Bon Aire Restaurant
What to order: a half portion of all i pebre to start and, as a main, a paella valenciana ordered when you book or the arròs allipebrat
geocalia
Day itinerary · 39.40° N · 0.33° W
L'Albufera: birds in the morning, rice at midday and a boat in the afternoon.
A tower and bird observatory, a short walk among pines and dunes, rice in El Palmar and the boat of the village boatmen, 20 km from Valencia.
Leaving from
Part of L'Albufera de València and El Palmar
Add to my trip
Total time8 h
By car30 min each way
From Valenciaabout 20 km
WalkingFlat trails from 300 m to 4 km
DifficultyEasy
Cost€30–45 pp
Best timeMay – July · October – January
With childrenYes
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Valencia 30 min by car
via the CV-500, the El Saler road
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1
Birdwatching at the Racó de l'Olla Interpretation Centre
Viewing tower and observatory · 9:00–14:00
- 5 min by car
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2
Devesa del Saler trails, among pines and dunes
Historic Gola de Pujol trail or the 4 km Landscape trail
- 10 min by car
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3
Bon Aire Restaurant
Bon Aire · all i pebre (eel stew) and paella to order · €€
C/ Caudete, 41, 46012 El Palmar · +34 961 620 310
Restaurant €€Book - 5 min on foot
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4
Boat trip on the Albufera from El Palmar
Rosa y Tonet or Ernesto Soler · €5 · 45 min
+34 639 659 324
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Back home
To Valencia via the CV-500
Approximate cost
About €25–40 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Birdwatching at the Racó de l'Olla Interpretation Centre
L'Albufera begins about 10 km from the centre of Valencia and El Palmar is about 20. It is a day without hurry and without hills: in the morning, birds from a tower; at midday, the rice of the lake where it is grown; in the afternoon, a wooden boat with a boatman from the village.
The day, stop by stop
9:00 · Set off. On the CV-500, the El Saler road, between the pine wood and the sea. Without a car, EMT line 24 drops you at stop 2169, beside Racó de l'Olla.
9:30 · Racó de l'Olla. The park's interpretation centre opens at 9:00. Climb the viewing tower and go into the lagoon observatory: herons, flamingos, cormorants or ducks, depending on the season. Bring binoculars.
11:15 · Devesa trails. Next to it, by the Gola de Pujol jetty, begins the historic trail (730 m), which explains the sluice gates, eel fishing and rice. If you have the legs, the 4 km Landscape trail crosses the malladas towards the sea.
13:45 · Bon Aire, in El Palmar. A half portion of all i pebre and a Valencian paella ordered when booking, or the €30 weekday menu. The restaurant car park is free on Monday and Thursday and costs €2 from Friday to Sunday.
16:00 · Boat on the lake. With Rosa and Tonet, at their village jetty, or with Ernesto Soler, by booking: €5 per adult and €3 per child, about 45 minutes through canals and the lake.
17:00 · Head home. To Valencia, by the same road.
If you stay until sunset
Swap the 16:00 boat for the sunset one, which leaves in the golden light (around 17:00 in December, 20:45 in June) and stops at the Lluent, the centre of the lake. It costs €7 and must be booked.
Time1 h 15
Change the route
If you stay until sunset: an hour by boat to the middle of the lake, €7:
Sunset boat trip on the Lluent, the middle of the lake
Another table with free parking at the entrance to the village; closed Mondays:
Nou Racó
Monday to Saturday morning, between October and April: wild eel at the fish market:
El Palmar Fishermen's Community Fish Market
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Nou Racó
What to order: a wood-fired rice dish ordered when you book; from Tuesday to Friday, the set menu of the day
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to L'Albufera de València and El Palmar
From May to July, with the green rice fields, and from October to January, with the flooded fields and more birds. In March and April the fields are dry. Racó de l'Olla closes at 14:00: birds in the morning.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Birds before 14:00
Racó de l'Olla closes at that hour.
- 2Order the rice
At Bon Aire the Valencian paella is made to order.
- 3Cash for the boat
Ernesto Soler is paid in cash or Bizum.
We'd skip it
Going to walk the Devesa at midday in August: there is no shade on the beach.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Valencia to El Palmar?
It is about 20 km on the CV-500; by bus, the EMT 24 takes under an hour.
How much does the day cost?
Between €30 and €45 per person: the boat, €5, and lunch at a rice restaurant.
Can you do it without a car?
Yes, with EMT line 24, which stops at Racó de l'Olla and El Palmar.
Do you need to book the boat?
With Ernesto Soler, yes; Rosa and Tonet accept walk-ins.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/valencian-community/albufera-valencia/itineraries/birds-rice-and-traditional-boat
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.