de l'albufera

English version Parc Natural de l'Albufera [email protected]

Centro de Información "Racó de l'Olla" Carretera El Palmar S/N 46012 - Aproximadamente en el kilómetro 10,5 de la Ctra CV-500 hay que desviarse en dirección El Palmar. Nada más incorporarnos en este desvío encontraremos el acceso al aparcamiento a unos 50 mts. a la izquierda.

Assistance from: Tel. 96 162 73 45 http://parquesnaturales.gva.es

Layout: Benjamín Albiach Galán Kun.Xusa Beltrán

Photography: Benjamín Albiach Galán G. B.

Map Design: Pau Pérez Puigcerver Printing this material has been possible thanks to the Cooperation Agreement source: ICV (Cartographic Institute of Valencia) signed on 21st April 2006 by the Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona, "la Caixa" and the Generalitat Valenciana (Autonomous Community Authority) for Undertaking Texts: Environmental educacion team the Integral Management Plan for Conservation of the Natural Systems of the Printed: Centro Especial de Empleo, IVADIS ’s Network of Nature Reserves. Legal Deposit: Date declared a Nature Reserve: 8th July 1986 Included in List of Wetlands of International Importance Ramsar Conference: 8th May 1990 Date declared ZEPA area: (Zone of Special Protection for Birds) 8th June 1994 Date of approval of PORN: (Plan for Administration of Natural Resources) 16th May 1995 Date of approval of PRUG: (Plan for Governing Usage and Management) 19th November 2004

Municipalities inside the Reserve: L’Albufera Nature Reserve, in the south of Valencia, covers a surface area of 21,120 hectares, spread over thirteen municipalities: Valencia, , Sedaví, , , , , Silla, , Sueca, , and Algemesí.

Its geological origin dates back thousands of years ago to a shoreline gulf that was separated from the Mediterranean sea through the sedimentation brought down by the Túria and Xùquer rivers. B. Albiach Galán from the15 large marshofbrackishwaterstoendupforming, face occupiedbyseawatergraduallyturnedintoa reserve. Originally, whenitwasclosedoff, thesur- ers twothirdsofthetotalsurfaceareanature greatest surfacearea,(14000hectares),asthiscov- · Thericefields “Devesa” forestsystem. brackish waters,lyingbetweenthedunesand · TheAlbuferalake western sector. locally knownas Albufera birdlife.Therearesmallspringswhich make itoneofthemainfeedingareasforrich channels, itscyclesoffloodingandwaterlogging crossed byalargenetworkofirrigationditchesand one ofSpain’s mainrice-productionareas.Criss- landscape value. the ricefields,aswellthrough itsecologicaland through itssignificanceinregulatingthewaterflow dense swamplandvegetationgrows.Itisimportant around 300hectaresofbanksandisletsonwhich face areaof3000hectaresshallowwaters,with Mediterranean there isagoodsampleofthevegetationproperto can stillfindawell-conservedduneline,inwhich separated thewholesystemfromsea.Hereone · Thecoastalsandbar environments: phological aspectscanbedefinedinthreeoverall the HabitatsDirective.Thisgreatvarietyofmor- has alargenumberprotectedhabitatsincludedin At thepresenttimeAlbuferaNatureReserve can seethe sunsetoverwater ! The onlyplaceinthe Valencian Communitywhereyou Spectacular sunset overtheAlbuferalake. th century onwardswithrice-growing, Máquia , formingtheenvironmentwith ullals is acoastalsystemwithsur- and . Thisisthesedimentthat scattered mainlyoverthe malladas , smallareasof vided alargeamountoffish(“ nomic returns,astheclearwaters ofthelakepro- Lake’s areaofinfluence,fishingprovidedmajoreco- Silla andCatarroja.Untiltheindustrialisationof were setup,theselaterbeingappliedtothoseof on ElPalmar islandtoworkmoreconveniently) Community (residentsofRussafa whofinallysettled the fishingregulationsforElPalmar Fishermen’s Fishing waslegallyrecognisedin1250,whichiswhen and hunting. area –farmingassociatedwithrice-growing,fishing There havetraditionallybeenthreemainusesofthis History eels, seabass,etc.). Farming inthereserveisassociatedwith gambeta ”, “ rice-growing petxinot ”,

