Route 15
Route 15
Route 15
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
1 Museum: Museo Miguel<br />
Hernández<br />
2 Palm Grove: Palmeral de San<br />
Antón<br />
3 Castle: Castillo de Orihuela<br />
4 Paraje las Norias<br />
5 Mount: Sierra de Orihuela<br />
6 Hurchillo<br />
7 Reservoir: Embalse de la<br />
Pedrera<br />
8 Mount: Sierra de Escalona<br />
9 Las Zahurdas<br />
10 Lagoon: Laguna Roja de las<br />
Salt, dunes and<br />
monumental cities<br />
Salinas de Torrevieja<br />
11 Lagoon: Laguna Salada de La<br />
Mata<br />
12 Tower: Torre del Moro<br />
13 Paraje de la Zorra<br />
14 Mount: El Chaparral<br />
<strong>15</strong> Canal de las Salinas<br />
16 Mount: El Moncayo<br />
17 Castle: Castillo de Guardamar<br />
18 Park: Dunas de Guardamar<br />
19 Canal Azarbe de la Reina<br />
20 Wetlands: Humedal<br />
Hondo Amorós<br />
21 El Oasis<br />
22 Santa Águeda<br />
23 Lagoon: Laguna del Fondo<br />
24 Mount: Sierra de Crevillent<br />
25 Centre: Centro Educativo Los<br />
Molinos<br />
26 Hermitage: Ermita de San<br />
Pascual<br />
27 Irrigation channel: 2nd<br />
Elevación de Riegos de<br />
Levante<br />
28 Tower: Torre Tamarit<br />
29 Castle: Castillo de Santa Pola<br />
30 Lighthouse: Faro de Santa<br />
Pola<br />
31 Mount: Serra de Santa Pola<br />
32 Hermitage: Santa Ana<br />
33 Hermitage: Ermita de San Vicent<br />
El Bassars<br />
34 Palm Grove: Palmeral Hort del<br />
Cura<br />
35 El Altet<br />
36 El Clot de Galvany<br />
37 Settlement: Yacimiento de<br />
l’Alcudia de Elx
On the last route of this guide, designed to explore the<br />
Region of Valencia in short trips, we will discover the<br />
regions of Vega Baja del Segura and the Baix Vinalopó,<br />
at the southernmost end of the province of Alicante,<br />
with Orihuela and Elx (Elche) as their respective<br />
capitals, and watered by the Segura and Vinalopó<br />
rivers for which the respective regions are named. This<br />
is a flat, fertile coastal territory, dedicated to irrigated<br />
agriculture, although with a more diversified socioeconomic<br />
landscape nowadays, with services, industry,<br />
tourism and construction. And the coast, obviously,<br />
low and sandy, with fine sandy beaches and lovely<br />
dune formations in the area of La Mata, Guardamar del<br />
Segura and Santa Pola, with one of the most<br />
important Spanish fishing ports. A region where we<br />
can find everything: coast, beaches, good fish, an<br />
ancient fertile plain, mountains that break up the<br />
monotony of the plain, monumental cities like<br />
Orihuela and Elx, with endless attractions for visitor.<br />
Even an abandoned railway converted into a green<br />
way - “vía verde”, from Albatera to Torrevieja, an<br />
unbeatable climate and, above all, the sea. Maybe it is<br />
because the two regions as a whole can be likened to<br />
a paradise that so many people have decided to make<br />
their homes here, amongst the palms. The landscape<br />
of the Baix Vinalopó and Baix Segura, inherited from<br />
the Iberians, Romans, Arabs and then the Christians is<br />
a fertile plain, a vast orchard. Three wet zones attest to<br />
this: the lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja; Fondo y<br />
Salinas de Santa Pola, which have been nature parks<br />
since the 90s; as well as ZEPA zones (Areas for Special<br />
Protection of Birds). These wetlands also included in<br />
the RAMSAR agreement protecting wetlands and,<br />
since 2002 they have been part of the Valencian<br />
Government’s Catalogue of Wetlands and of the<br />
proposal to be included in the European Natura 2000<br />
network of Sites of Common Interest (SCIs) [known in<br />
Spain as “LIC” = Lugares de Interés Comunitario”]. And,<br />
as if that were not enough, the extremely beautiful<br />
island of Tabarca, which we will also visit, at the end of<br />
the route.<br />
From the University City to Las<br />
Salinas ‘green way’<br />
<strong>15</strong>6 - <strong>15</strong>7<br />
Our route sets out from the capital of the Vega Baja del<br />
Segura, Orihuela, whose old quarter has been declared of<br />
historic-artistic importance, its notable cultural heritage<br />
being inherited from the creation of the diocese of<br />
Orihuela. It is also known as the University City as, despite<br />
its reduced size, it is home to three universities. The<br />
cultural visit round the city should take us to the 16th<br />
century college of Santo Domingo, the old University of<br />
Orihuela; the Cathedral of San Salvador from the late 13th<br />
century, which houses the diocesan museum; the church<br />
of Saints Justa and Rufina, a Gothic building with<br />
Renaissance and baroque facades; the 18th century<br />
bishop’s palace; and the <strong>15</strong>th century church of Santiago<br />
Apóstol. All of them are Places of Cultural Interest.<br />
However, we cannot miss visiting the palaces of:<br />
Rubalcava; the Marquis of Arneva, now the Town Hall; the<br />
Count of La Granja; or that of the Counts of Luna, now a<br />
hotel. We will also go to: the Theatre-Circus; the monastery<br />
of the Visitation, with its neoclassical church; and the<br />
museums: house of Miguel Hernandez; the San Juan de<br />
Dios archaeological museum; that of the Muralla [the city<br />
wall]; Semana Santa [Holy Week]; the Reconquista [when<br />
the Arabs were expelled]; and the ethnological museum,<br />
amongst others. In the surroundings, and within its<br />
