Point of interest
Parque Natural de la Albufera
in Valencia, Spain
Spain's largest freshwater lagoon, 10 km south of the city, where you can drift through rice paddies and reed beds and catch a famous sunset by boat.
Where it is
About 10 km south of Valencia, around Spain's largest freshwater lagoon, with the coastal pine forest of La Devesa and the rice fields of villages such as El Palmar.
What it is
An important wetland and birdwatching paradise, famous for its boat trips across the lagoon at sunset. The village of El Palmar nearby is the place to taste authentic paella and eel allipebre; ideal for a half-day in nature away from the city.
History
The Albufera was once a vast sea lagoon that shrank over the centuries through silting and rice cultivation, turning to fresh water. It was declared a natural park in 1986; the surrounding rice fields are seen as the birthplace of Valencian paella.