Valencia El Saler

This parador hotel on the outskirts of Valencia is called El Saler and it offers visitors three main advantages.

• The golf course surrounding the parador has 18 holes and a good reputation among golfers
• The Saler is set in beautiful surroundings overlooking the sea with the marshy Valencian Albufera behind
• The parador's proximity to the city of Valencia which is just 12km away. Valencia's famous Science and Art museum, Ciudad de las Ciencias y las Artes is even nearer.

Valencia's Parador Saler is a modern building with excellent facilities. Whether you want to relax on the beach or by the pool, take advantage of its golf course (none of us are golfers, but we are told by people who do enjoy playing that the golf facilities are excellent), visit the city of Valencia or discover the Albufera, this parador is an excellent choice.

Service is professional and brisk (rather than warm and friendly), rooms are spacious. Ask for a room overlooking the swimming pool and sea and enjoy sitting out on the balcony with a drink, relaxing and enjoying the view. If you do sit out with the windows open in the evening, BEWARE OF MOSQUITOS. This area is mosquito paradise - marshy meadows nearby, the beach just a few metres away, and the pool. Make sure you take a mosquito machine and plug it in as soon as you arrive. The hotel does not provide them.

Food is good - the famous Spanish dish Paella comes from Valencia, so you really should try it if you eat here (see recipe for paella). Also try Agua de Valencia, a drink made from fresh Valencian orange juice and Spanish cava. Very refreshing! See also restaurants in Valencia and restaurants in the Costa Blanca.

The Saler Meadow (Dehesa del Saler) is 10 km long and lies between Valencia's Lagoon (Albufera) and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a beautiful place, at its best at sunrise and sunset, when the whole area changes colour and seems almost magical. The Saler parador is set just behind the sand dunes, and is surrounded by pine groves and a wealth of Mediterranean plants and fauna. And the Albufera, a water lagoon, is home to numerous species of birds and plants. Rice used to be one of the main products grown in this area (hence the fact that Spanish paella has its origins here), and is still cultivated but on a much smaller scale.

For more detailed information on other sights, hotels and restaurants in the province see Guide to Valencia.