El Palmar: Albufera, traditions and holiday apartments

El Palmar is located in the Parc Natural de l'Albufera, a freshwater lake formed from a former sea gulf. It is one of Spain’s internationally important wetlands, is included on the Ramsar List and is designated as a ZEPA bird protection area. Nature, fishing, rice cultivation and Valencian culinary traditions come together here within a compact thematic setting.

Nature

Visitors can navigate between the rice fields of El Palmar in traditional boats. Traditional boat trips around El Palmar offer opportunities to observe birds and discover possibilities for birdwatching. The two-hour “Albufera–El Palmar” experience provides insights into fishing, hunting and rice cultivation in the Albufera. During the first hour, the marshland is visited and fishing is introduced together with local fishermen; during the second hour, a boat trip on the lake takes place.

Culture

The Iglesia Parroquial Jesuset de l’Hort in El Palmar dates from 1895. A defining architectural feature of the town’s history is the traditional barraca, built from clay and reeds.

The Comunidad de Pescadores de El Palmar was officially founded in 1857. It holds a draw for fishing locations in the Albufera, known as redolins. The El Palmar jetty is an important place for fishing and tourism. Until the mid-20th century, bundles of rice were threshed there using machines: the rice grains were separated from the straw, while the straw was used to operate a steam engine.

A visitor experience in El Palmar includes a boat trip, a visit to the Museo Etnológico and rice cultivation as a theme. Visits are possible by appointment from Monday to Friday; on weekends and public holidays, visiting hours are from 11:30 to 14:30 and from 16:00 until dusk.

Cuisine

The All i pebre from El Palmar is prepared with eel and potatoes. Espardenyà is a lesser-known dish similar to All i pebre and has a history spanning one hundred years. In the Espardenyà from El Palmar, a duck sofrito is added to the All i pebre.

The traditional Allipebre competition Villa del Palmar has been held annually since 2010 on the first or second Monday in July in the streets of El Palmar. The “Taller de paella” teaches participants how to prepare a typically Valencian paella and includes a competition between two teams for the best paella. The prepared dishes are tasted after the workshop; a guided visit to the nature park may also be offered.

Routes

The “El Palmar-L'Estell” route begins in El Palmar. The “De Valencia a Sueca” route passes through El Palmar and also includes places such as Valencia, Pinedo, El Saler, El Perellonet, El Perelló, Mareny de Sant Llorenç, Mareny de les Palmeretes, Mareny de les Barraquetes, Cullera and Sueca.

A 25-kilometre circular route between El Palmar and the Muntanyeta dels Sants runs through large parts of the southern marshland and is recommended for travelling by car or bicycle. Different route types and themed activities provide a clear framework for planning without reducing nature, culture, cuisine and exercise to just one type of trip.

The further selection of places also includes Les Gavines.

The El Palmar jetty is recommended as a place to watch sunsets after a meal.

For the overarching travel overview: València.