Natural Parks Near Valencia: 8 Day Trips

City gardens are one thing; truly protected land is another: lagoons, mountains and wetlands you can visit in a day from Valencia. The three easiest are the Albufera Natural Park (the lagoon and the rice fields, 15 km south), the Turia Natural Park (the green corridor that follows the river upstream) and the Serra Calderona, with the Garbí viewpoint just over half an hour away. Further out, but worth the drive for a full day, lie the Hoces del Cabriel, the Serra Gelada and Serra d'Irta on the coast, the Pego-Oliva marshland and the Montgó. Here's what each one is, what to see and how to get there.

The natural parks for a day trip from Valencia

Albufera Natural Park

One of the largest lagoons in Spain, cut off from the sea by a strip of pine and dune known as the Devesa. This is the place for birds: herons, coots, flamingos on passage and, in autumn, thousands of ducks. The classic image is the sunset boat ride from El Palmar, the rice-farming village tucked among the irrigation channels and closely tied to paella. To make sense of the place before the boat, it's worth stopping at the Racó de l'Olla visitor centre, with its hide overlooking the marsh. It's 25 minutes along the CV-500, or a bike ride from the city skirting Pinedo and El Saler.

La Devesa del Saler

The belt of pine, juniper and living dunes that separates the Albufera from the sea. It's the quietest part of the park: trails on wooden boardwalks between the dunes, bird hides beside the inner marshes such as the Estany del Pujol, and long, barely built-up beaches behind. The Devesa sits right next to Garrofera beach; there's parking at several points along the CV-500 and the EMT bus runs from Valencia.

Turia Natural Park

The stretch of the Turia river upstream of the city, turned into a green corridor of market gardens, pine and riverside woodland that links villages such as Paterna, Riba-roja and Vilamarxant. There's a bike lane and flat trails by the water, good for an easy morning. Near Pedralba and Pobla de Vallbona, the river narrows into a gorge between rock walls, the point where the landscape changes the most. You reach it by car on the A-3 towards Riba-roja in about 20 minutes.

Serra Calderona

The range of pine and cork oak that closes off Valencia to the north, about 25 km away. The best-known balcony is the Garbí viewpoint, at around 600 m, where on a clear day the coast and the Camp de Morvedre open up all at once. Inside the range stands the Porta Coeli charterhouse, founded in 1272, and tougher summits for hikers such as the Rebalsadors. The base village is Serra; routes like the Pic de l'Àguila start from there.

The Hoces del Cabriel

One of the largest natural parks in the Valencian Community, a little over 100 km inland, in the Utiel-Requena district. The Cabriel river has carved gorges, meanders and the Cuchillos, sheer limestone ridges, before joining the Júcar at Cofrentes. It's a place of clean water, good for taking in the scenery from the viewpoints or following a trail by the river. The Hoces del Cabriel route covers the most photogenic part; given the distance, set aside the whole day.

Serra Gelada

A land-and-sea natural park between Benidorm and Altea: a ridge that drops into the sea in cliffs over 300 m high, with a lighthouse, old ochre mines and long views across the bay. You walk the cliff top through pine and low scrub, the Mediterranean always to one side. The Serra Gelada Natural Park is a little over an hour and a half away on the AP-7, so it's best treated as a full day paired with the Marina Baixa coast.

Serra d'Irta

A stretch of unspoilt, undeveloped coast north of Peñíscola, where the range drops to the sea among gravel coves and watchtowers. It's one of the few shores of the Maestrat that remain as they were decades ago: dirt tracks, old farmhouses and clear water with no beach bars. The Serra d'Irta Natural Park is visited from Peñíscola, about 140 km away on the AP-7; many coves are reached on foot or by bike along the tracks.

Pego-Oliva Marshland

A marsh wetland between Pego and Oliva, on the boundary between the provinces of Valencia and Alicante, where very clear fresh water rises among the rice fields. You explore it along flat paths between irrigation channels, and on some stretches you can paddle a kayak through the ullals, the springs that well up from underground. The Pego-Oliva Marshland is just over an hour and a half away on the AP-7, easy to combine with the beaches of Oliva.

El Montgó (near Dénia)

The great 753 m limestone massif that rises between Dénia and Xàbia, a natural park with endemic plants and views over the whole Marina Alta. The climb to the Montgó summit is demanding but rewarding; for something gentler there's Cap de Sant Antoni, with its lighthouse and the viewpoint over Xàbia. It's about 100 km away on the AP-7, and pairs well with a cove in the area.

Frequently asked questions

Which natural park is closest to Valencia?

The Albufera, about 15 km south of the city. You reach it by car on the CV-500 in 20-25 minutes, by EMT bus, or even by bike following the coast through Pinedo and El Saler.

Which natural park is best for birdwatching?

The Albufera, especially in autumn and winter, when thousands of water birds arrive. The hides at the Racó de l'Olla and the Estany del Pujol are the easiest spots. The Pego-Oliva Marshland is the other major wetland for watching.

Can you visit the Albufera without a car?

Yes. There's an EMT bus from Valencia to El Saler and El Palmar, and the bike lane reaches it from the city along the coast. The sunset boat leaves from the El Palmar landing stage.

Which natural park is good for a demanding hike?

The Serra Calderona (summits such as the Rebalsadors or the Pic de l'Àguila) and the Montgó, near Dénia, have serious climbs. The Hoces del Cabriel have riverside trails with less elevation gain but a longer drive from Valencia.