El Saler reopens roads and beaches after 37-hectare fire

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• The Devesa of El Saler is open again after the fire that burned 37 hectares, with roads, beaches and buses restored from Sunday 30 August 2026.
• Metrovalencia has ended its summer timetable and reopened the Aragó, Amistat, Ayora and Marítim stations after two months of works, according to Valencia Secreta.
• Metrovalencia is laying on special Line 4 tram services from 3 to 5 September for the beauty fair at Feria de Valencia, per La Voz de Alzira.
• The PSOE has confirmed Science Minister Diana Morant as its sole candidate to try to win back the regional government in 2027, reports Libertad Digital.
• The Ensems contemporary music festival runs from 17 to 27 September in Valencia, with some concerts free, according to Valencia Bonita.

Today's essentials

El Saler reopens roads and beaches after 37-hectare fire. El Saler is back to normal: the CV-500 and CV-401 roads reopened fully on Sunday 30 August 2026 at 23:59 and EMT buses returned to El Saler, El Palmar and El Perellonet, according to Valenciaextra, after the fire that burned 37 hectares of the Devesa in the Albufera Natural Park.

The fire broke out on Thursday 27 August 2026 at around 1pm in the Devesa de El Saler and scorched 37 hectares of the roughly 900 that make up the reserve, its worst blaze in 40 years, according to Valencia Plaza and Mayor Maria Jose Catala on X. About 130 people spent the night away from home after the village, campsites and the wildlife recovery centre were evacuated, per Valenciaextra, and the operation mobilised 10 aircraft, 40 ground units and more than 270 professionals. The Seprona of the Guardia Civil confirmed on Friday 28 August that the fire was deliberately set, ruling out natural causes, and it was declared stabilised late on Saturday 29 August.

With the emergency over, the practical picture is clear. The main road in from the city, the CV-500, and the CV-401 are open again, so you no longer need the long detour through Sueca to reach El Saler, El Palmar or El Perellonet, and the EMT bus service to those neighbourhoods runs on its normal timetable, per Valenciaextra. The Devesa woodland, the beaches and their chiringuitos and car parks have also reopened.

A handful of spots inside the park stay closed for now: the track between Torre 1 and the Duna restaurant, the Cami Vell de la Devesa and several firebreaks remain sealed off while crews finish clearing the burned zone, and a reinforced police presence is being maintained. If you head to the El Saler beaches or walk in the pine forest, stick to the marked open routes and expect to see recovery work under way; Juan Carlos Caballero, the deputy mayor for emergencies, says city services are already working on protecting and restoring the natural park.

The political fallout continues in parallel. Catala said no one could be blamed but an arsonist and announced a reforestation plan for the Devesa, according to El Espanol and Valenciazoom, while the opposition (Compromis and the PSOE) argues that too little prevention work had been done, per eldiario.es. The Guardia Civil investigation to identify who started the fire is still ongoing as of 1 September 2026, according to Valenciazoom, so parts of the site may reopen or close again at short notice.

What this means for you: your usual routine at El Saler is back. You can drive the CV-500 straight down from Valencia, catch the EMT bus to the beach, and use the beach bars and car parks as before, without the Sueca detour. Just keep off the closed forest paths and firebreaks until firefighters sign them off, and watch the Generalitat and Emergencias GVA channels for any updates as the arson inquiry and the promised replanting of the Devesa move forward.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : El Saler, El Palmar and El Perellonet, all part of the city of Valencia, plus the Devesa de El Saler inside the Albufera Natural Park.
• Roads closed or diverted : The CV-500 (main access to El Saler from Valencia) and the CV-401 reopened fully on 30 August 2026 at 23:59, ending the detour via Sueca. Inside the Devesa, the path between Torre 1 and the Duna restaurant, the Camí Vell de la Devesa and several firebreaks (Tallafoc de la Rambla, Tallafoc dels Ferros) remain closed, according to Valenciaextra.
• Official instructions : Evacuation orders have been lifted and residents have returned home. The Devesa woods, beaches, beach bars and car parks are open again, but the closed paths and firebreaks stay off-limits while firefighters finish operations, and a reinforced police presence is being kept in the area, per Valenciaextra and El Español.
• Air quality : non communique a cette heure
• Official numbers & channels : 112 for emergencies; the Generalitat and Emergencias GVA official channels for updates on the Devesa and the Albufera Natural Park.
• Last updated : Road restrictions were lifted on 30 August 2026 at 23:59 (Valenciaextra); Mayor Maria Jose Catala's latest statement on the arson and the reforestation plan dates from 1 September 2026 (El Espanol, Valenciazoom).

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

Today's weather in Valencia. Valencia sees scattered showers today with temperatures between 24 and 28 degrees and light winds up to 10 km/h, according to Open-Meteo, so pack a light layer and keep an umbrella handy.

Transport & traffic

• Extra trams for the Feria de Valencia, 3 to 5 September. Metrovalencia is running special services on tram Line 4 from 3 to 5 September to reach the beauty fair at Feria de Valencia, according to La Voz de Alzira. If you are heading to the fairground on those three days, the reinforced Line 4 tram is the simplest way in, sparing you the parking hunt around the venue and adding capacity at peak arrival and departure times. Check the live boards for the extra runs rather than relying on the standard weekday frequency.
• Metro summer works end: four stations reopen. Metrovalencia has dropped its summer timetable and reopened the Arago, Amistat, Ayora and Maritim stations after two months of closures for refurbishment, according to Valencia Secreta. For daily commuters this means the network returns to its normal routes and frequencies just as September and the back-to-work season begin, so if your usual stop was shut or your line ran reduced services over the summer, you can go back to your regular journey from now on.

What's changing for you

• Sagunto council meets this Thursday. Sagunto town council holds its ordinary September plenary this Thursday, with gold medals, motions on water and the Castle, and a solidarity declaration for Colombia after August's earthquake on the agenda, Valencia Extra reports.

Local news to know

• Four Turia park footbridges back in service. The Jucar river authority (CHJ) has reopened four pedestrian footbridges in the Turia river park destroyed by the flood of 29 October 2024, while warning they are not flood-proof, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Mazon denies ordering the Es-Alert halted. Former regional president Carlos Mazon has told the judge he did not order the Es-Alert warning to be paused during the dana, shifting responsibility for the handling onto Salome Pradas, according to elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana.
• PSPV demands answers over El Palomar land deal. The Socialist group on the Valencia provincial council is demanding explanations from the PP and the dismissal of adviser Jordi Vila over land bought from the family of El Palomar's mayor using grant money, per elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana.
• Diana Morant confirmed as PSOE candidate. The PSOE has confirmed Science Minister Diana Morant as its sole candidate to try to win back the regional government in 2027, after the left's 2023 defeat to the PP, according to Libertad Digital Comunidad Valenciana.

Tonight and tomorrow, Valencia

• Big names return to l'Auditori de Torrent. L'Auditori de Torrent has unveiled a season featuring Paloma San Basilio, Lola Herrera and the Kiev Ballet, alongside a flamenco festival, opera, dance and an independent cinema cycle, according to Levante-EMV.
• Ensems 2026: ten days of contemporary music. The Ensems festival, Spain's oldest contemporary music event, returns to Valencia from 17 to 27 September 2026 with ten days of concerts, some of them free, Valencia Bonita reports. Programme details, venues and tickets are on the festival's official website, so if you fancy a free concert it is worth checking the line-up ahead of the opening on 17 September.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow