of Valencia!
Table of Contents
Prominent Street Artists of Valencia, Spain
Street art changes constantly and the art in Valencia is no exception to this rule. I’m sure that many of the murals that dotted the streets of Valencia a few years ago have since changed, but I’m confident that many of these artists are still present. This overview of artists is great if you want to do your own DIY street art walking tour in Valencia or if you simply want to know what to expect on your tour.
Book your Valencia street art tour here
Glub
Glub is one of the pioneers of the Spanish graffiti scene. He has so much respect that nobody will paint over his work and his pieces have been featured all over the world. You can check out a few of them here.
David de Limón
His iconic not-quite-ninjas-but-look-like-ninjas can literally be found all over the streets of Valencia in various forms. My guide told me they’re actually masked men. They are often times incorporated into other artists’ work. Scavenger hunt, anyone?
La Nena
La Nena is one of the most popular female street artists in Valencia, and her stencil of the woman pictured on the right can be found on various buildings throughout the city. I later learned that this actually a self-portrait-turned-cartoon as can be seen from her Instagram.
Escif
I found Escif’s work to be particularly mind blowing. Not only is it distinct in style, but that style seems nearly impossible to create with a spray can. His critical messages are often political and cultural in nature, using simple figures to deliver complex messages. More Escif can be found on his Instagram.
Felipe Pantone
This Argentinean-Spanish artist is known for these crazy optical illusions and vibrant colors, making his work instantly recognizable. He mainly focuses on how color and light interact and his work is prominently displayed both on the streets and in various museum exhibits around the world. Check him out here.
MRBT62
Just like David de Limon’s non-ninjas, you can find these photographer figures all over Valencia – in both spray paint and sticker form. As you can see, his message is clear: graffiti only counts if it’s illegal. However, i interpret it as the limitlessness of artistic expression comes when you aren’t being paid for your work. Is that what he actually means? Who knows? Art is all about how you interpret it. You can follow him here.
Disneylexya
Disneylexya is a Mexican street art, which becomes obvious once you look closer at the vivid colors and indigenous inspired designs. Having grown up in Southern California, I’ve been exposed to a lot more Mexican art than Spanish art, and it’s cool to see a fusion of the cultures in these colorful pieces. Follow her here.
Blu
Blu is an Italian street artist who travels the world painting murals. Fun fact – this iconic Moses with a snake beard wall is the most Instagrammed wall in Valencia. I’m not really sure what the meaning is behind it but I totally understand the fascination!
Deih
Deih has tons and tons of pieces scattered throughout Valencia. By the end of the tour, I was getting really good at spotting his swirly and futuristic murals among the rest of the street art in Valencia. Follow him here.
Mucho Queso
I kid you not, this graffiti artist paints cheese cubes all over the city. I feel like we’d get along. #CheeseLoversUnite
Dyboski
Although this isn’t a piece my amateur and untrained eye would have considered street art, it totally is. These self-portraits are quite easy to spot with their distinct style. Dyboski isn’t just a street artist either – she’s also a sculptor and has quite a distinct, albeit not-to-my-taste style. Check her out here.
Julieta
Unlike many of the other artists that depict satire or politics, Julieta’s cartoon-like pieces are happy and bright and meant to be enjoyed by all. Her message is essentially that street art should spread happiness and joy and that’s definitely evidenced by her colorful work. Now that’s a message I can get behind! She’s part of the XLF crew with Deih and paints collaborations with him often. Follow her here.
Artist Collaborations
Arguably some of the coolest murals to see are the collaboration pieces between the different artists. Once I’d learned more about them and their distinct styles, it was fun trying to figure out who contributed which part to each piece. Think you can guess who contributed to the murals below?
Other Cool Street Art in Valencia
Unique Street Art in Valencia
Apparently, street art includes a variety of mediums, not just graffiti and murals. The more you know!
Cross stitch yarn bombing
I know, I know – what a name! If you look closely, this building is actually covered with wire, which provides the canvas for where artist Raquel Rodrigo stitched this design. I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.
Vinyl photographs
I had no idea that vinyl photographs could be considered street art, but they are. I can’t remember the name of the artist who took these, but he photographed a bunch of interesting characters from the eclectic El Carmen neighborhood and posted these photos throughout town. Cool, huh?
