Albufera Lakes
Just a short drive from Valencia City lies the village of El Palmar and the L'Albufera Nature Park. The lakes were in fact over ten times larger back in the Middle Ages but as farmers took over the marshlands and turned them into rice fields the lakes were gradually reduced but are still considered one of the largest freshwater lakes in Spain.
A slim strip of coastline protects the area from the sea and here sand dunes have formed along with a Mediterranean pine forest and the area is connected to the sea by three canals, two natural and a third man-made.
Although one of the largest lakes, approximately a tenth is taken up by reed beds and interior islands known as matas and the depth varies from just 1 to 2.5 metres.
The lakes are an important stop-over point for migratory birds and also a nesting area for the resident birds including mallards, wigeon and red crested pochards.
The village of El Palmar is more or less surrounded by L'Albufera and here you can sample the famous Valencian paella in one of the many restaurants that can be found here.
Paella originated in the 8th C when the Moors first brought to El Palmer, sacks of a strange white grain called rice. The local Valencians garnished the rice with readily available ingredients – vegetables, snails, and perhaps a rabbit and the original paella was born. It was everyday food for field workers, not a gourmet item garnished with shellfish and other seafood.
So where does the name “paella” come from? Some say that the dish was first prepared by a lover for his fiancée and that the word is a corruption of por ella (meaning 'for her'). Others say that “paella” is from the Arabic word "Baqiyah", which means “leftovers” (which were tossed onto the rice.) More likely, though, “paella” takes its name from the two-handled cooking pan, paella (from the Latin patella, meaning pan), in which the dish is traditionally cooked.
Don't forget to try one of the boat trips, especially at sunset, where you can take in the spectacular landscapes and admire the small fishing villages.
There is an Information Centre for getting better acquainted with the Albufera Lagoon Nature Park, located at Racó de l'Olla (tel. 96 162 7345), on the road to El Palmar.
Algar & La Mata Nature Park
Another natural park but in the south of the Valencian Comunidad is The Fuentes Del Algar (Algar Waterfalls).
The roads leading to Algar are surrounded by huge frameworks of netting which protect the many millions of kilos of nisperos which are produced in the Guadalest and Algar valleys.
The natural park has a variety of pools and waterfalls and visitors reach these on wooden walkways and a set of steps which are set into the rocks. There are different levels offering natural swimming pools and the higher you climb the colder they become.
On the opposite side of the river alongside a narrow canal you will come across the Arboretum which is full of Mediterranean spice plants. For those aches and pains you can purchase different medicinal herbs and perfumes in the Museo del Medio Ambiente or try some of the bottled and canned nisperos from the nearby stalls.
The Fonts D'Algar has its own restaurant, barbecue and picnic facilities and there is also an area designated for camping.
We go further south now to visit La Mata and Torrevieja Lagoons Nature Park which extend across Torrevieja, Los Montesinos and Guardamar del Segura areas. For many decades these have been used for salt extraction where the salt water is drawn from the Cabec de la Sal in Pinoso and left to dry in the sun until the water evaporates. This is another area for wintering and nesting birds such as the flamingo and various duck varieties.
Just to the north of the La Mata near to the mouth of the river Segura are the Guardamar dunes which have been created over the centuries from the wave and tidal deposits. There are hundreds of pine, palm and eucalyptus trees which were planted at the beginning of the 20th century to prevent the dunes from invading the urban areas.
So there you have it, just a few of the nature parks you can visit through the province and don't forget your camera.
Just a short drive from Valencia City lies the village of El Palmar and the L'Albufera Nature Park. The lakes were in fact over ten times larger back in the Middle Ages but as farmers took over the marshlands and turned them into rice fields the lakes were gradually reduced but are still considered one of the largest freshwater lakes in Spain.
A slim strip of coastline protects the area from the sea and here sand dunes have formed along with a Mediterranean pine forest and the area is connected to the sea by three canals, two natural and a third man-made.
Although one of the largest lakes, approximately a tenth is taken up by reed beds and interior islands known as matas and the depth varies from just 1 to 2.5 metres.
The lakes are an important stop-over point for migratory birds and also a nesting area for the resident birds including mallards, wigeon and red crested pochards.
The village of El Palmar is more or less surrounded by L'Albufera and here you can sample the famous Valencian paella in one of the many restaurants that can be found here.
Paella originated in the 8th C when the Moors first brought to El Palmer, sacks of a strange white grain called rice. The local Valencians garnished the rice with readily available ingredients – vegetables, snails, and perhaps a rabbit and the original paella was born. It was everyday food for field workers, not a gourmet item garnished with shellfish and other seafood.
So where does the name “paella” come from? Some say that the dish was first prepared by a lover for his fiancée and that the word is a corruption of por ella (meaning 'for her'). Others say that “paella” is from the Arabic word "Baqiyah", which means “leftovers” (which were tossed onto the rice.) More likely, though, “paella” takes its name from the two-handled cooking pan, paella (from the Latin patella, meaning pan), in which the dish is traditionally cooked.
Don't forget to try one of the boat trips, especially at sunset, where you can take in the spectacular landscapes and admire the small fishing villages.
There is an Information Centre for getting better acquainted with the Albufera Lagoon Nature Park, located at Racó de l'Olla (tel. 96 162 7345), on the road to El Palmar.
Algar & La Mata Nature Park
Another natural park but in the south of the Valencian Comunidad is The Fuentes Del Algar (Algar Waterfalls).
The roads leading to Algar are surrounded by huge frameworks of netting which protect the many millions of kilos of nisperos which are produced in the Guadalest and Algar valleys.
The natural park has a variety of pools and waterfalls and visitors reach these on wooden walkways and a set of steps which are set into the rocks. There are different levels offering natural swimming pools and the higher you climb the colder they become.
On the opposite side of the river alongside a narrow canal you will come across the Arboretum which is full of Mediterranean spice plants. For those aches and pains you can purchase different medicinal herbs and perfumes in the Museo del Medio Ambiente or try some of the bottled and canned nisperos from the nearby stalls.
The Fonts D'Algar has its own restaurant, barbecue and picnic facilities and there is also an area designated for camping.
We go further south now to visit La Mata and Torrevieja Lagoons Nature Park which extend across Torrevieja, Los Montesinos and Guardamar del Segura areas. For many decades these have been used for salt extraction where the salt water is drawn from the Cabec de la Sal in Pinoso and left to dry in the sun until the water evaporates. This is another area for wintering and nesting birds such as the flamingo and various duck varieties.
Just to the north of the La Mata near to the mouth of the river Segura are the Guardamar dunes which have been created over the centuries from the wave and tidal deposits. There are hundreds of pine, palm and eucalyptus trees which were planted at the beginning of the 20th century to prevent the dunes from invading the urban areas.
So there you have it, just a few of the nature parks you can visit through the province and don't forget your camera.