B. Albiach Galán

B. Albiach Galán large numbersofthebirdpopulation. tebrates andsmallmacrophyteswhich actasfoodfor pantry, thankstothelargepopulationofwaterinver- surrounding thelakeithasaroleasReserve’s the majorworkasagreenfilterof14000hectares economic andenvironmentalsignificance.Aswellas but muchmorerecent(17thcentury)andhasgreat Rice-growing isanothertraditionalusageofthisarea, 1980s) hasincreased. American redcrayfish(aspeciesintroducedinthe considerably, whilefishingforthemulletand At presentfishingforseabassandeelshasdropped Fishing inthelakeisdonetradi- tional way. islets inthelake. pentacarpos or“trencadalla”,mainly spreadoverthe andtheKosteletzkya reeds, reedmace,saw-sedges waterlogged zones,theprominent speciesaregiant best waterquality. Asfortheswampvegetationof lations inthe merged plantsormacrophyteshavethebestpopu- great diversityandspecialimportance.Thesub- mainly bysubmergedandfloatingswampplants,of communities associatedwithwetlands,formed brackish substrates,onecanfinddiversebotanical In theareaswherethereisfreshwaterandless scanty presenceintheValencian Community. sub-environment ofgreatimportanceduetotheir botanical speciesarethesaltworts,whichforma salts andregularlywaterlogged.Thedominant settled insoilsthatareparticularlyenrichedwith The vegetationoftheinter-dune saltmarsheshas lentisk andItalianbuckthornstandout. plurispecific bushland,amongstwhichthepresenceof sandy areabehindthedunezonetherearepatchesof and seabindweed,amongstothers.Onthestabilised Here onecanfindthe ments, wherewindandhighsalinityareprevalent. adapting totheharshconditionsoftheseenviron- as ontheimmediatedunes,thereisasetofplants On thesandybeachesofNatureReserve, aswell and lineofdunes. side thesandycoastalstrip,particularlyDevesa areas borderingthepaddy-fields andontheother on onehandtothechannels,“ullal”springs, means thattheautochthonousvegetationislimited rice cropsandbythelakeorlagoonitself, which Most ofthereserve’ssurfaceareaistakenupby Vegetation ullal springs andinthechannelswith borró Fat duckweed( grass, aswellthesealily Lemna giba )

B. Albiach Galán common pochard, “boix”. “sivert”, thenorthern shoveleror“ prominent presence ofthered-crestedpochardor tiful speciesisthemallardor“ numbers around20,000specimens. Themostplen- In winterthereisapredominance ofanatidae,with ily breedinghere. are regularvisitorseveryyear, 90ofthesecustomar- observed atsometimeandfrom240to250ofthese Generalitat, over350speciesofbirdshavebeen tance intheEuropeancontext.Accordingto As forbirds,theNatureReserve isofutmostimpor- as the genera andfishfromtheciprinodontidaefamilysuch “gambetas”, molluscsoftheUnioandAnodonta numerous protectedspecies.Crustaceansknownas some endemicMediterraneancreatures,aswell Plentiful anddiverse,theAlbuferafaunaincludes Fauna samaruc and the fartet Garcilla bueyera(Bubulcusibis) . coll vert bragat ”, andalsoa ” andthe

B. Albiach Galán

B. Albiach Galán ing birdhere. over recentyears hasbeensettlingasaregularnest- “tadorna” andAudouin’s gull or“gavinacorsa”which marbled tealor“rosseta”, thecommon shelduck Other nestingspeciesthatarerare orscantyarethe stilts or“camallonga”arethemostnumerous. mon ternsandthesandwichtern theblack-winged There areover6000nestingpairs, ofwhichthecom- most importantintheIberianpeninsulaforthesebirds. The coloniesofternsmaketheReserve thesecond gabous” andthelittleegretor“garceta”. nied bythemoreplentifulcattleegretor“esplu- well asofthepurpleheronor“agróroig”,accompa- major populationofsquaccoheronor“oroval”,as densest partofthelagoon’s reedbeds,thereisa which usuallyexceed5,000pairs.Installedinthe great importancethroughitscoloniesofherons, At breedingtime,theAlbuferaNatureReserve isof Samaruc ( Valencia hispanica ) Lago del’Albufera

Albufera. ducks andcormorantsintheMata delFanginthe observe, aboveallinwintertime,alarge concentrationof reserve andanobservationtower from whichyoucan you willfindasmallexhibitionabout theRacó del’Olla The routestartsat visit theexhibitionsinCaballerizasCentre. plant speciesadaptingtothesepeculiarconditionsand Observatory, learnalongthetwopathsabout able toseealargevarietyofbirdsfromtheWooden from theObservationtower, from whichyouwillbe you willenjoyawonderfulviewoftheNatureReserve On yourvisittotheRacó del’Olla InformationCentre, We advise youtotakebinoculars. Recommendations: Duration: RACÓ Route

al Palmar Palmar al ---> 2 hours.

