Route 15 From Orihuela to Elx

Route 15From Orihuela to Elx

Salt, dunes and monumental cities

1 • Museum: Museo Miguel

Hernández

2 • Palm Grove: Palmeral de San

Antón

3 • Castle: Castillo de Orihuela

4 • Paraje las Norias

5 • Mount: Sierra de Orihuela

6 • Hurchillo

7 • Reservoir: Embalse de la

Pedrera

8 • Mount: Sierra de Escalona

9 • Las Zahurdas

10 • Lagoon: Laguna Roja de las

Salinas de Torrevieja

11 • Lagoon: Laguna Salada de La

Mata

12 • Tower: Torre del Moro

13 • Paraje de la Zorra

14 • Mount: El Chaparral

15 • Canal de las Salinas

16 • Mount: El Moncayo

17 • Castle: Castillo de Guardamar

18 • Park: Dunas de Guardamar

19 • Canal Azarbe de la Reina

20 • Wetlands: Humedal

Hondo Amorós

21 • El Oasis

22 • Santa Águeda

23 • Lagoon: Laguna del Fondo

24 • Mount: Sierra de Crevillent

25 • Centre: Centro Educativo Los

Molinos

26 • Hermitage: Ermita de San

Pascual

27 • Irrigation channel: 2nd

Elevación de Riegos de

Levante

28 • Tower: Torre Tamarit

29 • Castle: Castillo de Santa Pola

30 • Lighthouse: Faro de Santa

Pola

31 • Mount: Serra de Santa Pola

32 • Hermitage: Santa Ana

33 • Hermitage: Ermita de San Vicent

El Bassars

34 • Palm Grove: Palmeral Hort del

Cura

35 • El Altet

36 • El Clot de Galvany

37 • Settlement: Yacimiento de

l’Alcudia de Elx

RUTA14y15_142a172_da OK ingles.qxp:rutas 15/07/10 8:20 Página 156

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On the last route of this guide, designed to explore the

Region of Valencia in short trips, we will discover the

regions of Vega Baja del Segura and the Baix Vinalopó,

at the southernmost end of the province of Alicante,

with Orihuela and Elx (Elche) as their respective

capitals, and watered by the Segura and Vinalopó

rivers for which the respective regions are named. This

is a flat, fertile coastal territory, dedicated to irrigated

agriculture, although with a more diversified socio-

economic landscape nowadays, with services, industry,

tourism and construction. And the coast, obviously,

low and sandy, with fine sandy beaches and lovely

dune formations in the area of La Mata, Guardamar del

Segura and Santa Pola, with one of the most

important Spanish fishing ports. A region where we

can find everything: coast, beaches, good fish, an

ancient fertile plain, mountains that break up the

monotony of the plain, monumental cities like

Orihuela and Elx, with endless attractions for visitor.

Even an abandoned railway converted into a green

way - “vía verde”, from Albatera to Torrevieja, an

unbeatable climate and, above all, the sea. Maybe it is

because the two regions as a whole can be likened to

a paradise that so many people have decided to make

their homes here, amongst the palms. The landscape

of the Baix Vinalopó and Baix Segura, inherited from

the Iberians, Romans, Arabs and then the Christians is

a fertile plain, a vast orchard. Three wet zones attest to

this: the lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja; Fondo y

Salinas de Santa Pola, which have been nature parks

since the 90s; as well as ZEPA zones (Areas for Special

Protection of Birds). These wetlands also included in

the RAMSAR agreement protecting wetlands and,

since 2002 they have been part of the Valencian

Government’s Catalogue of Wetlands and of the

proposal to be included in the European Natura 2000

network of Sites of Common Interest (SCIs) [known in

Spain as “LIC” = Lugares de Interés Comunitario”]. And,

as if that were not enough, the extremely beautiful

island of Tabarca, which we will also visit, at the end of

the route.

From the University City to LasSalinas ‘green way’

Our route sets out from the capital of the Vega Baja del

Segura, Orihuela, whose old quarter has been declared of

historic-artistic importance, its notable cultural heritage

being inherited from the creation of the diocese of

Orihuela. It is also known as the University City as, despite

its reduced size, it is home to three universities. The

cultural visit round the city should take us to the 16th

century college of Santo Domingo, the old University of

Orihuela; the Cathedral of San Salvador from the late 13th

century, which houses the diocesan museum; the church

of Saints Justa and Rufina, a Gothic building with

Renaissance and baroque facades; the 18th century

bishop’s palace; and the 15th century church of Santiago

Apóstol. All of them are Places of Cultural Interest.

However, we cannot miss visiting the palaces of:

Rubalcava; the Marquis of Arneva, now the Town Hall; the

Count of La Granja; or that of the Counts of Luna, now a

hotel. We will also go to: the Theatre-Circus; the monastery

of the Visitation, with its neoclassical church; and the

museums: house of Miguel Hernandez; the San Juan de

Dios archaeological museum; that of the Muralla [the city

wall]; Semana Santa [Holy Week]; the Reconquista [when

the Arabs were expelled]; and the ethnological museum,

amongst others. In the surroundings, and within its

spacious municipal boundary, it is worth pointing out the

spots: las Norias [waterwheels], the San Antón palm grove

(the second largest in Europe and one of the oldest), the

Orihuela sierra, the Agudo-Cuerda de la Murada, the Soto

del Molino, the Escalona sierra, and the spots that can be

viewed from the vantage points of El Túnel and the

diocesan seminary of San Miguel, from where we can look

at the unique landscape of the market gardens and

orchards of the fertile plain on the riverbanks of the

Segura, in the environs of the city.