spacious municipal boundary, it is worth pointing out the<br />
spots: las Norias [waterwheels], the San Antón palm grove<br />
(the second largest in Europe and one of the oldest), the<br />
Orihuela sierra, the Agudo-Cuerda de la Murada, the Soto<br />
del Molino, the Escalona sierra, and the spots that can be<br />
viewed from the vantage points of El Túnel and the<br />
diocesan seminary of San Miguel, from where we can look<br />
at the unique landscape of the market gardens and<br />
orchards of the fertile plain on the riverbanks of the<br />
Segura, in the environs of the city.<br />
A mention apart is deserved for the coastline of Orihuela<br />
with its beaches: Flamenca, Glea, Gato, Miramar and<br />
Sacanit, as well as the bays: Mosca, Estacas, Cerrada and el<br />
Bosque, as well as the protected posidonia [seagrass]
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
meadows of cape Roig, an important marine habitat,<br />
protected as a SCI.<br />
We will now leave Orihuela behind, taking the main roads<br />
CV-925 and CV-951 in the direction of San Miguel de<br />
Salinas, immersing ourselves in the fertile ‘Huerta’ with<br />
beautiful agricultural “mosaics”, the patchwork of fields,<br />
dominated by orange groves. We border the reservoir of<br />
La Pedrera and pass through the hamlets of Hurchillo and<br />
Torremundo, both belonging to the municipality of<br />
Orihuela. From Torremundo we go over to the Escalona<br />
sierra, which at 344 metres above sea level has become<br />
the “green lungs” of Orihuela, thanks to its magnificent<br />
forests of Aleppo pine, fan palm, strawberry tree, Kermes<br />
oak and mastic tree. Birds of prey are not lacking in the<br />
sierra and we sense the presence of the mountain cat or<br />
genet [a cat-like mammal related to civets]. A little further<br />
on we come to San Miguel de Salinas, a good example of<br />
the evolution experienced towards the end of the 20th<br />
century by this and many other municipalities in the<br />
region, thanks to the diversion of water from the Tajo river<br />
to the Segura, transforming this traditional unirrigated<br />
agricultural structure to one of irrigated crops,<br />
predominantly citrus fruit. Recent decades have seen the<br />
appearance of sun and beach tourism, experiencing an<br />
important population increase due to the influxes of<br />
immigrants and retired European residents; in fact, more<br />
than half the population has foreign nationality. In the<br />
urban centre we will visit the parish church of San Miguel<br />
Arcángel and the castle, while within the municipal<br />
boundary we will go over to the archaeological remains of<br />
La Zahurda, the waterspouts of Fuente del Sabinar and<br />
Fuente del Carranchalet and La Pedrera reservoir. From<br />
San Miguel de Salinas we now head for Los Montesinos<br />
along the CV-940, bordering the western shore of the<br />
curious Laguna Roja [red lagoon] of the Torrevieja salt flats,<br />
which is protected by the Lagunas de La Mata-Torrevieja<br />
nature park. The urban centre of Los Montesinos became<br />
a municipality in 1990, when it was separated from<br />
Almoradi. Its origins have to be traced back to the 13th<br />
century and the repopulation efforts of Cardinal Belluga.<br />
The name comes from a noble family, owner of these<br />
lands. In its urban layout we discover the simplicity of the<br />
19th century parish church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar; the<br />
pleasant little tree-lined plaza of the Sagrado Corazón,<br />
with its Holm oak over a hundred years old; and within its<br />
municipal boundary the hermitage of the Marquesa built<br />
in 1829.<br />
La Mata-Torrevieja nature park,<br />
Europe’s largest salt producer<br />
After the visit to Los Montesinos, we now head for one<br />
of the points of greatest interest on this route, La Mata-<br />
Torrevieja nature park, following the CV-945. Two<br />
kilometres from Los Montesinos we will discover a sign<br />
on our right announcing the green way, “vía verde de<br />
las Salinas”, a route of just three and half kilometres that<br />
take us into the waterside heart of the Torrevieja<br />
lagoon. This abandoned railway line, now converted<br />
into a green way, joined the station at Albatera to the<br />
port at Torrevieja and its salt exploitation, as a branch of<br />
the Murcia-Alicante mainline. The former steam train,<br />
which transported people as well as salt production in a<br />
profitable operation, stopped providing its passenger<br />
service in 1970, to be closed completely a few years<br />
later. Today this stretch of abandoned railway runs as a<br />
green way parallel to the Torrevieja, a sheet of water<br />
over 1,400 hectares in area within the Lagunas de La<br />
Mata-Torrevieja nature park. The largest production of<br />
salt in Spain is extracted from its interior, with the help<br />
of the salt from El Pinoso, the famous salt-bearing<br />
Salt ponds of Torrevieja 37º 59' 77'' N 0º 42' 2'' W
La Mata nature park 38º 1' 48'' N 0º 39' 52'' W<br />
mountain, where it is extracted by water and piped to<br />
the lagoon as brine. According to historians, the<br />
Phoenicians and Romans already extracted salt from<br />
this incomparable spot. This Torrevieja lagoon is<br />
connected to the sea and to the neighbouring lagoon<br />
of La Mata, by means of old and historic channels that<br />
have ended up making a perfect circuit for extracting<br />
