Beyond Valencia
La Albufera and El Palmar: the back story
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout La Albufera and El Palmar: the back story
The Albufera is a large freshwater lagoon south of Valencia, ringed by rice fields and separated from the sea by the dunes and pines of the Devesa. In the middle, El Palmar is the village where the rice restaurants cluster.
Getting there
By car or taxi, south of the city; the natural park’s information centre is on Avinguda dels Pinars (parquesnaturales.gva.es).
The lagoon
The water, the rice fields and the birds; boats take visitors out from El Palmar.
Go for lunch, stay for the sunset over the water.
Eating
Arrocería Maribel in El Palmar holds a Bib Gourmand (2026).
Our advice: book lunch, and stay for the sunset.
Why it's on our list
- Getting there
- The lagoon
- Eating
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with La Albufera and El Palmar: the back story before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from La Albufera and El Palmar: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Oceanogràfic16 kmCar or taxi 49 min
- City of Arts and Sciences17 kmCar or taxi 50 min
- Mercado de Colón18 kmCar or taxi 54 min
- Mercado Central19 kmCar or taxi 56 min
- La Lonja19 kmCar or taxi 56 min
- Valencia Cathedral19 kmCar or taxi 56 min
- Malvarrosa beach19 kmCar or taxi 57 min
- Museu de Belles Arts19 kmCar or taxi 57 min
- Torres de Serranos20 kmCar or taxi 57 min
- Valencia Airport24 kmCar or taxi 68 min
Main railway stations
- Valencia Joaquín Sorolla17 kmCar or taxi 52 min
- Estació del Nord18 kmCar or taxi 53 min