A mention apart is deserved for the coastline of Orihuela

with its beaches: Flamenca, Glea, Gato, Miramar and

Sacanit, as well as the bays: Mosca, Estacas, Cerrada and el

Bosque, as well as the protected posidonia [seagrass]


meadows of cape Roig, an important marine habitat,

protected as a SCI.

We will now leave Orihuela behind, taking the main roads

CV-925 and CV-951 in the direction of San Miguel de

Salinas, immersing ourselves in the fertile ‘Huerta’ with

beautiful agricultural “mosaics”, the patchwork of fields,

dominated by orange groves. We border the reservoir of

La Pedrera and pass through the hamlets of Hurchillo and

Torremundo, both belonging to the municipality of

Orihuela. From Torremundo we go over to the Escalona

sierra, which at 344 metres above sea level has become

the “green lungs” of Orihuela, thanks to its magnificent

forests of Aleppo pine, fan palm, strawberry tree, Kermes

oak and mastic tree. Birds of prey are not lacking in the

sierra and we sense the presence of the mountain cat or

genet [a cat-like mammal related to civets]. A little further

on we come to San Miguel de Salinas, a good example of

the evolution experienced towards the end of the 20th

century by this and many other municipalities in the

region, thanks to the diversion of water from the Tajo river

to the Segura, transforming this traditional unirrigated

agricultural structure to one of irrigated crops,

predominantly citrus fruit. Recent decades have seen the

appearance of sun and beach tourism, experiencing an

important population increase due to the influxes of

immigrants and retired European residents; in fact, more

than half the population has foreign nationality. In the

urban centre we will visit the parish church of San Miguel

Arcángel and the castle, while within the municipal

boundary we will go over to the archaeological remains of

La Zahurda, the waterspouts of Fuente del Sabinar and

Fuente del Carranchalet and La Pedrera reservoir. From

San Miguel de Salinas we now head for Los Montesinos

along the CV-940, bordering the western shore of the

curious Laguna Roja [red lagoon] of the Torrevieja salt flats,

which is protected by the Lagunas de La Mata-Torrevieja

nature park. The urban centre of Los Montesinos became

a municipality in 1990, when it was separated from

Almoradi. Its origins have to be traced back to the 13th

century and the repopulation efforts of Cardinal Belluga.

The name comes from a noble family, owner of these

lands. In its urban layout we discover the simplicity of the

19th century parish church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar; the

pleasant little tree-lined plaza of the Sagrado Corazón,

with its Holm oak over a hundred years old; and within its

municipal boundary the hermitage of the Marquesa built

in 1829.

La Mata-Torrevieja nature park,Europe’s largest salt producer

After the visit to Los Montesinos, we now head for one

of the points of greatest interest on this route, La Mata-

Torrevieja nature park, following the CV-945. Two

kilometres from Los Montesinos we will discover a sign

on our right announcing the green way, “vía verde de

las Salinas”, a route of just three and half kilometres that

take us into the waterside heart of the Torrevieja

lagoon. This abandoned railway line, now converted

into a green way, joined the station at Albatera to the

port at Torrevieja and its salt exploitation, as a branch of

the Murcia-Alicante mainline. The former steam train,

which transported people as well as salt production in a

profitable operation, stopped providing its passenger

service in 1970, to be closed completely a few years

later. Today this stretch of abandoned railway runs as a

green way parallel to the Torrevieja, a sheet of water

over 1,400 hectares in area within the Lagunas de La

Mata-Torrevieja nature park. The largest production of

salt in Spain is extracted from its interior, with the help

of the salt from El Pinoso, the famous salt-bearing


Salt ponds of Torrevieja 37º 59' 77'' N 0º 42' 2'' W


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mountain, where it is extracted by water and piped to

the lagoon as brine. According to historians, the

Phoenicians and Romans already extracted salt from

this incomparable spot. This Torrevieja lagoon is

connected to the sea and to the neighbouring lagoon

of La Mata, by means of old and historic channels that

have ended up making a perfect circuit for extracting

the salt. The best time of day to visit this peculiar

environment is with the last light of day when we can

enjoy a spectacular sunset decorated by the magic of

the sheet of water of the lagoon and, as a backdrop, the

impressive and emblematic Orihuela sierra.

If we continue along the green way on this there and

back stretch as a detour from our main itinerary, we will

reach the urban centre of Torrevieja. Nowadays,

Torrevieja is a city chiefly related to sun and beach

tourism and residential tourism (half its inhabitants are

foreign), but up until a few years ago the salt extraction

and the sea conditioned its development before the

arrival of the tourist phenomenon (building work is one

of the main factors of economic growth). In the last 25

years, Torrevieja has passed from something over ten

thousand inhabitants to over a hundred thousand at

present. In fact, at the beginning of the 19th century, of

the present urban centre of Torrevieja, all that existed

was a former watchtower, the “torre vieja” that gives the

town its name, and a few salt workers’ cottages. Its

subsequent growth was due to its port, through which

the salt and horticultural and fruit produce from the

region were exported, not only to the rest of Spain but

also to some European countries. A stroll around the

urban centre will lead us to the modernist casino and

the parish church of the Inmaculada Concepción, and

also of interest, in the surroundings, the Torre del Moro,

the Eras de la Sal or a visit to the salt-works. For those

who prefer the beach, Torrevieja has twenty kilometres

of coast, where the beach of the Náufragos [shipwrecks]

stands out, as well as that of El Cura, Los Locos, and La

Mata, without forgetting charming bays like those we

can find at the spots called La Zorra and Ferris. In the

cultural sphere, it is worth pointing out the “habanera”

groups. Since 1955 an international music festival has

been held, based on the habanera, the Certamen

Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonía de Torrevieja,

declared of international tourist interest, along with

various international choral gatherings run in parallel.

