I am spending the winter (2018/19) here in Valencia. I have tried out both the Real Club Nautico (south of Valencia) and the Marina Valencia Norte (also called Real Juan Carlos 1).

Real Club Nautico is a good marina, with decent showers (clean and heated) some facilities (ship chandler, sailmakers etc) and probably the cheapest fares I have found around this area of Spain. There are 2 critical aspects to this marina:

1. noise/proximity to the industrial port. if you are a liveaboard it will soon make you feel like you are actually working for a container shipping company. the noise is a constant wherever you go in Valencia as the industrial port is literally in the middle of both marinas.

2. bus connection. this was the worst aspect for me. There is a bus stop (bus 15) right in front of the marina but the bus service is very limited (1 bus every 1.5- 2 hours…last bus at 9 pm) and what absolutely killed my stay here was that in Spain dogs are not allowed on public transportation and since I am travelling with my furry buddy this was a major obstacle. You could cycle to Valencia (20 min going through the industrial area …not so pleasant) or take a taxi about 12€ – 15€ to the town centre.

Marina Valencia Norte (also known as Marina Juan Carlos):
I was initially enthusiastic about this place, very close to anywhere with good connections to the town centre (bus 95 every 15 min). You still get the noise from the industrial port and probably even more smell of burned plastic as this marina is downwind from it (predominant westerly wind). The surroundings are nice, there is a cafe, some surf shops, 5 min walk to the beach (Malvarrosa) some restaurants (touristic) and 15 min walking to Cabanyal neighbourhood (my favourite). This marina is a public run company, meaning the staff is not so interested in providing a good service and definitely not interested to smile/be nice to you. Bathrooms/showers are several but although “newish” very poorly cleaned. Laundry also has a dirty feeling and drier doesn’t dry properly. the last negative aspect is the internet connection. Wifi signal is good but internet speed is so slow (0.25 mb/s)that you will be mad at your laptop for most of your time here. The price is ok if you sign a 3-month contract minimum.

Note: This comment was about the Real Club Nautico de Valencia.

Posted on behalf of Tony Hall:

The marina here has to be one to visit, well protected, clean showers, and cheap in comparison to most marinas I have come across so far this year. The berths are extremely generous. As you pull into the harbour, the fuel pontoon is on your right. Tie up and register at the office and a berth will be allocated. The price includes electric and water and was only €13.92 per night in June 2015.

Valencia itself is a great place with something for everyone. If you have bikes on board, Valencia is ideal with designated cycle tracks all around town. There are three routes you can follow to see the city and right through the centre runs a park with a cycle track from end to end, I would say it is at least 10km long.

Valencia
Marina Real Juan Carlos I
Monitor VHF channel 67
39º 27′ 45″ N / 0º 18′ 59″ W

This is a modern and expansive marina, and a component of the mighty infrastructure needed to host two America’s Cup Races, in 2007 and 2010. The huge adjacent beach is sandy with 300 meters of depth from the water’s edge to the busy beachfront promenade. There are bike trails, playgrounds, a carousel, and America’s Cup Museum to keep you entertained. This would be an attractive wintering spot for Mediterranean sailors.

The marina has all of the modern conveniences; sturdy docks, a small laundry room, and is within easy walking distance to the plethora of beachfront restaurants. It is also a short walk, 500 meters or so, to the metro train that gives you easy and inexpensive access to the old city. For cruisers, there is surprisingly no market within easy walking distance, but the Carrefour supermarket is a short taxi ride away, and the amazing 8,000 square meters Central market in the old town should be visited if possible.

This is a highly recommended marina and cruisers benefit the current oversupply of berths. The price for our 13-meter sailboat was 24€ per night, including water and electricity.