the salt. The best time of day to visit this peculiar<br />
environment is with the last light of day when we can<br />
enjoy a spectacular sunset decorated by the magic of<br />
the sheet of water of the lagoon and, as a backdrop, the<br />
impressive and emblematic Orihuela sierra.<br />
If we continue along the green way on this there and<br />
back stretch as a detour from our main itinerary, we will<br />
reach the urban centre of Torrevieja. Nowadays,<br />
Torrevieja is a city chiefly related to sun and beach<br />
tourism and residential tourism (half its inhabitants are<br />
foreign), but up until a few years ago the salt extraction<br />
and the sea conditioned its development before the<br />
arrival of the tourist phenomenon (building work is one<br />
of the main factors of economic growth). In the last 25<br />
years, Torrevieja has passed from something over ten<br />
thousand inhabitants to over a hundred thousand at<br />
present. In fact, at the beginning of the 19th century, of<br />
the present urban centre of Torrevieja, all that existed<br />
was a former watchtower, the “torre vieja” that gives the<br />
town its name, and a few salt workers’ cottages. Its<br />
subsequent growth was due to its port, through which<br />
the salt and horticultural and fruit produce from the<br />
region were exported, not only to the rest of Spain but<br />
also to some European countries. A stroll around the<br />
urban centre will lead us to the modernist casino and<br />
the parish church of the Inmaculada Concepción, and<br />
also of interest, in the surroundings, the Torre del Moro,<br />
the Eras de la Sal or a visit to the salt-works. For those<br />
who prefer the beach, Torrevieja has twenty kilometres<br />
<strong>15</strong>8 - <strong>15</strong>9<br />
of coast, where the beach of the Náufragos [shipwrecks]<br />
stands out, as well as that of El Cura, Los Locos, and La<br />
Mata, without forgetting charming bays like those we<br />
can find at the spots called La Zorra and Ferris. In the<br />
cultural sphere, it is worth pointing out the “habanera”<br />
groups. Since 1955 an international music festival has<br />
been held, based on the habanera, the Certamen<br />
Internacional de Habaneras y Polifonía de Torrevieja,<br />
declared of international tourist interest, along with<br />
various international choral gatherings run in parallel.<br />
Also very important is the Premio de Novela Ciudad de<br />
Torrevieja, the second in Spain, after the Planeta award,<br />
in the amount awarded. Having resumed our main<br />
route, at the roundabout of the CV-905, we will find a<br />
path only for hiking and cycle-tourism, which leads to<br />
the park’s information centre, bordering the waters of<br />
La Mata lagoon. It is a solitary stretch with friendly<br />
landscapes between a dense pinewood that opens<br />
onto clearings to allow the cultivation of a local grape<br />
variety greatly appreciated in the area. This stretch of<br />
the route is the most suitable to mention that we find<br />
ourselves in a protected area extending over a total of<br />
4,<strong>15</strong>4 hectares. The park includes two main lagoons: La<br />
Mata, some seven hundred hectares, and that of<br />
Torrevieja, with 1,400 hectares. This last is the second<br />
largest in Valencian lands after the Albufera of Valencia.<br />
The rest, some 2,054 hectares, corresponds to the areas<br />
around the edges, reed beds, areas of salt marshes, a<br />
mountainous area called El Chaparral, and the<br />
pinewoods on the south of La Mata lagoon, where we<br />
start our visit. Given the heavy urbanisation in the<br />
surroundings of the lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja,<br />
these have today become an indispensable oasis for<br />
wild life , true “lungs” for the whole region. The lagoons<br />
of La Mata and Torrevieja, into which flow a network of<br />
gullies and watercourses from the nearby San Miguel<br />
de Salinas sierra, form an ecosystem that shows its most<br />
visual image in the vegetation. The salt marshes<br />
dominate the landscape, with the best-known of salttolerant<br />
plant species, salicornia, known in English as<br />
glasswort, pickleweed or marsh samphire, and
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
limonium species, along with reed beds and rushes. In<br />
the environs of the lagoons we also find scrubland<br />
vegetation, as well as the only wooded area of the<br />
entire park as a whole, the pinewood which, with<br />
species like the Aleppo pine and stone pine, provide<br />
the landscape as a whole with an element that breaks<br />
the monotony of the wetland horizon. But the real<br />
protagonist of the landscape is the animal wildlife,<br />
especially the birdlife. Most recent bird censuses talk of<br />
around a hundred different species in the vicinity of the<br />
two lagoons, the flamingo and black-necked grebe<br />
standing out, with thousands of specimens during the<br />
breeding season, as well as the black-winged Stilt, red<br />
crested Pochard, mallard, Eurasian widgeon, common<br />
tern and the Kentish plover [which despite its name no<br />
longer breeds in Kent or even in UK]. Finally, it is worth<br />
mentioning the existence of the brine shrimp, a<br />
crustacean not commonly found, as it needs high levels<br />
of salt in the water to survive. From the nature park’s<br />
information centre we can walk around the edge of La<br />