Valencia Street Art Tour Review
This was my first time doing an official street art tour and I’m confident it won’t be my last. The best part of this tour was that it didn’t feel like a tour. In fact, I felt like my guide was an old friend who just happened to know a ton about street art in Valencia. Those of you who know me personally know I’m terrible with names, but somehow, I’ve managed to remember the names of over a dozen of these street artists because the tour was that good.
Obviously, my descriptions are much more succinct than my guide’s. She answered all 1,000,000 of my questions and even showed me photos of older pieces of art that have since been painted over. However, I did manage to impress my local Valencian friend with my newfound knowledge when I spotted a David de Limón piece. I clearly learned a lot!
If you’re planning on visiting Valencia and want to see more than the churches, museums and the beach (not that there’s anything wrong with those), I highly recommend you do the Valencia Street Art Tour. What better way to educate yourself about local culture than through the eyes of the artists themselves? Besides, because street art is so fluid, the content of this tour changes from time to time; my guide reminded me to take plenty of photos because we would frequently stumble upon freshly painted pieces. It’s pretty cool to think I could do this tour again the next time I’m in Valencia and see completely different murals than the ones I’ve posted here.
Additional information about the tour
- The 3-hour tour starts at 10:30 AM in front of the Mercado Central. People are still waking up from their siestas at this point, so it’s the best time to get photos and avoid the crowds.
- The tour takes place in the eclectic / hipster El Carmen neighborhood and ends at the Central Market.
- The final stop is at a local Valencian brewery for all the beer lovers out there. Or in my case – a refreshing Fanta ;).
- You can book it HERE.
Note: If you’re spending a longer period of time in Valencia like I did, consider doing a paella cooking class and a food tour while you’re in town! And don’t forget to refer to my two comprehensive guides on awesome things to do and best places to eat in Valencia!
More Spain Resources
Planning a trip to Spain soon? Check out ALL my posts on Spain below:- Spain Travel Guide
- The Budget Guide to Barcelona
- The Ultimate Valencia Travel Guide: 20+ Awesome Things to Do in Valencia, Spain
- The Foodie Guide to the Best Restaurants in Valencia Spain
- The Best Paella Cooking Class in Valencia Spain: Escuela de Arroces
- Valencia Food Tour: Treats and Tastes with Valencia Urban Adventures
- Exploring Street Art in Valencia, Spain
- Budget Guide to Madrid
- The Solo Traveler Guide to Andalusia, Spain
- Tapas and Taverns with Madrid Food Tours
- A Weekend Guide to Bilbao
- The Art of Finding and Ordering the Best Pintxos in San Sebastian
- 24 Hours in Valencia: A Tale of Enchantment
- Why I’m Spending Summer in Valencia, Spain
- Sleeping and Socializing: Cats Hostel Madrid Lavapiés Review
- EatWith Review: Dining with Locals and Spain in Beyond
Tell me: Did you know about street art in Valencia? Do you ever search for local art while traveling? Which city do you admire the most for its art? Share in the comments below!
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I actually did this tour when I was in Valencia a few weeks ago! Lenny is the nicest person and she helped me have a great time in the city. I remember a lot of those works–who can forget Mucho Queso? I’ve only had good experiences with Urban Adventures tours, I have to say.
Oh how funny! We just missed each other then. And yes Lenny definitely went above and beyond as a tour guide and as a local sharing her knowledge! SO friendly and helpful. This was my first time with Urban Adventures and it definitely won’t be my last!
Wow i feel like I have just had a lesson in street art. I am not the most knowledgeable person on art in general but I had never even year of cross stitch yarn bombing! So many great pieces that I really loved. The tour sounds like a lot of fun too! I will definitely consider Urban Adventure tours in the future 🙂
Yessss that’s exactly how I felt! I’ve always admired street art but knew almost nothing about it until this tour. The cross stitch yarn bombing was one of the coolest parts :). And yes, Urban Adventures has tours in most major cities so you should definitely check them out! If they’re anything like this one then you’ll be seriously impressed!