Also very important is the Premio de Novela Ciudad de

Torrevieja, the second in Spain, after the Planeta award,

in the amount awarded. Having resumed our main

route, at the roundabout of the CV-905, we will find a

path only for hiking and cycle-tourism, which leads to

the park’s information centre, bordering the waters of

La Mata lagoon. It is a solitary stretch with friendly

landscapes between a dense pinewood that opens

onto clearings to allow the cultivation of a local grape

variety greatly appreciated in the area. This stretch of

the route is the most suitable to mention that we find

ourselves in a protected area extending over a total of

4,154 hectares. The park includes two main lagoons: La

Mata, some seven hundred hectares, and that of

Torrevieja, with 1,400 hectares. This last is the second

largest in Valencian lands after the Albufera of Valencia.

The rest, some 2,054 hectares, corresponds to the areas

around the edges, reed beds, areas of salt marshes, a

mountainous area called El Chaparral, and the

pinewoods on the south of La Mata lagoon, where we

start our visit. Given the heavy urbanisation in the

surroundings of the lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja,

these have today become an indispensable oasis for

wild life , true “lungs” for the whole region. The lagoons

of La Mata and Torrevieja, into which flow a network of

gullies and watercourses from the nearby San Miguel

de Salinas sierra, form an ecosystem that shows its most

visual image in the vegetation. The salt marshes

dominate the landscape, with the best-known of salt-

tolerant plant species, salicornia, known in English as

glasswort, pickleweed or marsh samphire, and

La Mata nature park 38º 1' 48'' N 0º 39' 52'' W


Guardamar del Segura dunes

After the visit to the Lagunas de La Mata-Torrevieja nature

park, we head for Guardamar del Segura along the N-332,

to the south of the river Segura, where the river mouth is

found, beside this town. Those who have chosen to cycle

or walk the route will be able to reach Guardamar del

Segura, the southernmost municipality where Valencian is

spoken, along rural roads like the Camí Vell de Guardamar

and Camí de Dos, which run around the western side of

the Cerro Moncayo, easily recognisable for the radio mast

on its summit. The actual site of the urban centre of

Guardamar del Segura is relatively recent, as the original

network of streets was found within the defensive walls,

with the castle as the centre of the town, situated on the

hill that dominates the city from its 64 metres of height.

The hill was abandoned in 1829 for a location nearer the

coast, using, moreover, advanced anti-seismic techniques

in the construction, since an earthquake had devastated

the old Guardamar. But by the end of the 19th century the

new location was starting to suffer the invasion of the

coastal sand masses and, to prevent the advancing dunes

from covering the town, the reforestation of the dunes

was undertaken to anchor them, which gave rise to the

famous pinewoods of the Guardamar dunes, its best-

known and appreciated image. These days the whole

Guardamar coastal front is a beautiful forest park declared

a Site of Natural Interest [Spanish equivalent to the UK SSSI

scheme], which covers more than eight hundred hectares

and is known by the name of Dunas de Guardamar. Of

interest in the urban centre and environs are the remains

of the 10th century Arab mosques, the ruins of the castle

from the 12th and 13th centuries, the archaeological and

ethnological museum, the Reina Sofia park, the Cabeza

limonium species, along with reed beds and rushes. In

the environs of the lagoons we also find scrubland

vegetation, as well as the only wooded area of the

entire park as a whole, the pinewood which, with

species like the Aleppo pine and stone pine, provide

the landscape as a whole with an element that breaks

the monotony of the wetland horizon. But the real

protagonist of the landscape is the animal wildlife,

especially the birdlife. Most recent bird censuses talk of

around a hundred different species in the vicinity of the

two lagoons, the flamingo and black-necked grebe

standing out, with thousands of specimens during the

breeding season, as well as the black-winged Stilt, red

crested Pochard, mallard, Eurasian widgeon, common

tern and the Kentish plover [which despite its name no

longer breeds in Kent or even in UK]. Finally, it is worth

mentioning the existence of the brine shrimp, a

crustacean not commonly found, as it needs high levels

of salt in the water to survive. From the nature park’s

information centre we can walk around the edge of La

Mata lagoon, discovering the specially set up

observation points for looking not only at the

surrounding landscape but its rich and abundant

birdlife. In this sense the birdwatching hides stand out,

a tower that gives an aerial view over the whole lagoon,

as well as a cabin standing on the ground on the bank

of the lake itself. A little further on we will visit the

Acequión, the channel connecting La Mata with the

sea; the Altillo vantage point, which enables us to enjoy

splendid panoramic views of the fields of vineyards

planted between the pinewoods around the lagoon,

and the nature park’s information centre. There it is

possible to enjoy all kinds of educational installations,

notable amongst them being the view from a camera

which transmits images, in real time, from the interior of

the most sensitive area of the park, the nesting areas,

where the most characteristic species of the park carry

on their daily lives.