Mata lagoon, discovering the specially set up<br />
observation points for looking not only at the<br />
surrounding landscape but its rich and abundant<br />
birdlife. In this sense the birdwatching hides stand out,<br />
a tower that gives an aerial view over the whole lagoon,<br />
as well as a cabin standing on the ground on the bank<br />
of the lake itself. A little further on we will visit the<br />
Acequión, the channel connecting La Mata with the<br />
sea; the Altillo vantage point, which enables us to enjoy<br />
splendid panoramic views of the fields of vineyards<br />
planted between the pinewoods around the lagoon,<br />
and the nature park’s information centre. There it is<br />
possible to enjoy all kinds of educational installations,<br />
notable amongst them being the view from a camera<br />
which transmits images, in real time, from the interior of<br />
the most sensitive area of the park, the nesting areas,<br />
where the most characteristic species of the park carry<br />
on their daily lives.<br />
Guardamar dunes 38º 6' 78'' N 0º 38' 52'' W<br />
Guardamar del Segura dunes<br />
After the visit to the Lagunas de La Mata-Torrevieja nature<br />
park, we head for Guardamar del Segura along the N-332,<br />
to the south of the river Segura, where the river mouth is<br />
found, beside this town. Those who have chosen to cycle<br />
or walk the route will be able to reach Guardamar del<br />
Segura, the southernmost municipality where Valencian is<br />
spoken, along rural roads like the Camí Vell de Guardamar<br />
and Camí de Dos, which run around the western side of<br />
the Cerro Moncayo, easily recognisable for the radio mast<br />
on its summit. The actual site of the urban centre of<br />
Guardamar del Segura is relatively recent, as the original<br />
network of streets was found within the defensive walls,<br />
with the castle as the centre of the town, situated on the<br />
hill that dominates the city from its 64 metres of height.<br />
The hill was abandoned in 1829 for a location nearer the<br />
coast, using, moreover, advanced anti-seismic techniques<br />
in the construction, since an earthquake had devastated<br />
the old Guardamar. But by the end of the 19th century the<br />
new location was starting to suffer the invasion of the<br />
coastal sand masses and, to prevent the advancing dunes<br />
from covering the town, the reforestation of the dunes<br />
was undertaken to anchor them, which gave rise to the<br />
famous pinewoods of the Guardamar dunes, its bestknown<br />
and appreciated image. These days the whole<br />
Guardamar coastal front is a beautiful forest park declared<br />
a Site of Natural Interest [Spanish equivalent to the UK SSSI<br />
scheme], which covers more than eight hundred hectares<br />
and is known by the name of Dunas de Guardamar. Of<br />
interest in the urban centre and environs are the remains<br />
of the 10th century Arab mosques, the ruins of the castle<br />
from the 12th and 13th centuries, the archaeological and<br />
ethnological museum, the Reina Sofia park, the Cabeza
Lucero archaeological deposits from the Iberian era, where<br />
the ‘Dama de Guardamar’ was found [Lady of Guardamar<br />
or Lady of Cabeza Lucero, an Iberian era bust similar to the<br />
more famous Lady of Elx (or Elche) discovered in 1987),<br />
and the Arab site of La Rábita in the area of dunes. The<br />
solitary virgin beaches at Guardamar, sheltered at the foot<br />
of the dunes, attract the attention of the relatively few<br />
visitors to this peaceful town, especially the Moncaya and<br />
Tusales beaches, enjoyed by nudists, situated on the edge<br />
of the mouth of the river Segura and enclosed by dense<br />
vegetation and natural dunes which make them even<br />
more attractive and suitable for nudism. We will leave<br />
Guardamar del Segura behind taking the major road N-<br />
332, crossing the river Segura and a few kilometres further<br />
on we take the CV-859 in the direction of San Fulgencio,<br />
running alongside a wide channel known as the Azarbe<br />
de la Reina, always surrounded by fields of vegetable<br />
crops, citrus groves and other fruit orchards that shape an<br />
eminently agrarian landscape.<br />
The town of San Fulgencio was founded in 1740 by<br />
Cardinal Belluga, who set up a project to drain a series of<br />
marshy lands, turning them into fertile soil suitable for<br />
agricultural use. More than 75% of its inhabitants are of<br />
foreign nationality, which represents the highest<br />
percentage of foreign residents in the whole of Spain and<br />
one of the highest in the European Union (the only<br />
Spanish municipality where English is the most-spoken<br />
language). Obviously, nowadays it has stopped being an<br />
agricultural town and depends more on tourism and the<br />
160 - 161<br />
recently built residential areas, which have created a new<br />
landscape of construction and urban development. A<br />
quiet stroll around its streets will lead us to the parish<br />
church, which dates from the 18th century; to the<br />
archaeological museum and, in the surroundings, to the<br />
archaeological deposits from the Iberian Age of El Oral<br />
and La Escuera. In addition, within the same municipal<br />
boundary, we can visit the wetland area of El Hondo de<br />
Amorós and the nature spot known as El Oasis, a<br />
recreational and leisure area three kilometres from the<br />