I love this post soo much! I would love to go see all of these in Valencia! I love how you showcase each artist! I think my favorite are Blu & La Nena! Thanks for sharing! This definitely has inspired what I would like to do when we go to Spain!
Thanks! I really hope you get a chance to go to Valencia when you go to Spain. It’s a gorgeous city and has something for everyone. And DEFINITELY do this tour. The tour guide, Lenny, went above and beyond in making sure I had a good time!
I would love to visit Valencia, one bit of Spain I seem to have missed somehow. I loved the rabbit and the chicken, brilliant!
I know what you mean! It took me 3 visits until I finally made it to Valencia, but now it’s one of my favorites! It’s the perfect city – beach, old town, modern architecture, etc. Plus, it’s small enough where you can walk everywhere but there’s still plenty to do here. Definitely visit if you get chance!
When I visited Valencia I had a day to spend there, had no idea street art tours exist. I would definitely go for this kind of tour next time.
Oh yeah, next time you should definitely go! It’s a great way to learn more about the city :). Urban Adventures also offers tours all over the world, so you should see what sort of offerings they have wherever you travel next!
Ahh this is awesome. I love street art — so fun! I hope to visit Spain very soon — all I hear are good things. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Spain is the besttttt. Seriously, one of my fave countries to travel in. Don’t miss out on Valencia when you go either – it’s a very underrated city.
Lately, I’ve been obsessing over street art as well. Not in the cultural or historical sense but to be honest, because they look so cool. I love going out of my way, exploring and finding interesting street art because it takes you places you wouldn’t go normally. I’m in process of doing a street art guide (where to find them) in Bangkok.
I’d love to visit these exhibitions cuz they look so cool.
That’s awesome! I agree wholeheartedly with you on that front…I always try to find street art when I travel because it looks cool and because you find interesting neighborhoods. But it was amazing to be able to do this tour and learn more about the pieces and the artists as well.
I can’t wait to see your Bangkok guide though! I’ll be there for a few days in September exploring so I’d love to check it out. And you should definitely do this tour whenever you visit Valencia. It makes you appreciate the art so much more when you know more about the artists.
Street art adds so much character, charm and intrigue to any city! I love how people embraced it instead of rejecting it and painting it over because it’s “graffiti” – some cities around here could use some street art…
Totally! I love learning the meanings behind the different pieces as well. In Valencia, it’s technically illegal but they clearly turn a blind eye because it can be found all over the place! I think all cities should have street art to be honest, especially pieces by the more well-known artists!
Oh this is amazing. I love street art and this post is great, so detailed!
Thanks! Glad you liked it 🙂
What a cool tour! I’ve never done a street art tour, but it sounds like great fun, especially in such an art-filled city! My favorites are the girl catching birds in the boat and the cross-stitch! The cross stitching is so unique! I love it!
I highly recommend it if you get a chance! I can totally vouch for the amazingness that was this tour in particular. I learned SO much about the different artists and their styles and it made me appreciate the art even more. Yessss the cross stitch really blew my mind. I’ve never seen anything like it elsewhere.
This blog entry was so much fun to read! Your photography is amazing and I love seeing Valencia’s street art through your lens. I always thought I want to see more of London’s street art. Having a guide with you must have been fantastic – I have just come back from a trip to Jerusalem, that I discovered with a guide, which was so much fun and it does feel like wandering through the streets with a friend.
Thank you, Miriam 🙂
I agree with you wholeheartedly! I can definitely appreciate street art on its own but it’s 10x better with a guide who can provide context about the artists and meanings. Glad to hear you had a good guide in Jerusalem. Sometimes they’re very hit and miss!
As for London, I’ve heard great things about the Shoreditch Street Art tour. I’ve never done it but know a few people who rave about it :). You should check that out. And if you ever find you ever find yourself in Valencia, definitely do this tour!
The Shoreditch Street Art tour sounds interesting – will definetely check it out! Thanks for the tip!
I can’t wait to try authentic Horchata
It’s SO good! You’ll love it!
Loved your post. I get so excited by street art as it gives me a quick local flavour :). Loved the Ninja characters totally !
Thanks so much! And yessss the ninja characters are my faves, especially because they’re all around the city. If you find yourself in Valencia, I highly recommend this tour 🙂