Guardamar dunes 38º 6' 78'' N 0º 38' 52'' W


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Lucero archaeological deposits from the Iberian era, where

the ‘Dama de Guardamar’ was found [Lady of Guardamar

or Lady of Cabeza Lucero, an Iberian era bust similar to the

more famous Lady of Elx (or Elche) discovered in 1987),

and the Arab site of La Rábita in the area of dunes. The

solitary virgin beaches at Guardamar, sheltered at the foot

of the dunes, attract the attention of the relatively few

visitors to this peaceful town, especially the Moncaya and

Tusales beaches, enjoyed by nudists, situated on the edge

of the mouth of the river Segura and enclosed by dense

vegetation and natural dunes which make them even

more attractive and suitable for nudism. We will leave

Guardamar del Segura behind taking the major road N-

332, crossing the river Segura and a few kilometres further

on we take the CV-859 in the direction of San Fulgencio,

running alongside a wide channel known as the Azarbe

de la Reina, always surrounded by fields of vegetable

crops, citrus groves and other fruit orchards that shape an

eminently agrarian landscape.

The town of San Fulgencio was founded in 1740 by

Cardinal Belluga, who set up a project to drain a series of

marshy lands, turning them into fertile soil suitable for

agricultural use. More than 75% of its inhabitants are of

foreign nationality, which represents the highest

percentage of foreign residents in the whole of Spain and

one of the highest in the European Union (the only

Spanish municipality where English is the most-spoken

language). Obviously, nowadays it has stopped being an

agricultural town and depends more on tourism and the

recently built residential areas, which have created a new

landscape of construction and urban development. A

quiet stroll around its streets will lead us to the parish

church, which dates from the 18th century; to the

archaeological museum and, in the surroundings, to the

archaeological deposits from the Iberian Age of El Oral

and La Escuera. In addition, within the same municipal

boundary, we can visit the wetland area of El Hondo de

Amorós and the nature spot known as El Oasis, a

recreational and leisure area three kilometres from the

urban centre. From there we will be able to look at

extraordinary views of the Vega Baja del Segura and the

spots El Hondo de Elx and Hondo de Amorós. From San

Fulgencio we now head for Dolores, bordering the

channel or Azarbe de la Reina again. Nowadays the

municipality of Dolores, sharing its origins with

neighbouring towns under the protection of the

drainage and transformation works carried out by Cardinal

Belluga, is devoted fundamentally to horticultural and fruit

production (globe artichokes and other vegetables) and

the rearing of livestock. In its urban centre the simple

parish church stands out, while on the outskirts we can

walk through the roads and paths of the market gardens

and orchards. On the CV9218, after our visit to Dolores, we

reach Catral, whose closest proximities display a landscape

of fields and crops, thanks, as with the neighbouring

towns, to Cardinal Belluga’s project for draining the marshy

lands. Its present urban layout has its origin in the 13th

Orihuela 38º 5' 38'' N 0º 56' 39'' W


century, with the Christian repopulation, at the time when

it was ceded by Jaime I to his son-in-law Alfonso X, the

Wise. The 15th century parish church stands out, while in

the surroundings we should visit the hermitage of Santa

Agueda - where local pilgrimages and religious

processions have been held since the 17th century - and

an archaeological site with a “castrum” or fortified camp,

possibly of Iberian or Roman origin.

Our next stop will be the information centre of El Fondo

nature park, a wetlands ecosystem of great natural and

cultural value. El Fondo nature park extends through the

municipal areas of Elx and Creveillent over a total of 2,387

hectares and its role is both ecological and agricultural, as

the water from its reservoirs serve for irrigation.