urban centre. From there we will be able to look at<br />
extraordinary views of the Vega Baja del Segura and the<br />
spots El Hondo de Elx and Hondo de Amorós. From San<br />
Fulgencio we now head for Dolores, bordering the<br />
channel or Azarbe de la Reina again. Nowadays the<br />
municipality of Dolores, sharing its origins with<br />
neighbouring towns under the protection of the<br />
drainage and transformation works carried out by Cardinal<br />
Belluga, is devoted fundamentally to horticultural and fruit<br />
production (globe artichokes and other vegetables) and<br />
the rearing of livestock. In its urban centre the simple<br />
parish church stands out, while on the outskirts we can<br />
walk through the roads and paths of the market gardens<br />
and orchards. On the CV9218, after our visit to Dolores, we<br />
reach Catral, whose closest proximities display a landscape<br />
of fields and crops, thanks, as with the neighbouring<br />
towns, to Cardinal Belluga’s project for draining the marshy<br />
lands. Its present urban layout has its origin in the 13th<br />
Orihuela 38º 5' 38'' N 0º 56' 39'' W
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
century, with the Christian repopulation, at the time when<br />
it was ceded by Jaime I to his son-in-law Alfonso X, the<br />
Wise. The <strong>15</strong>th century parish church stands out, while in<br />
the surroundings we should visit the hermitage of Santa<br />
Agueda - where local pilgrimages and religious<br />
processions have been held since the 17th century - and<br />
an archaeological site with a “castrum” or fortified camp,<br />
possibly of Iberian or Roman origin.<br />
Our next stop will be the information centre of El Fondo<br />
nature park, a wetlands ecosystem of great natural and<br />
cultural value. El Fondo nature park extends through the<br />
municipal areas of Elx and Creveillent over a total of 2,387<br />
hectares and its role is both ecological and agricultural, as<br />
the water from its reservoirs serve for irrigation.<br />
El Fondo nature park<br />
From Catral, on the CV-8630 and the old Elx road, we<br />
reach the small, peaceful town of San Felipe Neri,<br />
belonging to the municipality of Crevillent, and a sign on<br />
our right indicates the direction to reach the information<br />
centre, a recent building with the latest technology and<br />
well provided with descriptive and educational panels, as<br />
well as cameras that show the bird life in the park. El<br />
Fondo, a nature park since 1994 is, along with the Santa<br />
Pola salt marshes, the only wetlands area left today of<br />
what was the Gulf of Elx, which first became a great inland<br />
salt lake cut off from the sea by a sand bank, and then<br />
filled by natural sedimentation. Throughout this process<br />
the present lagoons or ponds of El Fondo and Santa Pola<br />
formed a single sheet of water that gradually transformed<br />
or disappeared, also by silting, to drain the wetland and<br />
turn it into cultivated land. Today the wetland area of El<br />
Fondo is like an oasis with waters of incalculable value for<br />
birdlife, being one of the most relevant on the Valencian<br />
coast, not only for migratory species, but also as a nesting<br />
spot, reasons that have led to its declaration as a nature<br />
park. An excellent protection made the most of by birds<br />
like herons, the black-crowned night heron, squacco<br />
heron, common pochard, black-winged stilt, collared<br />
pratincole, northern shoveler and the osprey, as well as<br />
the park’s most relevant species: the white-headed duck<br />
and the marbled duck, which find here their safest nesting<br />
spot in the whole of Europe. El Fondo nature park is<br />
included in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of<br />
International Importance, and is a Special Protection Area<br />
[SPA - ZEPA in Spanish] under the EU directive on the<br />
Conservation of Wild Birds, and is surprising for its lagoons<br />
or ponds, the two largest known as the Levante reservoir<br />
and the Poniente reservoir, and for extensive areas of salt<br />
marshes, which afford a landscape of calm waters<br />
occupying the last remnants of what was the former Elx<br />
albufera. From El Fondo natural park we can make our<br />
way, on a there and back stretch, to Crevillente, an<br />
industrial and commercial city, whose famous carpets<br />
gave it the nickname of ‘carpet city’, situated at the foot of<br />
the sierra of the same name, with its summit of La Vella<br />
peak and that of La Madera. However, historically it was<br />
esparto grass and matting made of it exported abroad<br />
(called “tapis d’Espagne” in France) that were the basis of<br />
Crevillente’s industry. In its urban centre, the monumental<br />
18th century parish church of Nuestra Señora de Belén<br />
stands out, safeguarding in its crypt the Pasos de la<br />
Semana Santa [tableaux for the Holy Week procession]<br />
designed by Mariano Benlliure; the town’s Council House,<br />
from 1901; the bell tower of the old church; the Calvary<br />
[special route with the Stations of the Cross, for the Holy<br />
Week procession]; the Barrio Morería (Arab quarter); and<br />
the old castle and the city walls declared of Cultural<br />
Interest. Its festivals of Moors and Christians and Holy<br />
Week have been declared Fiestas of National Tourist<br />
Interest. A leisurely look around should take us to the
