Grau De Gandia between beach, wetland and port
Accommodation in Grau De Gandia
Grau De Gandia between sea, nature and port
Grau De Gandia reveals several sides of the Valencian coast: a vast urban beach, a protected natural area, maritime culture and a port district with a history of its own.
Playa Nord is an urban beach stretching for more than 3 kilometres. It includes 300,000 m² of fine sand. Along the beachfront is an open area reserved for pedestrians, with a wide surface free of changes in elevation and architectural barriers.
File:Carrer dels Pescadors del Grau de Gandia.jpg
Photo: Joanbanjo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Beaches with different characters
North of Playa Nord lies Playa de l’Auir, between Carrer Ribera Baixa and the Vaca River. It is an authorised and signposted naturist beach. Playa de l’Auir is considered one of the few remaining unspoilt beaches in the Mediterranean and the beach with the highest level of protection in the Valencian Community. Raised boardwalks lead through the dune landscape.
At Playa Nord, there are sometimes facilities where windsurfing boards can be rented and courses in light sailing can be taken. A cycle path also runs along the beach and is used for running, skating and cycling.
Wetland and natural area
The Marjal de Gandia is a Mediterranean coastal wetland listed in the Valencian Community’s wetland catalogue and included in the Natura 2000 network. It is home to biological communities with high biodiversity, as well as bird species such as mallards and herons.
The wetland includes the Ullals: small, circular and sometimes deep ponds formed by numerous springs. The Ullals wetland is equipped with boardwalks and paths for visitors. Aula Natura is a recreational facility and serves as an interpretation centre for the Marjal de Gandia surroundings.
Port, history and maritime culture
The Port of Gandia has several areas for public use, water sports and fishing. La Marina is a public bus that connects Gandia with the beach.
The Museo del Mar is located in Tinglado No. 15 in the Port of Gandia and contains more than one hundred scale reproductions of historic and modern ships. The Tinglados del Puerto have been recognised as Bienes de Relevancia Local since 2018. The Iglesia de San Nicolás by the sea is one of the most representative examples of twentieth-century religious architecture and a landmark of modern architecture.
The area’s maritime character is also evident in the Lonja. It is managed by the Fishermen’s Guild of Gandia, which organises fish auctions for wholesalers, fishmongers and restaurants. During the Fiestas del Grao, celebrated in the Port of Gandia between 14 and 16 July as a festival honouring the patron saint of sailors, the Virgen del Carmen heads out to sea on a fishing boat as part of a maritime procession.
A guided look at the Grau
A guided tour of the Grau and the Port of Gandia is available throughout the year by prior reservation and lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. It covers the origins and development of the district, its notable buildings, and its commercial and transport activities.
For further orientation within the surrounding area, see Platja De Gandia.
For the higher-level travel overview: Gandía.