El Fondo nature park

From Catral, on the CV-8630 and the old Elx road, we

reach the small, peaceful town of San Felipe Neri,

belonging to the municipality of Crevillent, and a sign on

our right indicates the direction to reach the information

centre, a recent building with the latest technology and

well provided with descriptive and educational panels, as

well as cameras that show the bird life in the park. El

Fondo, a nature park since 1994 is, along with the Santa

Pola salt marshes, the only wetlands area left today of

what was the Gulf of Elx, which first became a great inland

salt lake cut off from the sea by a sand bank, and then

filled by natural sedimentation. Throughout this process

the present lagoons or ponds of El Fondo and Santa Pola

formed a single sheet of water that gradually transformed

or disappeared, also by silting, to drain the wetland and

turn it into cultivated land. Today the wetland area of El

Fondo is like an oasis with waters of incalculable value for

birdlife, being one of the most relevant on the Valencian

coast, not only for migratory species, but also as a nesting

spot, reasons that have led to its declaration as a nature

park. An excellent protection made the most of by birds

like herons, the black-crowned night heron, squacco

heron, common pochard, black-winged stilt, collared

pratincole, northern shoveler and the osprey, as well as

the park’s most relevant species: the white-headed duck

and the marbled duck, which find here their safest nesting

spot in the whole of Europe. El Fondo nature park is

included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of

International Importance, and is a Special Protection Area

[SPA - ZEPA in Spanish] under the EU directive on the

Conservation of Wild Birds, and is surprising for its lagoons

or ponds, the two largest known as the Levante reservoir

and the Poniente reservoir, and for extensive areas of salt

marshes, which afford a landscape of calm waters

occupying the last remnants of what was the former Elx

albufera. From El Fondo natural park we can make our

way, on a there and back stretch, to Crevillente, an

industrial and commercial city, whose famous carpets

gave it the nickname of ‘carpet city’, situated at the foot of

the sierra of the same name, with its summit of La Vella

peak and that of La Madera. However, historically it was

esparto grass and matting made of it exported abroad

(called “tapis d’Espagne” in France) that were the basis of

Crevillente’s industry. In its urban centre, the monumental

18th century parish church of Nuestra Señora de Belén

stands out, safeguarding in its crypt the Pasos de la

Semana Santa [tableaux for the Holy Week procession]

designed by Mariano Benlliure; the town’s Council House,

from 1901; the bell tower of the old church; the Calvary

[special route with the Stations of the Cross, for the Holy

Week procession]; the Barrio Morería (Arab quarter); and

the old castle and the city walls declared of Cultural

Interest. Its festivals of Moors and Christians and Holy

Week have been declared Fiestas of National Tourist

Interest. A leisurely look around should take us to the



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dwellings in caves dug out of the sides of the nearby

ravines. On the outskirts of the urban centre it is possible

to visit the archaeological sites of: Ratlla del Bubo (upper

Palaeolithic), Les Moreres (Copper Age - just before the

Bronze Age) and Peña Negra (Iberian). We look around the

San Cayetano park, Los Molinos Centre for environmental

education and the hermitages of San Isidro and San

Pascual. After the visit to Crevillent, we return to El Fondo

nature park from the northern end, at a place known as

Segunda Elevación de Riegos de Levante, undoubtedly

the best way to enjoy the heart of the park. A perfectly

signposted, there and back route, which gives access to

three hides, strategically placed and concealed on the

Levante and Poniente reservoirs. A paradise for

ornithologists, and for anyone else who enjoys seeing

wildlife in its natural habitat, especially birdlife in freedom.

There is no better time than in the early morning in spring

or autumn with a cloudless sky to enjoy the life, light and

colour of this natural environment. Ochre colouring

everywhere, under the deep turquoise-blue of the sky,

and on the ground and against the light, the colourful

glasswort contributing its deep autumnal red to the

beautiful shades of El Fondo, while a cloud of anatids

[family including ducks, geese and swans] breaks the

silence and covers for a few moments the entire horizon

of the park. A whole visual and aesthetic miracle beyond

that of its biological values. We will also discover that it is

the ornithologists who best monitor the rhythm of life in

the park, their discreet, silent and patient work catching

our attention, as they study the birdlife, binoculars in hand,

from the lookouts. With their work of scientific

contemplation from the hides they dignify the area and

thus become the best possible guide for the visitor in

these wetlands. After this gratifying experience we head

for Santa Pola along the CV-851 to visit another nature

park, the Salinas de Santa Pola.

A watchtower amongst saltmarshes

At the entrance to Santa Pola on the CV-865 to our

right we will see the information centre of the Salt

museum, our entrance to the nature park. The

information centre will show us the culture and work of

salt extraction. Around it there is a signposted salt

itinerary which leads to a privileged birdwatching spot,

probably the best corner in the park for observing the

flamingo. The Salinas de Santa Pola nature park, given

its location and wetland characteristics, climate and

scarce rainfall, it is an invaluable refuge for wildlife,

especially for birdlife, being one of the most relevant

places on our coast, not only for migratory species, but

also for nesting sites, given also the salt exploitation and

nearby coastline. In this park we will discover open

horizons, broad sheets of water of changing colours

with their vast ponds for the salt exploitations in the

area, pools used as fish farms, exuberant vegetation and

the presence of unusual wild life, like the flamingos,

responsible for a large part of the functioning of the salt

marsh ecosystem. The salt ponds for extracting salt are

where the biological cycle occurs that supports the salt

industry. The flamingos are key players, as, amongst

other food, they feed on the tiny crustacean called the

brine shrimp, a species proper to hypersaline

environments. The faeces of the flamingos supply the

nutrients and minerals necessary for the development

of the halophile bacteria species - “halo”, a Greek word

meaning salt - which live on the bottom of the ponds

of the saltworks and favour the formation of an

impermeable coating to the beds of the ponds and

protect the lower layer from excessive exposure to the

sun. These bacteria are also responsible for the peculiar

rosy pink colour of the water in the park. On the dunes

of the sand bank separating the wetland from the sea,

Elx 38º 15' 87'' N 0º 41' 39'' W


the beautiful forest masses of stone pine and Aleppo

pine stand out, planted to fix the dunes and now

forming a very eye-catching landscape group and

contrasting with the salt ponds and the blue of the

Mediterranean. Regarding the birdlife we discover all

types of species: permanent residents, migratory,

summer visitors, winter visitors and nesting visitors, as a

consequence of the constant circulation of sea water:

black-winged stilt, Kentish plover, little tern and the

marsh harrier. Special attention is given to the

flamingos, which have turned the Santa Pola saltworks

into one of their sanctuaries, with thousands of

specimens during the breeding season.