Elx 38º <strong>15</strong>' 87'' N 0º 41' 39'' W<br />
dwellings in caves dug out of the sides of the nearby<br />
ravines. On the outskirts of the urban centre it is possible<br />
to visit the archaeological sites of: Ratlla del Bubo (upper<br />
Palaeolithic), Les Moreres (Copper Age - just before the<br />
Bronze Age) and Peña Negra (Iberian). We look around the<br />
San Cayetano park, Los Molinos Centre for environmental<br />
education and the hermitages of San Isidro and San<br />
Pascual. After the visit to Crevillent, we return to El Fondo<br />
nature park from the northern end, at a place known as<br />
Segunda Elevación de Riegos de Levante, undoubtedly<br />
the best way to enjoy the heart of the park. A perfectly<br />
signposted, there and back route, which gives access to<br />
three hides, strategically placed and concealed on the<br />
Levante and Poniente reservoirs. A paradise for<br />
ornithologists, and for anyone else who enjoys seeing<br />
wildlife in its natural habitat, especially birdlife in freedom.<br />
There is no better time than in the early morning in spring<br />
or autumn with a cloudless sky to enjoy the life, light and<br />
colour of this natural environment. Ochre colouring<br />
everywhere, under the deep turquoise-blue of the sky,<br />
and on the ground and against the light, the colourful<br />
glasswort contributing its deep autumnal red to the<br />
beautiful shades of El Fondo, while a cloud of anatids<br />
[family including ducks, geese and swans] breaks the<br />
silence and covers for a few moments the entire horizon<br />
of the park. A whole visual and aesthetic miracle beyond<br />
that of its biological values. We will also discover that it is<br />
the ornithologists who best monitor the rhythm of life in<br />
the park, their discreet, silent and patient work catching<br />
our attention, as they study the birdlife, binoculars in hand,<br />
from the lookouts. With their work of scientific<br />
contemplation from the hides they dignify the area and<br />
thus become the best possible guide for the visitor in<br />
these wetlands. After this gratifying experience we head<br />
for Santa Pola along the CV-851 to visit another nature<br />
park, the Salinas de Santa Pola.<br />
A watchtower amongst salt<br />
marshes<br />
162 - 163<br />
At the entrance to Santa Pola on the CV-865 to our<br />
right we will see the information centre of the Salt<br />
museum, our entrance to the nature park. The<br />
information centre will show us the culture and work of<br />
salt extraction. Around it there is a signposted salt<br />
itinerary which leads to a privileged birdwatching spot,<br />
probably the best corner in the park for observing the<br />
flamingo. The Salinas de Santa Pola nature park, given<br />
its location and wetland characteristics, climate and<br />
scarce rainfall, it is an invaluable refuge for wildlife,<br />
especially for birdlife, being one of the most relevant<br />
places on our coast, not only for migratory species, but<br />
also for nesting sites, given also the salt exploitation and<br />
nearby coastline. In this park we will discover open<br />
horizons, broad sheets of water of changing colours<br />
with their vast ponds for the salt exploitations in the<br />
area, pools used as fish farms, exuberant vegetation and<br />
the presence of unusual wild life, like the flamingos,<br />
responsible for a large part of the functioning of the salt<br />
marsh ecosystem. The salt ponds for extracting salt are<br />
where the biological cycle occurs that supports the salt<br />
industry. The flamingos are key players, as, amongst<br />
other food, they feed on the tiny crustacean called the<br />
brine shrimp, a species proper to hypersaline<br />
environments. The faeces of the flamingos supply the<br />
nutrients and minerals necessary for the development<br />
of the halophile bacteria species - “halo”, a Greek word<br />
meaning salt - which live on the bottom of the ponds<br />
of the saltworks and favour the formation of an<br />
impermeable coating to the beds of the ponds and<br />
protect the lower layer from excessive exposure to the<br />
sun. These bacteria are also responsible for the peculiar<br />
rosy pink colour of the water in the park. On the dunes<br />
of the sand bank separating the wetland from the sea,
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
the beautiful forest masses of stone pine and Aleppo<br />
pine stand out, planted to fix the dunes and now<br />
forming a very eye-catching landscape group and<br />
contrasting with the salt ponds and the blue of the<br />
Mediterranean. Regarding the birdlife we discover all<br />
types of species: permanent residents, migratory,<br />
summer visitors, winter visitors and nesting visitors, as a<br />
consequence of the constant circulation of sea water:<br />
black-winged stilt, Kentish plover, little tern and the<br />
marsh harrier. Special attention is given to the<br />
flamingos, which have turned the Santa Pola saltworks<br />
into one of their sanctuaries, with thousands of<br />
specimens during the breeding season.<br />
The pyramids of salt, their whiteness breaking the<br />
monotony of the skyline on the flat horizon of the park,<br />
give visual and aesthetic strength to the salt industry,<br />
and the Tamarit tower, declared a Place of Cultural<br />
Interest, stands at the very centre of the park and,<br />
surrounded by a mirror-like sheet of water, is<br />
