Meet People in Valencia: Classes, Clubs and Volunteering

Pick one weekly activity and keep turning up. The city youth service runs conversation classes for people born 1996 to 2014 and beginner outdoor Saturdays for people born 1996 to 2007, and the municipal libraries run free workshops and book clubs.

If you are three months in, working from home and with no one to call on a Saturday, pick one weekly activity and keep turning up. These are the city programmes that welcome newcomers.

Language classes: the easiest way to meet locals

Join the Idiomas Jóvenes conversation classes run by the city youth service. They cover English, Valencian, German, French and Italian, and groups take people born 1996 to 2014. Classes meet twice a week, and the second term runs from 1 February to 1 June.

Enrol online with a proof of age (DNI, TIE, NIE or passport) and proof of a link with the city, such as a padrón certificate, rental contract or employment contract. Places go in order of enrolment, so sign up as soon as the term opens. If you have to cancel, do it at least 72 hours ahead, or you can be barred from enrolling for 90 days.

Outdoor Saturdays

Aventúrate is the one to pick if you would rather climb than talk. It is for people born 1996 to 2007 and runs on Saturdays through the autumn, rotating caving, climbing, dry canyoning and a via ferrata. You need no experience, and a picnic comes with your place. You meet at the Torres de Serranos at 09:00; pick one activity, as you can only join one.

Running and volunteering

Runners can choose from 8 municipal races. If you would rather help than race, sports volunteering is open to anyone over 16, even if you do not play a sport. Email voluntariatesportiu@fdmvalencia.es, and the office calls you for an interview. The training course is free.

Libraries: free and close to home

Ask at your neighbourhood library for this month’s list. The programme is free and covers workshops, book clubs, talks and board games. Pick one book club and go back every time.

If you are over 60 or feeling isolated

The city programme for people over 60 on the padrón is free, with limited places. Municipal centres help with the online form. If you feel isolated, ask your health centre about AFiS, a referral programme that includes people in unwanted loneliness. No health centre yet? The GP registration guide explains how to get one.

Beyond the city programmes

Connections Valencia is a Meetup group for expats built around art and other creative activities. Falla commissions are another way in. A desk among other people helps too, and the coworking guide compares eight spaces. Choose your base with the neighbourhood guide, and parents should start with the guide to moving with children.

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Not confirmed: Prices: none is listed for the language classes or outdoor Saturdays, so check the activity page. Volunteering: the FDM page carries old figures, so email the volunteer office first.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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