The pyramids of salt, their whiteness breaking the

monotony of the skyline on the flat horizon of the park,

give visual and aesthetic strength to the salt industry,

and the Tamarit tower, declared a Place of Cultural

Interest, stands at the very centre of the park and,

surrounded by a mirror-like sheet of water, is

undoubtedly the emblem of the park. The protected

area, declared a nature park in 1994, stretches out over

a total of 2,496 hectares and nowadays game shooting

is still permitted between October and January and eel

fishing is allowed using traditional methods.

After this visit to two of the most unusual and

unforgettable parks in the Region of Valencia, we visit

the nearby municipality of Santa Pola, which has its

origin in an early Iberian settlement, over which the

Romans built Portus Ilicitanus in the 1st century AD, as

the port of the Roman colony of Ilici [now Elche or Elx,

its people still known as Ilicitanos] as well as the

important salting industry, of the archaeological site of

Picola, from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. Today at Santa

Pola we find a city with a dual dedication between

tourism and fishing, with the port and the castle at the

centre and flanked by two natural areas, the Salinas de

Santa Pola nature park and the sierra, forested by a

pinewood, and the cape of Santa Pola. On our wander

round the urban centre we find the simple parish

church; the 14th century, declared of a Place of Cultural

Interest; the Roman house of the Palmeral, with

multicoloured mosaics and murals; the ruins of the

Roman port; the 18th century mill, Molino de la Calera;

the fishing museum and the maritime museum. In the

environs, and within the municipal boundary, the

beautiful beaches are noteworthy, and the 16th century

watchtowers, all declared Places of Cultural Interest:

Atalayola, its structure being used since 1858 for the

location of the present lighthouse, Escaletes and

Tamarit, already mentioned within the Salinas de Santa

Pola nature park.

.

From the island of Tabarca to Elx

One of the most emblematic places in the area and a

destination not to be missed is Tabarca island, the

largest in the Region of Valencia and the only one

permanently inhabited. Although it can be visited by

boat from various different points along the Alicante

coast, Santa Pola is, undoubtedly, the best place to

depart for a visit to Tabarca island, due to its proximity.

Although it belongs to the municipality of Alicante (it is

twenty kilometres from Alicante, but only eight from

Santa Pola and four from the cape of Santa Pola). Nueva

Tabarca is a tiny island, light and flat, little known until

relatively recently, in the Region of Valencia group.

Tabarca must not be visited in a hurry, given the quality

of life, environmental value and seclusion offered by

this simple and welcoming flat island, known by the

Greeks and Romans as “Plana” = flat.

Tourists arrive at Tabarca for its climate, in summer its

beaches are greatly valued; for shopping; to enjoy a

good meal in its restaurants or to have a getaway break

from the coastal apartments. But the island has other

values, especially since it has started to have adequate

infrastructure and rigorous protectionist regulations.


Elx 38º 16' 03'' N 0º 41' 77'' W


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Today the island enables visitors who enjoy peaceful

friendly places - Tabarca is one of the few

Mediterranean islands without a single motor vehicle -

to discover fresh values that have little to do with the

traditional “sun and beach” tourism. In the first place, the

island has been a Marine Reserve since 1986, but even

before that it had recognition with the declaration in

1964 as a place of Artistic–Historic Importance, updated

more recently with the protective character of a Place

of Cultural Interest. Notable on Tabarca is the restored

Governor’s House, an 18th century building converted

into a hotel, which has to a great extent respected the

original structure of the old building, like the semi-

circular arches of the ground floor salon with ashlar

stones. The Governor’s House is situated in the island’s

unique urban enclosure, known by the name of Sant

Pau or Nueva Tabarca, a walled enclosure from the 18th

century with some magnificent access gates: on the

west that of Sant Gabriel, on the east that of Sant Rafael,

and a third allows it to be caressed by the north winds,

that of Sant Miquel. When the sun sets, the Sant Gabriel

gateway offers a beautiful sight, since the Ashlar stones

from the nearby quarry rare bathed in a deep red and

the landscape looks unreal, all surrounded by

unbelievably clean waters. The eastern part of the island

is a plain beautifully drawn by a vegetation of prickly

pears, a cactus that rises to more than two metres tall,

and botanical species of flora that decorate

architectural works that have remained as a display of

an intense historical time: the 1877 lighthouse, the 18th

century Sant Josep tower, the loneliest and quietest of

all the Valencian coastal cemeteries. But it is on the

seabed that Tabarca surprises the most however,

meadows of posidonia sea grass, sea horses, turtles,

lobsters, as well as the cliffs and bays.

After the visit to one of the most quiet and serene

places on the Valencian coast we will return to Santa

Pola ready to subsequently head for the destination

that will close this itinerary, Elx (Elche). If we go by car

we will take the CV- 865, and those who choose to walk

or cycle, may choose an asphalted road running parallel

to the main road, enabling places as agreeable as the

hermitages of Santa Anna and Sant Vicent els Bassars to

be reached, all of that through a beautiful rural

landscape.