undoubtedly the emblem of the park. The protected<br />
area, declared a nature park in 1994, stretches out over<br />
a total of 2,496 hectares and nowadays game shooting<br />
is still permitted between October and January and eel<br />
fishing is allowed using traditional methods.<br />
After this visit to two of the most unusual and<br />
unforgettable parks in the Region of Valencia, we visit<br />
the nearby municipality of Santa Pola, which has its<br />
origin in an early Iberian settlement, over which the<br />
Romans built Portus Ilicitanus in the 1st century AD, as<br />
the port of the Roman colony of Ilici [now Elche or Elx,<br />
its people still known as Ilicitanos] as well as the<br />
important salting industry, of the archaeological site of<br />
Picola, from the 1st to the 3rd centuries. Today at Santa<br />
Pola we find a city with a dual dedication between<br />
tourism and fishing, with the port and the castle at the<br />
centre and flanked by two natural areas, the Salinas de<br />
Santa Pola nature park and the sierra, forested by a<br />
pinewood, and the cape of Santa Pola. On our wander<br />
round the urban centre we find the simple parish<br />
church; the 14th century, declared of a Place of Cultural<br />
Interest; the Roman house of the Palmeral, with<br />
Elx 38º 16' 03'' N 0º 41' 77'' W<br />
multicoloured mosaics and murals; the ruins of the<br />
Roman port; the 18th century mill, Molino de la Calera;<br />
the fishing museum and the maritime museum. In the<br />
environs, and within the municipal boundary, the<br />
beautiful beaches are noteworthy, and the 16th century<br />
watchtowers, all declared Places of Cultural Interest:<br />
Atalayola, its structure being used since 1858 for the<br />
location of the present lighthouse, Escaletes and<br />
Tamarit, already mentioned within the Salinas de Santa<br />
Pola nature park.<br />
.<br />
From the island of Tabarca to Elx<br />
One of the most emblematic places in the area and a<br />
destination not to be missed is Tabarca island, the<br />
largest in the Region of Valencia and the only one<br />
permanently inhabited. Although it can be visited by<br />
boat from various different points along the Alicante<br />
coast, Santa Pola is, undoubtedly, the best place to<br />
depart for a visit to Tabarca island, due to its proximity.<br />
Although it belongs to the municipality of Alicante (it is<br />
twenty kilometres from Alicante, but only eight from<br />
Santa Pola and four from the cape of Santa Pola). Nueva<br />
Tabarca is a tiny island, light and flat, little known until<br />
relatively recently, in the Region of Valencia group.<br />
Tabarca must not be visited in a hurry, given the quality<br />
of life, environmental value and seclusion offered by<br />
this simple and welcoming flat island, known by the<br />
Greeks and Romans as “Plana” = flat.<br />
Tourists arrive at Tabarca for its climate, in summer its<br />
beaches are greatly valued; for shopping; to enjoy a<br />
good meal in its restaurants or to have a getaway break<br />
from the coastal apartments. But the island has other<br />
values, especially since it has started to have adequate<br />
infrastructure and rigorous protectionist regulations.
Today the island enables visitors who enjoy peaceful<br />
friendly places - Tabarca is one of the few<br />
Mediterranean islands without a single motor vehicle -<br />
to discover fresh values that have little to do with the<br />
traditional “sun and beach” tourism. In the first place, the<br />
island has been a Marine Reserve since 1986, but even<br />
before that it had recognition with the declaration in<br />
1964 as a place of Artistic–Historic Importance, updated<br />
more recently with the protective character of a Place<br />
of Cultural Interest. Notable on Tabarca is the restored<br />
Governor’s House, an 18th century building converted<br />
into a hotel, which has to a great extent respected the<br />
original structure of the old building, like the semicircular<br />
arches of the ground floor salon with ashlar<br />
stones. The Governor’s House is situated in the island’s<br />
unique urban enclosure, known by the name of Sant<br />
Pau or Nueva Tabarca, a walled enclosure from the 18th<br />
century with some magnificent access gates: on the<br />
west that of Sant Gabriel, on the east that of Sant Rafael,<br />
and a third allows it to be caressed by the north winds,<br />
that of Sant Miquel. When the sun sets, the Sant Gabriel<br />
gateway offers a beautiful sight, since the Ashlar stones<br />
from the nearby quarry rare bathed in a deep red and<br />
the landscape looks unreal, all surrounded by<br />
unbelievably clean waters. The eastern part of the island<br />
is a plain beautifully drawn by a vegetation of prickly<br />
pears, a cactus that rises to more than two metres tall,<br />
and botanical species of flora that decorate<br />
architectural works that have remained as a display of<br />
164 - 165<br />
an intense historical time: the 1877 lighthouse, the 18th<br />
century Sant Josep tower, the loneliest and quietest of<br />
all the Valencian coastal cemeteries. But it is on the<br />
seabed that Tabarca surprises the most however,<br />
meadows of posidonia sea grass, sea horses, turtles,<br />
lobsters, as well as the cliffs and bays.<br />
After the visit to one of the most quiet and serene<br />
places on the Valencian coast we will return to Santa<br />
