Albufera Natural Park

Albufera Natural Park (Valencian: Parc Natural de l'Albufera de València, Spanish: Parque natural de la Albufera, or simply Albufera), is a large natural park in the Valencian Community, Spain.

Understand
The natural park encompasses the lake of Albufera (from Arabic: البحيرة al-buhayra – 'small sea'), the villages of Pinedo, El Saler, El Palmar, and Perellonet, and the surrounding wetlands and agricultural area. It draws visitors from Valencia for its beaches, bird watching, and food.

History
Albufera is Spain's largest lake, and was originally a saltwater bay gradually separated from the sea by a large spit, which finally closed off the lagoon in the Roman period.

Fishing has always been the primary human activity in the area. The reclamation of land for growing rice began in the 17th century, which drastically reduced the surface area of the lake from approximately 30,000 to 2,800 hectares. Over time the water also became more diluted, and today is mostly freshwater. In the mid-twentieth century the lake was further threatened by rampant development. Since the establishment of the natural park in 1990 the region is now protected from further development, and there has been progress in reestablishing vital wetland areas.

Flora and fauna
The Albufera provides summer breeding habitat for many birds, wintering grounds for others, and for still others is a critical layover spot during migration; in total more than 340 avian species have been identified here. Birds make good use of not only the lagoon itself but also the rice paddies surrounding it.

By car
The two-lane motorway CV-500 hugs the coast, connecting Valencia in the north with in the south, before heading southwest toward. From in the south, CV-502 heads directly north toward El Perellonet.

Traffic heading toward Valencia can get very congested on Sunday evenings; the only possibility to bypass this is to use CV-401, which begins just south of El Saler.

By bus
Valencia's leave from Carrer Navarro Reverter near Plaça Porta de la Mar. The 24 goes to El Palmar, and the 25 will take you to any of the beaches south of El Saler (both routes branch off at the stop called Pinars - Carretera Del Palmar). These buses run every half-hour 07:00-22:15, and a single journey costs (SUMA and Valencia Tourist Cards are accepted). A routemap and timetable can be downloaded here.

Alternatively, you can take the yellow (operated by Autocares Herca) from Gran Vía de les Germanies near the train station, in direction Perelló. The trip takes about 30 minutes; the bus runs hourly 07:55-19:15 with a single journey costing.

By bicycle
A paved, dedicated bike trail follows the coast for 10 km from Valencia, beginning at the large near the Centro Comercial El Saler and continuing to El Saler, avoiding traffic for most of the way. In El Saler the trail splits: the main trail stops just south of, and a side trail terminates at El Saler beach.

By taxi
A round-trip taxi ride from Valencia should cost between, depending on how far you go.

Fees and permits
There are no entrance fees or permits. Access to restricted areas for bird watching can be arranged only through a guide.

Get around
All the population centres are very small and are easily navigable by foot. To go further distances, see the alternatives listed above in 'Get in'.

Birdwatching
There are several English-speaking guide companies which can enable access to restricted areas, but there are also plenty of opportunities for casual birdwatchers, not only in the lagoon but in the rice paddies.



Beaches
South of is a long stretch of land with a dense pinewood, dunes and marshes that separates the lake from the sea. These beaches are on "protected" land and are the cleanest, most secluded beaches within easy reach of Valencia. Despite being very near the city, due to their protection and lack of the services of an urban or resort beach, they are generally pretty quiet, something not few people might prefer to the more urban beaches. The summer season generally runs from the beginning of June until the beginning of September, and during this period all beaches have lifeguards, first aid stations, and toilets (unlocked daily 10:00-19:30).



Eat
Albufera is known as the birthplace of Valencia's most famous rice dish, paella, which is believed to have developed from its Arabic roots into its current modern form around the mid-19th century. The most traditional version is paella valenciana, which includes white and green beans, chicken, rabbit, snails, and occasionally artichokes. Other versions include paella marisco, which replaces the meat with seafood and eliminates the green vegetables, and paella vegetariana, or vegetarian paella. Other local dishes include all i pebre, a stew with peppers, garlic, potatoes and eels, and espardenyà, a casserole-style dish incorporating the ingredients of paella valenciana but without the rice.

Most restaurants are clustered in the villages of El Saler and in El Palmar, which has highest concentration, almost all of them specializing in rice dishes and equally reliable. As eating paella in El Palmar is a very popular weekend excursion for Valencians, it's a good idea to choose a place to eat before the 14:00 midday rush when tables quickly disappear.