the InformationCentre[1] CV-500 l’Hospitalet Mallada de

. Here

:1/9.000 E:

al Perelló (Sueca) (Sueca) Perelló al --->

B. Albiach Galán species withEuropeanfunds. included inoneoftheLIFEprojects forrecoveryof development alongthecoast.Forall thesereasonsitis through itsscarcityduetotheexpansion ofurban This plantisofgreatinterest,amongst otherreasons habitat inthecoastalsandareasof Mediterranean. ( Special mentionshouldgotothepricklyjuniper so characteristicofthisenvironment. ble dunes,whereyouwillenjoyseeingtheplant-life route alongthisdirectionisthroughasystemofsta- able toobservethebirdsintheirnaturalhabitat.The on The pathontheleftleadstoanobservatorylocated Two routesstartfromthecentre Juniperus oxycedrus the “Northern” lagoon[2] Group ofschoolchildrenreadytosetoff ssp. macrocarpa on the , whereyouwillbe Racó del’Olla ), aspecieswithits route B. Albiach Galán There isalsoanaquariumwith and theAlbuferanatureReserve. the Valencian Communitywetlands,the Centre [4] line forest,youwillcometo Going backtothepath,whichleadsthroughashore- crusts areformedthroughtheevaporationofwater. waterlogging inrainyweatherandsummersalt level isveryclosetothesurface,whichfacilitates dominance ofgreysiltsandclaysthephreatic ed betweenthedunes.Intheirsoilthereisapre- the see anotheroftheenvironmentsrepresentedhere- right, whichleadstoagangwayfromyoucan low thepath.Alongthisyouwillfindaturnoffto Information Centreandwithoutgoingintothis,fol- We willcontinuetheroutereturningto The routeendsreturningtotheInformationCentre. is aslideshowontheAlbuferaNatureReserve. you willcometotheaudiovisualroom,wherethere del Fang.Lastly, attheendofCaballerizasvisit reserve locatedintheRacó de l’OllaandtheMata images oftwoareasthecomprehensivenature cameras whichenableyoutoobserveinrealtime this underwateratmosphere.You canalsoenjoytwo and ascreenprovidingthree-dimensionalimagesof which reproducestheidealhabitatforthesespecies Mallada where thereareseveralexhibitionson Observation tower atthe“ [3] . Malladas are dipsinthelandlocat- samarucs the Caballerizas information centre Racó del’Olla samaruc and fartets fish ” c

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R o m an la Foia í

Séquia Alqueresía Punta deSantPere Mata de l’Antina Mata deSantRoc the AlbuferafromMediterranean sea. along untilitformedthesandbar whichseparated waves andthecoastalcurrentsbrought thesediment brought downbytheTuria andJúcarrivers.The formed roughly6000yearsago by thesediment towards Cullera.Herethesandbarstartedtobe also knownassandbarwhichstretchesfromValencia closed throughtheemergenceofacoastlinestrip The Albuferawasformedafteranancientgulf Pujol and thejettiesinElPalmar Ports ofSilla There arefivemainlandingstages(seemap):the ALBUFERA Route Mata delRei Flotons del [5] Portet el Brossar . [1] la Manseguerota

Séquia dels Mata dela and Catarroja Campots Barra

Punta de

Llebeig Zacarés Xiva de Barranc Campot el [4] el Pujol Vell and theGoladeEl Séquia l’Obera [2]

Tancat de

el Fangaret Baldoví Petxinar , ElSaler del Séquia la Matade Mata del Tancat de En Torre Malta Fang

Gola de Pujol Estany dePujol de l’Olla el Racó [3] :1/80.000 E: Palmar el Devesa ,

