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Just a few kilometres from the centre of València lies a huge lake surrounded by rice fields, pine forests and dunes that run down to the sea.
This is L'Albufera Natural Park and, for many Valencians, it's their favourite nature getaway thanks to everything it offers and the many things you can do there.
What is L'Albufera?
L'Albufera Natural Park was declared a natural park in 1986 and covers the lake, the surrounding rice fields and the Devesa, the strip of woodland and dunes that separates it from the Mediterranean.
Within the park there are also villages such as El Palmar and El Saler, where people still make a living from rice and fishing – something that can't be said of many other places, where these centuries-old trades have gradually disappeared.
It's also a haven for birds: it is listed under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, it is a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) and, during the migration season, up to 300 different species can be counted here.
And yes, L’Albufera is where paella was born. The rice used to cook this iconic dish of our cuisine is grown right here, in the very fields you'll see from the road as you arrive.
How to get to L’Albufera and two great ideas along the way
The easiest option is to take the bus. EMT lines 24 and 25 leave from the centre of València and reach El Palmar and El Perellonet in under an hour. And with the València Tourist Card, the journey is free, too.
But if you'd rather make the most of the journey, you'll love these two options.
Go by bike with Bikes4Tours
By bike, getting there is part of the fun. The best thing is to set off from València's old town and watch how, little by little, the city gives way to the huerta (market gardens) and the natural park.
Bikes4Tours runs a guided route to L'Albufera that starts at the Torres de Serranos, goes down through the Turia Gardens, passes by the City of Arts and Sciences and continues through Pinedo to the Devesa.
It makes stops – unmissable ones – at the malladas (dune slacks), the Estany del Pujol and the Gola de Pujol jetty. Meanwhile, the guide explains everything you're seeing.
If you'd rather go on your own, there's a cycle lane from the City of Arts and Sciences to El Saler and the Devesa. It's a dream.
Take a boat trip on the lake
A boat trip is almost a must and makes perfect sense in L’Albufera because only from the water can you take in the canals, the clumps of vegetation in the middle of the lake and the birds up close.
The trip is made aboard an albuferenc, the flat-bottomed boat traditionally used by the lake's fishermen.
Visit Albufera sets off from El Saler and uses electric boats that make hardly any noise. They also organise sunset trips, rent out bikes and offer guided tours of the rice fields and the Devesa. And yes, you can get to L’Albufera by boat with them.
Meanwhile, El Bessó is a family-run business of boatmen from El Palmar. Their routes depart from the village's own jetty, right in the heart of L'Albufera, cross the lake through the canals and approach the Mata del Fang, a reserve where herons nest.
What to see in L’Albufera beyond the lake
Between the lake and the sea lies the Devesa de El Saler, a pine forest on dunes with several lagoons inside it.
To explore it on foot there are 6 signposted trails. The shortest is 300 metres long and the longest, the landscape trail, about 4 kilometres.
And of course, since it's a Natural Park, there are several interesting spots where you can make a quick stop:
- El Racó de l'Olla: if you're coming to see birds, the perfect place is the Racó de l'Olla Visitor Centre. It has a small exhibition about the park and a lookout tower with views over the whole reserve.
- The Casa Forestal (Forest Lodge): it has reopened after being closed for 30 years. Inside there is an 18th-century ceramic altarpiece, a traditional kitchen and an exhibition about how, in the 1960s, local residents mobilised against plans to build on the Devesa, a fight that ended with the area being declared a Natural Park in 1986.
- The beaches of L’Albufera: La Devesa is the star, with its 5 kilometres of unspoilt sand, pine trees and dunes. Very close by is La Garrofera, another equally quiet and sheltered option. And if you don't want to do without amenities, you can spend the day on El Saler or El Perellonet beach. There's also L'Arbre del Gos and Pinedo. There's no shortage of beaches!
Where to eat in L’Albufera
People come to L'Albufera to eat rice – whether as paella valenciana or creamy rice (arroz meloso) – that much is clear. The hard part is choosing where.
We recommend booking a table at Maravella, a modern alquería (traditional farmhouse) with a garden, a terrace and a traditional barraca (thatched cottage).
The best part is that they cook with vegetables from their own kitchen garden and the menu revolves around Valencian rice dishes, of course. One of the most popular is the one with cuttlefish, blanquet and figatell.
And if you're not coming to eat, make a note of it for a drink while watching the sunset from its terrace – it's amazing!
Another recommendation? Without a doubt, L'Estibador, in El Saler, right on the beachfront.
Here too, Valencian cuisine takes centre stage, with rice dishes, fideuà and chargrilled meats as the highlights.
Both are just before you reach L’Albufera from València, although the star spot in the area is undoubtedly El Palmar, home to some of the best-known restaurants.
Restaurants in El Palmar
El Palmar is the go-to place to stop and enjoy local rice. It's one of Valencians' favourite Sunday plans, no doubt about it.
Here you'll find El Palmar restaurant, Bon Aire and Restaurante Albufera, which opened in 1963 and was the first in the village.
At any of them, as well as paella, you must order all i pebre, a tapa of eel stewed with potato, paprika and chilli. It's the lake's most typical dish and you can't leave the area without trying it, so don't think twice.
Everything in one day? Yes.
If you want to combine all the plans we've been talking about, you can sign up for this boat trip and paella experience in El Palmar and leave all the worries to someone else.
And one final tip: stay to enjoy the incredible sunset over the lake from one of the jetties... it's the best in València.
