Parpalló-Borrell y Aula Natura

Breathe in the fresh air of Gandia. Enjoy, explore, and learn with your family about our natural surroundings during your holiday.

The Parpalló-Borrell & Aula Natura Interpretation Centers are designed to inform and help visitors understand the environmental features of the natural areas in which they are located.

The Parpalló-Borrell & Aula Natura Interpretation Centers aim to educate and guide visitors in understanding the environmental features of the natural setting in which they are located. Specifically, they explore the origins of the landscape’s relief, the influence of water as a key force in shaping the terrain, the evolution of the environment from the Paleolithic era to the present day, as well as the native flora and fauna, wildfire prevention measures, and biodiversity conservation.

The Parpalló-Borrell Municipal Natural Area is a protected natural space of 560 hectares, located within the municipality of Gandia. It was officially declared a protected area by the Valencian Regional Government on April 30, 2004.

Within this area, visitors can enjoy mountainous landscapes with wide open views, typical Mediterranean vegetation, and landforms shaped by water, resulting in caves, sinkholes, galleries, and more—features that are abundant throughout the park. The area hosts a rich variety of wildlife, especially bird species. One of its most notable landmarks is the Cova del Parpalló (Parpalló Cave), a site of Cultural Interest and a key reference point for the Mediterranean Upper Paleolithic period.

All of these ecological, scenic, natural, and cultural values make this area worthy of its protected status.

The management of the park is the responsibility of the Gandia City Council and is governed by the Special Protection Plan, approved by the Valencian Government in 2007. This document outlines the zoning of the area and defines what is allowed and prohibited in each zone.

The Environmental Interpretation Center of the Parpalló-Borrell Natural Area is located at kilometer 9.7 on the Gandia–Barx road (CV-675), in the municipality of Gandia heading toward Barx.

Website: parpalloborrell.gandia.org

Aula Natura

The Aula Natura, located in the Marjal wetlands of Gandia, is an interpretation center focused on a Mediterranean wetland ecosystem. Its excellent location allows visitors to first explore the center—home to comprehensive information on the native flora and fauna of this unique environment—and then enjoy a guided walk through the “ullal”, discovering its many secrets. It’s the perfect excuse to connect with nature in a destination renowned for sun and beach tourism, while learning about the surrounding ecosystem.

The center features a permanent exhibition that highlights the most important aspects of this natural and cultural landscape. To engage children and young audiences, the exhibit incorporates interactive applications and multimedia games, while also displaying authentic objects of significant ethnographic value.

In addition, the center houses a multi-purpose workshop room where environmental education activities for schools and groups are held, alongside science outreach events. An Environmental Monitoring Station (EVA) collects real-time data from the wetland through an automated system, making the information available to the scientific community.