La CV-500

B. Albiach Galán and arealmostnon-functionalinthe sea-land direction. sages, They canalsobeconnectedwiththe seabymeansofpas- because theclosingbarriertendsto bewell-sealed. (though ithasamajorinfluenceintheirgenesis) ing alifethatisfairlyindependentfromthesea Unlike coastallagoons,theyarecharacterisedbyhav- Mediterranean. coastal wetlandmostcommonlyfoundinthe These coastallakesarethemorphologicalmodelof Buhaira The nameAlbuferacomesfromtheArabterm golas , adiminutiveofAlBhar(thesea). On 4thAugustthe“CristodelaFe” festivity or bocanas , butthesearenotofthetide-type is heldinPalmar Al B. Albiach Galán Mediterranean coastline. ly recoveredfromitsextinctioninalmostallthe the purpleswamphenporphyrioporphyrio,recent- colae, andrallidae,animportantoneofthesebeing herons (7,450pairsin2000),ducks,somelaro-limí- zone forbirdbreeding,mainlysevenspeciesof With roughly350ha,theyplayamajorroleas (Iran andTurkey). whose mostnearbypopulationsareintheneareast as the mace orespadaña( are thegiantreed swamp vegetation,wherethecommonestplants “matas” On theinlandandinitsbanksthereare ecological andlandscapevalue. regulating thewaterflowinricefieldsandforits the NatureReserve, boththroughitssignificancein The importanceoftheAlbuferaisunquestionablein farming ofrice. from about200yearsagothroughtheextensive tion, whichtookplacenaturally, startedtospeedup Roman timestothepresent2,837ha.Thisreduc- roughly 30,000hectaresthatitoriginallycoveredin of theAlbuferasinceitsorigins,shrinkingfrom There hasbeenagreatreductioninthesurfacearea by thetidesthatarefoundintheseareas. same formationprocess,theyarehighlyinfluenced coastal lagoons can befoundinTunisia, aregiventhenameof Other lagoons,likethoseofVenice ortheonesthat many speciesofanimals The swampvegetation actsasashelterfor Trencadalla Kosteletzkiapentacarpos which areaccumulationsorisletsof because, inspiteofhavinghadthe Phragmites australis Thypha sp.), orrareonessuch and thereed , aplant La Torre Castellar Valencia road Torrent Picanya Benetússer information center Sedaví L’Oliveral path museum Paiporta Alfafar Pinedo train viewing-point Lugar Nuevo de la Corona CV-33 administrative limit rest area Massanassa constructions parking

Catarroja CV-401 Albal hermitage

B geodesic vertex a r r AP-7 N-332 a n c Beniparrell d e El Saler E: 1/150.000 X i v a 2.000 8.000 m Alcàcer 0 4.000 platja del Saler

Picassent Silla

Gola de Pujol Mediterranean sea

platja de la Devesa Laguna de l’Albufera

CV-500

Factoría Ford -40 El Palmar Gola del Perellonet El Romaní -30 el Perellonet N-340

-20 Almusafes -10

CV-520 Sollana Benifaió Gola del Perelló

el Perelló Platja del Pouet

les Palmeres Alginet Ullal de Baldoví Platja de Motilla

Mareny de Barraquetes Muntanyeta Bega de Mar del Sants CV-42 CV-500

N-340 Mareny Blau

Mareny de AP-7 Sant Llorenç Río Xúquer Platja del Mareny Albalat de Sueca la Ribera Rio Xù ar) q úc L’Alcúdia uer (J Riola Platja del Dosser Ermita dels Sants de la Polinyà de Pedra (Abdón y Senén) Gola de Sant llorenç Guadassuar Xúquer N-332 Término Benicull de Municipal de Algemesí Fortaleny Xúquer Cullera la Mata del 1 Fang Route Walking route el Racó de l’Olla la Manseguerota E: 1/75.000

el Fangaret la Mata de la Barra la Mata de En Torre SOUTHERN MARSH route

We now suggest two routes along the southern Marsh of the Albufera. Séquia l’Obera Séquia 2 7 1 Km. 0. Racó de l’Olla Information Centre. 6 el Gola del Perellonet Palmar 2 Km. 3.0. Arrival in El Palmar. 5 3 el Perelló 3 Km. 3.9. End of El Palmar. Turn right, towards Sollana. Séquia delsCampots 4 Short route 4 Km. 5.0. Go over a bridge. Turn right. 8 9 5 Km. 5.4. Turn left taking the Travessia de Sacarés (in front of the Baldoví house). 6 Km. 5.8. Go over a bridge and continue straight on. 7 Km. 6.1. Go over two bridges close by each other. Turn left over the path parallel to an irrigation ditch. 8 Gola Km. 8.1. Cross over an asphalted road and turn left. del 9 Km 8.6. Cross over an asphalted road and turn left Perelló 4 Km 10.1. Turn right over a bridge. Back to El Palmar 22

