Albufera Nature Reserve

Any trip to Valencia would be incomplete without trying paella. Albufera is the birthplace of this dish and is only 10km from the centre of Valencia. If you have a free afternoon it is easy to visit by car or with public transport.

Albufera Nature Reserve is renowned for its array of birds and is great for seeing a range of migratory birds. El Palmar is a restaurant village found in the area where you can get the freshest paella surrounded by rice fields. You can spend a lovely Sunday afternoon here and enjoy a great meal, boat ride and amazing sunset.

First things first - many mistakes were made in the planning and execution of our day trip to Albufera. However, now you can benefit from these and have a very enjoyable experience! For greater independence I would recommend visiting by car, although with some careful planning and flexibility you can definitely visit using public transport. In spite of roads that I would consider unsafe for cyclists, this was still the mode of choice for some people. A tourist bus is also available for a whirlwind 2 hour trip costing 17 euro for adults. We chose to use public transport and unfortunately Google was giving us some incorrect information. This lead to some unpleasant walking along the unsafe roads and some lengthy wait times. Fortunately the fantastic paella and beautiful sunset made it a worthwhile trip.

“For greater independence I would recommend visiting by car, although with with some careful planning and flexibility you can definitely visit using public transport.”

Getting to El Palma

The number 25 bus will take you out of Valencia straight to El Palmar and has several stops in the city centre where you can board. The low cost of 1.50 euro per trip is very enticing but be sure that your bus is heading to El Palmar and NOT to El Perellonet (we made this error and had a very uncomfortable walk!). I would suggest taking a look at the real life timetable at the bus stop a day or two before you plan to travel to make sure you have the correct route and time. It should be displayed on the front of the bus too. The trip should take approximately 45 mins. When you arrive in El Palmar be sure to check the timetable at the bus stop so that you can plan ahead to avoid long waits.

If you choose to drive there is ample parking available as you enter the village. Just make sure you enjoy your wine responsibly and have a designated driver!

What to do in El Palmar

El Palmar is a cute little village that is essentially made up of restaurants. This makes sense considering it is surrounded by rice fields! Sunday is traditionally paella day (it's like the Sunday roast of Valencia!) and restaurants are open from 1pm to 4:30pm. I would suggest booking a table for around 3pm and arriving with a little time to explore the town before you enjoy a long, boozy lunch. You can also just walk in without a reservation but this time tends to be busy. It's quite small so about half an hour should be plenty of time to do it. When exploring the village be sure to check out the traditional barracas used by fishermen complete with white walls and thatched roofs.

You can't visit El Palma without sampling the paella - you can't get much fresher than this! There are many restaurants to choose from with traditional paellas and we chose Planta Azul because of their vegan paella. Inside is air-conditioned for those hot afternoons and outdoor seating is also available. The paella is for two people and it did not disappoint! The rioja complimented the dish and the cava sorbet was a nice finish to the meal.

After enjoying a filling lunch you can easily find a boat trip from the canal side to let it all digest. They usually last for 50mins and cost around 4 euro. English speaking guides are almost non-existent but the general explanation is about the history of the lake and the importance of this ecological area. You will find all of the restaurants closed after your return and we found just one bar and one bakery still open. If you have time to kill before getting back on the bus, treat yourself to an ice cold beer or horchata. If not, just pick up some roadies before heading back to the bus stop.

Spectacular sunset stop

If time permits, you MUST stop for one of the most spectacular sunsets over the lake. The best viewpoint for this was ... and the bus has a stop right there. Our bus times didn't allow for us to get off here but we were luckily able to experience a glimpse of it while heading back into Valencia. I would recommend enjoying your roadies here and enjoying the moment. Then back on the bus for your return... A day well spent!

Got extra time?

Head to El Saler beach for a dip before going in to El Palmar for paella. The beaches are less crowded here than those closer to Valencia so you can enjoy a bit more seclusion. Remember to bring the sunblock!