La Albufera: An Escape from Bustling City Life in Valencia
Just outside of the bustling city center of Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, lies a calming oasis surrounded by rice fields and dense vegetation that make up La Albufera.
La albufera, the largest lagoon in Spain, connects fresh water to the Mediterranean sea.
“The name comes from Arabic, meaning Al-Bulhayra, meaning small sea,” La Albufera tour guide José Antonio Bru said.
Tourists from all over the world explore the peaceful nature of La Albufera and the nearby traditional village, El Palmar.
Bru said Spaniards often refer to La Albufera water as “el agua dulce,” not only because of its sweetness, but also because of its rich minerals that cultivate rice and wheat.
With a population of 800 and a home to more than 30 restaurants, El Palmar’s increased tourism has attracted locals, like Bru, to become either La Albufera tour guides or restaurateurs.
Bru, who has worked for five years as a tour guide, said his job has provided him a good income and an opportunity to meet new people.
He said he couldn’t imagine working in a 9-to-5 job where he would be stressed and stuck working behind a desk.
“I work so calmly,” Bru said. “The process is interesting. It is not typical work as the office or a typical physical work.”
Bru said he was the first person in his family to seek job opportunities outside the fishery or agricultural fields.
Generations of fishers and rice growers, like Bru’s family, have lived in El Palmar for many centuries due to La Albufera’s rich biodiversity.
