L'Albufera Natural Park in Valencia

This former marine gulf, now a freshwater lake, is one of the most important wetlands in Spain.

This lake belongs to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention). In addition, it has been declared a ZEPA (Special Protection Zone for Birds). The area affected by this declaration is the Albufera lake, its wetlands and the coastal bar or strip (Dehesa del Saler) adjacent to both.The formation of the Albufera is the result of rivers depositing sediments over millennia, eventually creating around 30 kilometres of coastal barrier between Valencia and Cullera, thereby closing off the gulf that once existed here. The profile of the Albufera is irregular, with a diameter of approximately six kilometres at its widest point. The lake connects with the sea through canals or inlets, which are opened or closed by means of gates, modifying the volume of the lake's waters. Inside the Albufera there are six islets: la Mata del Fang, la Mateta de Baix, la Mata de la Barre, la Mata de l'Antina, la Mata de San Roc and la Mata del Rey.Remains of what can be considered the first settlers have also been found. The main activity in this area is rice cultivation, which has always been closely linked to the survival of the Albufera. This is especially true due to the ongoing effort to reclaim land for farming, which provided a valuable extra income with each harvest.