23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Nature reclaiming a forgotten vessel in La Albufera National Park.

In La Albufera, Valencia, this abandoned boat rests on dry land among reeds and grasses, surrounded by traces of debris and overgrowth. The image captures the tension between nature’s reclamation and human neglect. Taken before the catastrophic DANA storm of October 2024, it now resonates differently: the vessel becomes a fragile witness to landscapes later overwhelmed by floodwaters. As a Spanish visual artist, I explore themes of displacement, memory, and poetic resistance. This photograph reflects my interest in transitional spaces — where history, ecology, and solitude converge. It is not just documentation; it is a portrait of abandonment, resilience, and the slow choreography of decay, now layered with the memory of disaster.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2023
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Valencia, Spain
Camera: Canon EOS 1100D
Copyright: © Carolina Valero Maestre