Parc Natural de s'Albufera des Grau

The lagoon is the reason to come. Paths run down both sides of it, waymarked in green, red and blue, and the water is what the birds are here for. A walk can just as easily turn up crabs in the shallows, fish, lizards on warm stone and butterflies over the scrub; tortoises are an occasional find.

One route finishes at the beach. The sea there is clear and stays shallow for the first 50 m or so before it deepens gradually, which makes it an easy place to cool off at the end of the walk, and kayaking, snorkelling and picnicking all work from the same water.

• No water, no toilets: neither within 800 m of the site, so bring whatever you plan to drink.
• Call at the information office: it stands beside the car park, hands out a map and can tell you where each trail goes.
• Parking is limited and the bays are tight: two car parks serve the site, the second one about 400 m out.
• Dogs are allowed, and the shallows at the beach suit small children.
• Wildlife is not on order: the birds are what the park is known for, but a walk can turn up little beyond crabs, fish, lizards and butterflies.

Access is by car, on the road between Maó and Es Grau, and the site sits directly off it. The nearer car park is within 50 m of the park's point and the information office about 37 m, so there is no approach walk: the walking begins once you have a map in hand. A second car park lies roughly 400 m away. The bays in both are tight.

By bus, the nearest stop is at Es Grau, about 1.6 km away in a straight line.

Best: early morning or late afternoon.

Avoid: the middle of a hot day.

The paths cross open ground and the heat builds over the lagoon, so the cooler ends of the day make for a better walk and lower light over the water. It is a quiet park at the best of times.