Having reached Elx we find that this city has the third

largest population in the Region of Valencia, as well as

being the capital of the Baix Vinalopó region. The icons

of Elx are various and diverse: its footwear industry; the

previously mentioned and well-known Lady of Elx; the

Elx Mystery Play, declared by UNESCO as a Masterpiece

of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity; and

above all, its over 200,000 palm trees that embrace the

city and have given it part of its fame, amongst which

the emblematic palm grove of the Hort del Cura is

Salt ponds of Santa Pola 38º 11' 48'' N 0º 35' 63'' W


outstanding. The whole group of palm groves

constitutes the southernmost and most extensive

forestation of this species in Europe, for which reason it

was declared a World Heritage in 2000. Inside the grove

we find two mediaeval watchtowers, that of Los Vaïllos

de Llanos and that of Ressemblanc. In the the urban

centre and surroundings of Elx the sights not to be

missed are: the Altamira palace (or Alcàsser de

Senyoria), which hosts the Alejandro Ramos Folques

municipal archaeological museum; the 17th century

baroque basilica of Santa María; the Arab fort of

Calahorra; the Town Hall; the Arab baths at the convent

de la Mercé; or the numerous defensive towers. All this,

without forgetting the visits to the city’s remaining

seven museums: that of the Arab baths; the Escolar de

Pusol; the Visitors’ Centre; that of Modern Art; that of La

Festa, dedicated to the Elx Mystery Play; that of the

Palmeral (palms); Palaeontology of the Mediterranean;

and Cidaris.

On the outskirts of the city we can pass through natural

spots full of culture. As well as the already mentioned

and visited El Fondo nature park, in the first place we

head for the Alcudia de Elx archaeological site and visit

its associated museum, with Neolithic remains, passing

through Iberian Age, Roman and Arab, and the place

where the famous Lady of Elx was found. All that

without leaving out the patchwork of fertile market

gardens and orchards; its reservoir built in 1632; the

natural spot of Clot de Galvany; the beach zones

centred around l’Altet and La Marina. At La Marina the

beaches of El Pinet, La Marina, Les Pesqueres and El

Rebollo are surrounded by charming dunes and stands

of pines. And for those seeking more seclusion there are

the naturist beaches of Tussales and El Carabassi.

Practical information

Fiestas, food and CraftsThe cuisine of this area offers abundant fish, rice and

meat dishes. Among the great variety of rice dishes,

those that stand out are: arroz huertana [vegetables];

arroz con costra [literally “with a crust”, rice with pieces of

different kinds of Spanish sausage and cooked with

egg]; arroz con conejo y caracoles [rabbit and snails];

arroz con guisantes y boquerones [peas and anchovies];

arroz caldoso [thin broth]; arroz a banda [seafood]; arroz

y mondongo [tripe]; arroz negro [squid] or arroz i gatet

[carp].

Dishes made with meat are stews such as: guisados de

pavo [turkey stew]; gazpacho de perdiz y liebre [hare and

partridge]; cocido con pelotas [stew and dumplings];

conejo frito con tomate y pimientos [fried rabbit with

tomato and peppers] or caldero [stew with rice].

There are also local specialities such as gachamigas [a

stiff “porridge” of flour, olive oil and water flavoured with

garlic and cooked until it separates into crumbs]

accompanied with seasonal fruit especially grapes;

summer charcoal roast vegetables like the asado de

patatas y alcochofas [roast potatoes and artichoke

hearts]; hervido verde [boiled green vegetables]; olla

viuda [meatless stew]; langostinos [prawns]; angulas al

ajillo [eels in garlic sauce]; potaje [of pulses like lentils or

chick peas]; coca de boquerones [anchovy tart); pa torrat i


Salt lagoon in La Mata 38º 1' 21'' N 0º 40' 15'' W

Orihuela 38º 5' 15'' N 0º 56' 73'' W


- 167166

bacallá [bread and cod]; mujol de la laguna de Honda

con allioli [local fish from the Honda lagoon with garlic

sauce].

The display of cakes and pastries is spectacular; pasteles

de gloria [marzipan pastry]; toñas [sweet buns];

almojábenas [Arab pastries]; buñuelos de calabaza [fried

dough balls filled with pumpkin] in San José;

mantecados de Navidad [Christmas biscuits]; boniatos y

calabazas asadas [roast sweet potato and pumpkin];

Torta de Elx [almond tart]; pamfigol [fig bread] or dátiles

[dates], with which a tasty liqueur is made. Look out,

too, for the cantueso, a liqueur made since 1867, with its

own official specific denomination [like the French

appellation controlée for wine] as a traditional Alicante

spirit drink.

A reference not to miss on the festival calendar are the

San Antón celebrations in January; countless romerías

[local pilgrimages and religious processions] to the

sanctuaries and hermitages in the area; the Moors and

Christians parades; carnivals in February [to mark the

start of Lent]; the feast days of the patron saints days in

every town and city; and the bonfires of Sant Joan [St.

John’s Day, also midsummer] in June. But of all the

towns and cities through which the route passes,

special celebrations are: the Elx Mystery Plays,

performance of a medieval religious lyric drama at the

Basilica of Santa María, recently declared by UNESCO as

a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of

Humanity; the Holy Week procession of the burial in

Orihuela; and in San Fulgencio our attention is caught

by the groups of ‘Auroros’ who parade through the

streets at dawn singing the “rosary of the aurora” and

popular chants of ancient tradition.

They also present plays about working the hemp in the

fields; in Santa Pola on the 16th of July, day of the

Virgen del Carmen, there is a maritime procession of

boats round the harbour while a choir sings the Salve

Marinera.

