El Palmar brings together the Parc Natural de l'Albufera and a distinctive fishing and food culture. Rice fields, traditional boat trips and local dishes give a stay a range of possible focuses. When planning, you can decide how much to prioritise nature watching, local history and cuisine according to your interests.
Wetland and rice fields
El Palmar is located in the Parc Natural de l'Albufera. The Albufera is a freshwater lake formed from a former sea inlet. The wetland is one of Spain's internationally important wetlands, is included on the Ramsar List and is designated as a ZEPA Special Protection Area for birds.
On traditional boat trips around El Palmar, visitors can navigate between the rice fields and watch birds. Birdwatching can thus be combined with a trip through the rice-growing landscape. A two-hour Albufera–El Palmar experience devotes the first hour to visiting the marshland and learning about fishing, presented together with local fishermen. The second hour is spent on a boat trip on the lake.
Fishing, buildings and local history
The Comunidad de Pescadores de El Palmar was officially founded in 1857. The fishing community is associated with the drawing of fishing grounds in the Albufera: these grounds are called Redolins. The El Palmar landing stage is an important place for fishing and tourism.
Until the mid-20th century, bundles of rice were threshed by machines at the landing stage. The machines separated the rice grains from the straw; the straw was used to power a steam engine. The Iglesia Parroquial Jesuset de l’Hort dates from 1895. The Barracas in El Palmar, built from clay and reeds, reflect a different building tradition.
A visitor experience also brings together several local themes: it includes a boat trip, a visit to the Museo EtnolĂłgico and a focus on rice cultivation. Fishing, landscape and rice can thus be encountered in different contexts, rather than being combined into a single activity.
All i pebre, EspardenyĂ and paella
All i pebre from El Palmar is made with eel and potatoes. The lesser-known EspardenyĂ resembles this dish and has a hundred-year history. When it is prepared, a duck sofrito is added to the All i pebre. The two dishes therefore share a connection to All i pebre, but differ in how the EspardenyĂ is prepared.
The Taller de paella teaches participants how to prepare a typical Valencian paella. The workshop also includes a competition in which two teams compete to make the best paella; afterwards, the dishes they have prepared are tasted. Check the current arrangements before booking. Another opportunity to bring local cuisine together with the events calendar is the traditional Allipebre competition, Villa del Palmar. It has been held annually since 2010, on the first or second Monday in July, in the streets of El Palmar. Check the exact date for your year of travel.
Routes around El Palmar
The “El Palmar-L'Estell” route starts in El Palmar. Another route, “De Valencia a Sueca”, passes through El Palmar and includes other places, among them Valencia, Pinedo, El Saler, El Perellonet, El Perelló, Mareny de Sant Llorenç, Mareny de les Palmeretes, Mareny de les Barraquetes, Cullera and Sueca.
A circular route passes through large parts of the southern marshland between El Palmar and Muntanyeta dels Sants. It is 25 kilometres long and is recommended for travel by car or bicycle. This offers a range of route types: a named starting point in El Palmar, a route passing through several places and a circular route with a stated distance. Check the route details before your trip, before planning specific stages.
Sunsets after a meal are also recommended for viewing at the landing stage; no specific time is given.
Discover more destinations: Les Gavines, El Saler.
For the main travel overview: València.
