La Albufera Natural Park, Natural park in Valencia Province, Spain.
La Albufera Natural Park spans several towns and includes a large freshwater lake, wide wetland areas, and a coastal strip with pine forest at the Dehesa del Saler. The shallow waters and surrounding marshland form an open landscape of canals and rice paddies stretching to the Mediterranean shoreline.
The lagoon formed centuries ago as a gulf of the Mediterranean and gradually changed into a freshwater body through sediment deposits. During medieval times, the lake area was adapted for rice farming and a network of canals was built that still enables agricultural work today.
Rice fields around the lake have shaped local cuisine for generations and remain a working part of the landscape visitors can observe today. Dishes prepared in nearby villages use this locally grown rice and reflect centuries of farming tradition tied directly to the water and soil of the park.
The two visitor centers, El Racó de l'Olla and Caballerizas, offer information about local wildlife and serve as starting points for walks along the waterways. Many paths are flat and lead through open terrain that works well for birdwatching early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
More than 300 bird species have been recorded here, including migratory birds that use the park as a stopover on routes between Europe and Africa. Water level is controlled through locks and canals that regulate exchange with the Mediterranean and prevent flooding in surrounding fields.
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