10 el Long route Perelló 4 Km. 5.0. Go over the bridge. Turn left. 9 Km. 6.5. Crossroads. Continue straight on. 21 10 Km. 8.6. Straight on, heading south along an earth track. 11 Km. 10.2. Turn left. 12 11 Km. 10.7. Turn right along an asphalted path. (From here 12 the route will always be along asphalted tracks). 13 Km. 11.8. Turn left at the first crossroads. 14 Km. 14.5. Crossroads with an asphalted track. Turn left. When 13 10 you turn the Muntanyeta dels Sants hill will lie in front of you. 15 Km. 15.7. Turn right around the Muntanyeta dels Sants hill, leaving some rice silos to the right. 16 Km. 16.0. Go up the Muntanyeta dels Sants. 17 Benisants de la Pedra chapel. 19 17 18 Km. 16.2. After going over a bridge, turn left along the 18 Camí de la Canal. 15 16 19 Km. 16.9. At the fork go on to the left (on the right you will see the Camí de la Llosa). 20 Km. 18.4. Keep straight on. 14 Muntanyeta dels Sants 21 Km. 20.3. Turn left crossing a bridge over the Travessia de Caro. 22 Km. 22,2. Ricardo Alarte’s house. Turn right along the Camí de Trompón. 9 Km. 25.2. Crossroads. Turn right. 17 18 4 Km. 26.7. Turn right. Back to El Palmar 15 16 dedicated tothegoddessDianaonbanksofone Cathedral standstoday, theRomans builtatemple So youcangetanideaofthis,whereValencia hectares, 10timesgreaterthanitisatpresent. that timetheRomans knewanAlbufera ofabout30,000 that youaregoingtovisitformedpartoftheAlbufera.At In the2ndcentury(around1900yearsago)place not alwaysthecase. nowadays mostlytakenupbyricefields,butthiswas The marshlandisfloodedformostoftheyear, and is thekeyiteminthisvaluableecosystem. great cultural,naturalandlandscapevaluewherewater apart frommanyspeciesofbirds.Thisisasetting old chimneys,farmingequipmentsheds,farmsteads, fields ofrice,irrigationditches,pumpengineswiththeir On yourwalkyoumayenjoyalandscapedominatedby huge rockdominatingtheNatureReserve The Muntanyeta delSants stands outasa

B. Albiach Galán

G.B. impression thatthismadeonoldUnclePaloma: Ibáñez tellsusinhisnovel“Reeds andMud”,ofthe the Albuferadryingthisouttogrowrice.Blasco Since then,mankindhasbeengaininggroundfrom ipality ofSuecaliestoday. the southernareaofAlbufera,wheremunic- ping datafromthe15thcenturyshowingricefieldsin The Arabsintroducedricefarming,therebeingmap- to begrown. tion acceleratedagreatdealfromwhenricestarted little bythewatercoursesendinginit,butthisreduc- time throughthesedimentsthatarebroughtlittleby The Albuferanaturallytendstogetsmallerallthe Albufera hasgotagreatdealsmaller. of theislandsAlbufera.Sincethattime Rice- growingisalong-stand- ing activityinthereserve B. Albiach Galán mace ( catching blossomingyellowlily( springs arethegiantreed( The commonestplantsonthebanksofditchesand long arethegreyheron( purple heron( tern ( blanca the springs,which isinseriousdangerofextinction. Lastly, oneoughttomentiontheunderwatervegetationat down theearthmoreeffectivelybetween thericefields. poplars ( between onefieldandthenext),you willbeabletosee houses andpumpengineson the black-headed gull( ( ( to seethemallard( of birdsdependingonthetimeyear. Inwinteritiseasy The mostcommonlyfoundcreaturesaredifferentspecies able toseetheblack-wingedstilt( fosc known as extinction suchasthe important reserveaboveallforuniquespeciesindangerof gush withcleanfreshwater, whichmakesthemavery reeds, andreedmace.Thesesprings,knownhereas will seetheBaldovíspring,surroundedbyrushes,giant of themarshland.Whatismore,ifyoulooknortheast Abdón ySenén.From hereyou willgetanexcellentview able tovisittheChapelofBenisantsdelaPedra, San When yougettothe hectares oftheNatureReserve. the presenttimewhenricefieldscover14,000 This washowtheancientlandscapechangeduntil ing intothelake,swallowingupwater” loaded withcoal,thericefieldsspreadingallaround,advanc- men withtheircrops...inthelakeonecouldseebarges more earthontothelake...Albuferawastransformedby wouldendupfarmingitallover,“They dumpingearthand arpellot demarjal siverd ), yellow-legged gull( ), yellow-legged fumarell negret ), thenorthernshoveler( ) andthecattleegret( bova xops samaruc ) andinspringyouwillbeabletoseetheeye- ) andwillows( agró roig ), andlesserblack-backedgull( and gavina vulgar) ), thegull-billedtern(curroc)and collverd Muntanyeta delsSants, fartet gambetes ). Birdscommonlyfoundallyear gavinot argentatmediterrani agró blau salzes senill . esplugabous ), thered-crestedpochard lliri groc ), reed( , the . Insummeryouwillbe ) placedthereforholding bragat camallonga ), littleegret( petxinot ). Also,aroundthe motes ). ), marshharrier canya vera (separations ), theblack you willbe or thefish garseta ), reed gavinot ullals, ) and ullal Valencia

