The best hiking routes in Parc Natural de la Marjal Pego-Oliva

Parc Natural de la Marjal Pego-Oliva is a flat wetland basin enclosed by mountains, where the landscape is defined by a network of clear-water canals, reedbeds, and active rice paddies. Unlike the dry, rocky hillsides nearby, this reserve is entirely level and dominated by water. Walkers will find a stark contrast between the open, sun-exposed dirt tracks running alongside agricultural fields and the narrow wooden boardwalks that cut directly through the dense, tall reeds of the marsh core.

The underfoot conditions are highly characteristic of a reclaimed wetland. You will walk on a mix of hard-packed gravel agricultural roads, soft earthen paths that follow the canal banks, and elevated timber platforms over the wetter sections. The water here is fed by underground springs, which you can observe bubbling up at the Ullals, creating clear pools that contrast with the siltier irrigation channels.

This is not a coastal dune system or a saltwater lagoon, but a freshwater marsh shaped by centuries of traditional rice cultivation. In winter, particularly around January, many of the paddies are flooded, turning the landscape into a vast mirror reflecting the surrounding mountains. The area is popular with birdwatchers, especially around the wooden observatory towers, while the wider agricultural tracks remain straightforward, flat walking territory.