Today, the Turia Gardens are Valencia’s great green lung and one of the city’s most distinctive urban spaces. This long green ribbon stretches for almost 10 kilometres from west to east, crossing the city and linking neighbourhoods, historic landmarks and cultural areas as it gradually approaches the Mediterranean Sea. What is now a place to walk, exercise and relax was for centuries a riverbed: the course of the River Turia, a silent protagonist in Valencia’s history.
The Turia river, the origin of Valencia
At 286 kilometres long, the River Turia was the natural element that made the foundation and development of Valencia possible. Known to the Romans as Turia and to the Muslims as Guadalaviar — “the white river” — its presence was decisive in the founding of the city of Valentia in this strategic location close to the sea.
For millennia, the river flowed through the fertile valleys of the Valencian plain before reaching the Mediterranean, shaping the landscape and determining the region’s economic life. It was not merely a watercourse, but the backbone of the territory.
A river as an economic and communication axis
The River Turia was not only a source of water and fertility. It also functioned as a route of communication and transport, especially for inland areas. For centuries, the river connected the mountainous interior with the coast, facilitating the exchange of resources and supporting Valencia’s economic growth.
A clear example of this role can be found in the log drivers, an occupation that existed since medieval times and reached its peak between the 18th and 19th centuries. These workers guided large tree trunks downstream from the inland mountains to sawmills near Valencia.
Thanks to this dual agricultural and commercial function, the Turia drove trade, industry and urban expansion for centuries, establishing itself as the true economic and vital axis of the territory.
Floods: the Turia’s most dangerous side
This close relationship between Valencia and the River Turia was not always peaceful. The same river that ensured prosperity also periodically revealed its most unpredictable nature. Floods and overflows deeply marked the city’s history, reminding its inhabitants that they lived alongside a force of nature that was both essential and dangerous.
Valencia’s geographical location in a Mediterranean climate favoured episodes of torrential rainfall in inland areas. Weather phenomena now known as DANAs caused intense rainfall in the upper river basin, transferring enormous volumes of water into the riverbed. When this water reached the coastal plain where the city stood, the river would easily overflow.
From as early as the 14th century, floods frequently destroyed the wooden bridges crossing the river. As a result, from the 15th century onwards, solid stone bridges such as those of Trinidad and Serranos were built, although others like the Bridge of the Sea and the Royal Bridge required repeated repairs.
For centuries, Valencia learned to live with these floods, rebuilding again and again what the river destroyed. That coexistence came to an end in October 1957, when a devastating flood overflowed the riverbed, inundated large parts of the city and caused severe damage. That disaster marked a point of no return.
The Plan Sur and the birth of the Turia Gardens
After the 1957 flood, Valencia faced one of the greatest challenges in its urban history. Authorities decided to permanently divert the River Turia away from the city to prevent future flooding. This ambitious engineering project became known as the Plan Sur and involved constructing a new river channel to the south of the urban area.
The former riverbed was left empty and, for years, its future was debated. Proposals ranged from turning it into an urban motorway to a major traffic artery. Ultimately, thanks to strong public pressure, a decisive choice was made in 1979: the old riverbed would become a large public garden.
The garden is also Valencia’s main sports and leisure corridor, with running and cycling paths, sports facilities, and iconic landmarks such as the Palau de la Música, the Gulliver playground, the Bioparc and the City of Arts and Sciences.
The future: an expanding green corridor
Far from being a finished project, the Turia Gardens continue to evolve. Their maintenance requires increasing investment due to their vast size and the need to adapt to a more extreme climate, with intense heatwaves and prolonged droughts.
At the same time, new projects aim to strengthen their role as a green axis for the city. The River Mouth Park will extend the gardens from the Oceanogràfic area all the way to the sea, integrating the historic canal into new landscaped areas and pedestrian and cycling routes.
In the Grao district, a large green space combined with new residential areas is planned, while further inland the Turia Metropolitan Park will extend the green corridor, linking riverside towns through a continuous natural refuge.
In this way, the Turia Gardens remain a living piece of infrastructure that connects past, present and future — and one of the finest examples of how Valencia transformed its relationship with the river that gave it life.
