Valencian: should you learn it when you live on the Costa Blanca?

On the Costa Blanca you'll soon spot signs in a language that isn't quite the Spanish you know: Valencian. Don't panic - here's what it really means for your daily life.

Two official languages

Castilian (Spanish) and Valencian are co-official across the Valencian Community. In the street, at work, in shops, Castilian is more than enough. Valencian shows up mainly in schools, public administration, signage and place names: you'll read Ajuntament (town hall), carrer (street), platja (beach), eixida (exit).

Where you actually hear it

It depends where you are. On the northern Costa Blanca, in the Marina Alta around Dénia and Xàbia and inland towards Alcoi, Valencian is very much alive; on the southern coast, around Torrevieja, Orihuela and the Vega Baja, Castilian dominates and you will rarely hear it. Many locals in the north switch between the two without thinking. Nobody expects you to speak it - but knowing a few words saves you hunting for the "exit" on a sign that only says eixida.

Should you learn it?

To get by, no. To integrate deeply and win people over, a few words always land well: bon dia (good morning), gràcies (thanks), bona vesprada (good afternoon). If your kids are in school here, they'll pick it up fast - it's compulsory in state schools, and they often become trilingual without noticing.

Where to learn it, if you want to go further

Start with Spanish - that's the absolute priority. For Valencian, the Escoles Oficials d'Idiomes (EOI) run very affordable public courses, and plenty of associations offer workshops. The Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua also has free resources online.

Sources

• Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua
• Escoles Oficials d'Idiomes (Generalitat Valenciana)

Information verified in July 2026. The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human review. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@thedailycostablanca.com or visit thedailycostablanca.com.