With regard to craft work in the area of the route, bags

and shopping baskets are made of dried palm leaves, as

well as rope soled shoes made from esparto or needle-

grass, blankets, saddlebags, boxes of cardboard and

glass, crochet shawls and hair adornments, hemp

products, farming implements, carpets, white palm

braids, footwear and ceramics.



Recommended time of yearAny time is good, although preferably spring and

autumn. In summer the hours around midday must be

avoided. Watch out for the autumnal colours in the reed

beds of the protected wetlands.

Public transportOrihuela, Elx and Alicante can be reached by local,

regional and national train services. Bicycles are

transported free of charge on the trains. There are

public bus services from Murcia and Alicante to

Orihuela and Elx.

Recommendations In the case of wishing to travel the route just as it is set

out in the guide, by bike or on foot, a word of warning:

a mountain bike is best, or as a minimum, the hybrid

type. We do not come across many public waterspouts

to quench thirst and refresh oneself away from the

urban centres, so we should fill up with water whenever

we get the chance. Both the early hours of the day and

at dusk are the times of day with the best light and

most agreeable temperature. If anyone wants to make

use of the car, on the tracks where it is possible to drive

motor vehicles, the main track should never be left, as it

is much better and more respectful to the environment.

In order to get to know each area of nature we propose

in greater detail, it is recommended that you leave the

car parked somewhere safe and secure and undertake

trips on foot.


Orihuela 38º 5' 22'' N 0º 57' 03'' W



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RECOMMENDED MAPS TO FOLLOW THE ROUTE CORRECTLY:

National Geographic Institute Scale 1:25,000, sheet numbers: 913-IV, 934-II, 935-I, 935-II, 914-III, 914-I, 893-III, 893-IV, 893-I, 893-II, 894-I, 872-III.Further information: www.comunitatvalenciana.comInformation on regional and local trains: Renfe 902 24 02 02. www.renfe.es

TOURIST INFO OFFICES FOR THE ROUTE:

Tourist Info DoloresPl. General Llopis, 103150 DoloresTel. 966 71 03 63 Fax 966 71 11 [email protected]

Tourist Info ElxPl. del Parc, 303202 ElxTel. 966 65 81 96 Fax 966 65 81 [email protected]

Tourist Info Elx - AeroportAeropuerto de AlicanteTerminal Llegadas T1. El Altet 03195 ElxTel. 966 91 93 67 Fax 966 91 93 [email protected]

Tourist Info Elx - Els Arenals del SolAv. San Bartolomé deTirajana, 42. Arenales del Sol 03195 ElxTel. 966 91 01 11 [email protected]

Tourist Info Guardamar del SeguraPl. de la Constitución, 703140 Guardamar Del SeguraTel. 965 72 44 88 Fax 965 72 72 [email protected]

Tourist Info La Marina d’ElxAv. de la Alegría, 72La Marina d’Elx 03194 ElxTel. 965 41 97 10 [email protected]

Tourist Info OrihuelaPl. de la Salud, 203300 OrihuelaTel. 965 30 27 47Fax 965 30 62 [email protected]

Tourist Info Orihuela - AndenesAv. de la Estación (Estación Intermodal)03300 OrihuelaTel. 966 73 60 89

Tourist Info Orihuela-CentroPl. Marqués de Rafal, 503300 OrihuelaTel. 965 30 46 45Fax 965 30 62 [email protected]

Tourist Info Orihuela-PlayaPl. del Oriol (Urb. PlayaFlamenca) 103189 OrihuelaTel. 966 76 00 00Fax 966 76 12 [email protected]

Tourist Info RojalesMalecón de la Encantada, 1 03170 RojalesTel. 966 71 50 01Fax 966 71 47 [email protected]

Tourist Info Santa PolaPl. Diputación, s/n 03130 Santa PolaTel. 966 69 22 76 Fax 966 69 60 [email protected]

Tourist Info Santa Pola - CentroC/ Astilleros, 4 (Junto al Ayuntamiento) 03130 Santa PolaTel. 966 69 60 52 Fax 966 69 60 [email protected]

Tourist Info Santa Pola - Gran AlacantAv. Escandinavia, 31 03130 Santa PolaTel. 966 69 97 62 Fax 966 69 60 [email protected]

Tourist Info San FulgencioC/ Amsterdam, s/nUrbanización la Marina 03177 San FulgencioTel. 966 79 00 21 Fax 966 79 00 [email protected]

Tourist Info San Miguel de SalinasPl. Juan Carlos I, 1 03193 San Miguel De SalinasTel. 966 72 34 [email protected]

Tourist Info TorreviejaPl. Ruiz Capdepont, s/n03181 TorreviejaTel. 965 70 57 82 Fax 965 71 59 [email protected]

Tourist Info Torrevieja - Alto CastillaAv. Cortes Valencianas, s/nMirador Alto Castilla 03183 TorreviejaTel. 666 57 99 49 Fax 966 11 14 [email protected]

Tourist Info Torrevieja CentroC/ Caballero de Rodas, 2703181 TorreviejaTel. 965 70 90 23 Fax 966 70 33 [email protected]

Tourist Info Torrevieja-La MataPl. Encarnación Puchol, s/nTorrelamata 03188 TorreviejaTel. 966 92 52 42Fax 966 92 60 [email protected]

Tourist Info Torrevieja - Paseo MarítimoPaseo Marítimo, Playa del Cura03182 TorreviejaTel. 966 70 22 84


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Route 15 From Orihuela to Elx

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