Benetússer Castellar Sedaví l’Oliveral E: 1/75.000 Alfafar Pinedo

Lugar Nuevo 7 de la Corona 8 NORTHERN MARSH Route

Massanassa Duration: half day. Means: car or bicycle. Total length: 30 kms. N-332

CV-401 Recommendations: take binoculars. Catarroja

9 platja del Saler This route will enable you to get to know diverse Puerto de places of interest in the Albufera Nature Reserve, Catarroja covering a large part of the northern marshland. 1 This starts at the Racó de l’Olla (P1) Information 6 Centre, leading along the CV-500 road towards

B Valencia. a r El Saler On your left, straight away, after going past the sluice r 2 a n c gates of the Gola del Puchol, the vantage point (P2); you d can take a trip around the Albufera on a boat here. e 4 X i 5 va 3 Just before the first roundabout (P3) you will see a sign which says “Viveros municipales” (Municipal nurs- eries), where Valencia Council’s Devesa-Albufera

CV-500 Technical Office is located. Your route continues towards Valencia.

4 At the second roundabout (P4) you can go to the 3 Tallafoc de la Rambla to visit the interesting dune zone of the Devesa, but to continue along the route you should turn off at the Alfafar turnoff which runs along the CV-401 road. 2 This road runs through a zone used for rice –farming, difficult to access, though there are different earth tracks on the left-hand side. Laguna de 1 l’Albufera 5 After going past two roundabouts towards Alfafar, take the first turnoff to the left towards the Casa de Revisanxo (P5), which runs along the channel with the same name. You can also take the same route along the following path on the left, passing the Rte. La Matandeta 6 (P6) (alternative in the hunting season). Circulating along this road in a north-western direction and continuing 7 along the channel you will return to the main road (P7).

El Palmar 9 8 hear thepurpleswamp henorlittlegrebe. morants, egrets,greatcrestedgrebes andonecan reed warblers,marshharriers, gulls, greatcor- to endthisrouteonfoot.From hereitiseasytosee in thehuntingseason,whichwillmean youwillhave Llebeig on thelake( mooring, buildingandrepairingthetypicalboatsused From theportofCatarroja,a place onceusedfor exhibition ofthetypicaloldcountryhouses,or Catarroja Builders’Schoolinwhoseyardthereisan Along theroadyouwillgobyRidingCluband and toanotherextensiveareaofmarshland. road, theVV-1044, takesyoutotheportofCatarroja this andturningrightyouwillfindtheaccess.Thissame there isatunnelwhichcrossesundertheN-332; green petrolstation.Assoonasyouhavepassedthis Catarroja. Turning offbythisroadyouwillcometoa metres away(P9)youwillseeasignfortheexitto lowing thesignstojoinAlicanteroad.Justafewkilo- Here youcandecidethatthetripisoverorgoonfol- get totheshoppingcentre. the N-332.You willgothroughasmalltunnelto in Alfafarshoppingcentre(P8)andlinksupwith After goingpasttheshootingrangeroadends of theirrigationchannels. even someosprey. You mayalsoseeakingfisherinsome mens ofkestrel,commonbuzzardandwithalittleluck, cormorants, mallards,red-crestedpochardsandspeci- herons. Inwinteryouwillseeconcentrationsofgreat gulls, littleegrets,cattlegreyheronsandpurple see black-headed,black-backedandyellow-legged At theendofJanuaryanduntilearlyMarchitiseasyto right uptothebankof in paralleltothewatercourseand enables youtoget this bycontinuingalonganearthenroadwhichleads Bony Massanassa orTorrent ravine,crossingthe and . Thisearthentrackmaybeblocked byachain La Tancadeta albuferencs in theCatarrojaricefields.Do ), youcanreachthe Albufera , atthe Partidas del Punta del barracas .

B. Albiach Galán Consult theclosedseasonsbeforesettingout. physiognomy ofthericefieldschanges. times ofyearandtobeableobservehowthe This routeisrecommendedfortakingatdifferent in summer. be suretoavoidthehottesttimesofday, especially or ifyoudogoonfoot,withenoughtimeavailable, To dothefullroutewerecommendusingabicycle, the portofCatarrojaandthus any point,toenjoyatypicalmealatofthebarsin be donecompletelyorallowyoutoheadbackfrom The routeisaroundtripwhichmeansthatitcaneither Sant Pere processionattheendofSeptember. competition isheldaround15thSeptemberandthe This Port isalsothevenueforLateenSailing round offtheday. Port ofCatarroja Ermita delsSantsdela Pedra Parque acuatico (Abdón ySenén) 3 la BassaRasa Bonavista Urb. posed startout. roundabout (R)fromwhichthethree itinerariespro- this littlerangeofhillsstartstorise upyouwillfinda will cometothenorthernsideof Cabeçol.Where Oliva road(C.V.-500) towardsCullera.Along thisyou You startfromC.I.Racó del’Olla,takingtheNazaret- a littlebetter. This routewillhelpyoutogetknowCulleramarsh may beclosed. there ishuntinginthemarshandsomeofpaths tomid-January Bear inmindthatfrommid-October and atsomepointstoleavethecarcontinueonfoot. Recommendations: Means: Duration: CULLERA Route

Montaña del Oro bicycle orcar. rotonda Campo motocros 2-3 hours. Monte del Cabeçol el Mareny 2 Pastisser Casa del Sant Llorenç Bassa de

we adviseyoutotakebinoculars CV-503

Cap Blanc Platja del Platja del Mareny del Platja

el Dosser Platja del Dosser del Platja 1/45.000 E: Alternative route Walking route Route Platja de Mediterraneo l’Illa Faro del Cabo de Cullera 1

B. Albiach Galán Montaña delOro 2 1 The see aturnofftotheleft,whichyou shouldtake.This (V.P-1041) andaftergoingbyseveral curvesyouwill From thesameroundaboutheadtowardsCullera Bassa deSantLlorenç and Sandwichtern. shearwater,ferent seabirdssuchas;Cory’s razorbill reserve inwinter, youmaypossibly beabletoseedif- sea andifyouareabirdwatchervisitingthe From hereyouhaveagoodview oftheMediterranean Albufera NatureReserve atitssouthernpoint. of 233metresoversealevelandliesattheentranceto last foothillsoftheIberianSystem,withamaximumheight of theSierradelesRabosses. This representsoneofthe house islocatedonCulleraheadandtheeasternside the waytothisissignpostedatroundabout.Thelight- Lighthouse Bassa deSantLlorenç , andbehindthisyoucanseethe seen fromthemountainknownas Cabeçol peak. 3 Rice museum apart fromhavingrestrictedaccess. perimeter isprotectedbygiantreedformations, is suppliedwithundergroundwatersandits Valencia’s Albuferafromthesea.Thissmalllagoon may alsolieinthesandbarwhichisolated Bassa deSantLlorenç may possiblyobservesomebirdslocatedinthe from theCretaceousage).From thispoint(2)you stitute theonlylimestoneoutcrops(dolomites along withthe reaching thetopof road leadsinfrontofCulleratennisclubuntil century) wherethericemuseumislocated.You can you canseethechapelofSaintsAbdónandSenén(15 will reachthecarparkofwaterpark.From here from theroundaboutandalsobyVP-1041 roadyou From thechapelofSaints enjoy somelovelyviewsofthereserve Muntanyeta delsSants , asmalllagoonwhoseorigin Cabeçol Abdón and mountain which, Senén (Sueca) con- you can th

B. Albiach Galán derful panoramicviewoftheNatureReserve. on totheMeteorologicalRadar. You willgetawon- the roadwhichgoesuptoCastleandcontinue Les Raboses mountainrange.You cangetherefrom From thevillageyoucanvisithighestpointsof marshland andofthebirdsthatcanbefoundhere. promontory youcanalsoenjoythelandscapeof foot (seemap).From thetopofthissmallrocky access thisbytheearthtrackwhichyoushouldtakeon in seafoodstock), Its mostfamousdishesare oranges andrice,fishingthetouristindustry. Its economyisbasedongrowingandmarketing the blueflagclassification. tourist interestasithassuperbbeaches,somewith from thecityofValencia. Thisisatownofgreat Cullera islocatedinLaRiberaBajacounty, 38km Cullera - - TheArchaeologicalMuseum. - TheTowers oftheReina MoraandtheMarenyet - TheCastle,originallyanArabbuilding,wasbuilton - SantosJuaneschurch,builtinthe17thcentury We recommend youtovisit: with frogfishandNorwaylobsters. meat stewwitheels)anditsspecialdish, and SaintMarta,15 the 16thcenturyandthoseofsaints AbdónySenén Tower, datingbacktotheageofPhilipII. style, builtinthe11thcentury. de laVirgenEncarnación Formed bypartoftheCastlethereisSantuario to dominatethecoastandbanksofJúcar. important becauseofitslocation,whichenabledit top ofIberianandRoman remains. Itwasvery chapel isleft. over anancientGothictempleofwhichonlya Sant Llorenç or Font Santa all ipebre th century buildings. paella (eel stew), chapels, datingbackto . ThisisNeobyzantine , arros abanda espardenya all ipebre (rice (a by thedishesbased onriceasmainproduct,inallits proper totheAlbufera.Specialmention isdeserved cooking, thatis,thecuisinebased oningredients Albufera a menuwhosespecialityisthe so-called in thehamletsinsideNatureReserve. Thisgives restaurants inboththetownsand villages,aswell Just asforaccommodation,there is awiderangeof Cuisine Perelló, LesPalmeres orElMareny. as goodtouristcampingpossibilitiesinElSaler, El (state luxuryhotel)andHotelinLaDevesa,aswell also inoutlyingareas.IthasaTourism able inmostofthevillagesandtownsaround The areahasawiderangeofaccommodationavail- Accommodation Fishermen intheGoladelPerelló, oneofthemain connections betweenthelakeandsea Parador

B. Albiach Casañ or “llisatorrada”(bakedmullet),amongstothers. typical dishesare“esgarraet”,codwithroastpepper, base, theymake“all-i-pebre”,“anguilaalforn”. Other i naps”(ricewithbeansandturnips).Taking theeelas and snails,evenlobsterpaella,or“arrosenfesols spinach andspringonionpaella,brothricewithchards squid ink),duck,cauliflowerorcodandonionpaella, paella, seafood“arrosnegre”(ricedonein Valencian chickenandrabbitpaella,greenssnail and theingredientsthatgoalongwiththis,theycook absorber andhence,dependingonthetimeofyear forms ofpaellasandbrothricedishes.Riceisaflavour Portet deSollana. go onaboatwithLateensails),El Salerjettyandthe The portsofSillaandCatarroja(from whichyoucan Albufera lake.You canarrangeboattripsfrom here. which toobservethemarvellous sunsetsoverthe La GoladePujol the between thelimestoneoutcropof Bassa deSantLlorenç, where inthericefields. Chapel (17thcentury),whichisvisiblefromany- good view. Herethereisthe A rockypromontoryofthemarshlandprovidinga Muntanyeta delsSants centre. bird-watching observatoriesandinterpretation Racó del’Olla including thefollowingpointsofinterest: The reservecoversthirteendifferentmunicipalities, Visits ofinterest Serra deLesRaboses. Information Centre.Ecologicalpaths, vantage point.Afantasticplacefrom in Cullera.Thisisasmalllagoon limestone outcrop,inSueca. Sants delaPedra Cabeçol hill and nect theseandleadallovertheNatureReserve. Valencia-Gandía railway. Othersecondaryroadscon- links crossingthereservelongitudinally–alongwith CV-500 roads,respectively, arethecommunication ern bankortheeasternsidebank:N-332and – southdirection,goingalongsidethelakebywest- From Valencia, tworoadscrossthereserveinanorth How togethere Rules not takeshort-cuts Respects theway anddo sounds oftheforest fort, youwillgetlostthe If youdonoiseorspeak most nearcontainer Deposits thegarbagein destroying them Observes theplantswithout tied The dog,takeitalways pure air do notsmoke,breathes Do notignitebonfires, autorized areas Camping isallowonlyin without botheringthem Observes theanimals

B. Albiach Galán