Pola ready to subsequently head for the destination<br />
that will close this itinerary, Elx (Elche). If we go by car<br />
we will take the CV- 865, and those who choose to walk<br />
or cycle, may choose an asphalted road running parallel<br />
to the main road, enabling places as agreeable as the<br />
hermitages of Santa Anna and Sant Vicent els Bassars to<br />
be reached, all of that through a beautiful rural<br />
landscape.<br />
Having reached Elx we find that this city has the third<br />
largest population in the Region of Valencia, as well as<br />
being the capital of the Baix Vinalopó region. The icons<br />
of Elx are various and diverse: its footwear industry; the<br />
previously mentioned and well-known Lady of Elx; the<br />
Elx Mystery Play, declared by UNESCO as a Masterpiece<br />
of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity; and<br />
above all, its over 200,000 palm trees that embrace the<br />
city and have given it part of its fame, amongst which<br />
the emblematic palm grove of the Hort del Cura is<br />
Salt ponds of Santa Pola 38º 11' 48'' N 0º 35' 63'' W
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
Salt lagoon in La Mata 38º 1' 21'' N 0º 40' <strong>15</strong>'' W<br />
outstanding. The whole group of palm groves<br />
constitutes the southernmost and most extensive<br />
forestation of this species in Europe, for which reason it<br />
was declared a World Heritage in 2000. Inside the grove<br />
we find two mediaeval watchtowers, that of Los Vaïllos<br />
de Llanos and that of Ressemblanc. In the the urban<br />
centre and surroundings of Elx the sights not to be<br />
missed are: the Altamira palace (or Alcàsser de<br />
Senyoria), which hosts the Alejandro Ramos Folques<br />
municipal archaeological museum; the 17th century<br />
baroque basilica of Santa María; the Arab fort of<br />
Calahorra; the Town Hall; the Arab baths at the convent<br />
de la Mercé; or the numerous defensive towers. All this,<br />
without forgetting the visits to the city’s remaining<br />
seven museums: that of the Arab baths; the Escolar de<br />
Pusol; the Visitors’ Centre; that of Modern Art; that of La<br />
Festa, dedicated to the Elx Mystery Play; that of the<br />
Palmeral (palms); Palaeontology of the Mediterranean;<br />
and Cidaris.<br />
On the outskirts of the city we can pass through natural<br />
spots full of culture. As well as the already mentioned<br />
and visited El Fondo nature park, in the first place we<br />
head for the Alcudia de Elx archaeological site and visit<br />
its associated museum, with Neolithic remains, passing<br />
through Iberian Age, Roman and Arab, and the place<br />
where the famous Lady of Elx was found. All that<br />
without leaving out the patchwork of fertile market<br />
gardens and orchards; its reservoir built in 1632; the<br />
natural spot of Clot de Galvany; the beach zones<br />
centred around l’Altet and La Marina. At La Marina the<br />
beaches of El Pinet, La Marina, Les Pesqueres and El<br />
Orihuela 38º 5' <strong>15</strong>'' N 0º 56' 73'' W<br />
Rebollo are surrounded by charming dunes and stands<br />
of pines. And for those seeking more seclusion there are<br />
the naturist beaches of Tussales and El Carabassi.<br />
Practical information<br />
Fiestas, food and Crafts<br />
The cuisine of this area offers abundant fish, rice and<br />
meat dishes. Among the great variety of rice dishes,<br />
those that stand out are: arroz huertana [vegetables];<br />
arroz con costra [literally “with a crust”, rice with pieces of<br />
different kinds of Spanish sausage and cooked with<br />
egg]; arroz con conejo y caracoles [rabbit and snails];<br />
arroz con guisantes y boquerones [peas and anchovies];<br />
arroz caldoso [thin broth]; arroz a banda [seafood]; arroz<br />
y mondongo [tripe]; arroz negro [squid] or arroz i gatet<br />
[carp].<br />
Dishes made with meat are stews such as: guisados de<br />
pavo [turkey stew]; gazpacho de perdiz y liebre [hare and<br />
partridge]; cocido con pelotas [stew and dumplings];<br />
conejo frito con tomate y pimientos [fried rabbit with<br />
tomato and peppers] or caldero [stew with rice].<br />
There are also local specialities such as gachamigas [a<br />
stiff “porridge” of flour, olive oil and water flavoured with<br />
garlic and cooked until it separates into crumbs]<br />
accompanied with seasonal fruit especially grapes;<br />
summer charcoal roast vegetables like the asado de<br />
patatas y alcochofas [roast potatoes and artichoke<br />
hearts]; hervido verde [boiled green vegetables]; olla<br />
viuda [meatless stew]; langostinos [prawns]; angulas al<br />
ajillo [eels in garlic sauce]; potaje [of pulses like lentils or<br />
chick peas]; coca de boquerones [anchovy tart); pa torrat i
acallá [bread and cod]; mujol de la laguna de Honda<br />
con allioli [local fish from the Honda lagoon with garlic<br />
sauce].<br />
The display of cakes and pastries is spectacular; pasteles<br />
de gloria [marzipan pastry]; toñas [sweet buns];<br />
almojábenas [Arab pastries]; buñuelos de calabaza [fried<br />
dough balls filled with pumpkin] in San José;<br />
mantecados de Navidad [Christmas biscuits]; boniatos y<br />
calabazas asadas [roast sweet potato and pumpkin];<br />
Torta de Elx [almond tart]; pamfigol [fig bread] or dátiles<br />
[dates], with which a tasty liqueur is made. Look out,<br />
too, for the cantueso, a liqueur made since 1867, with its<br />
own official specific denomination [like the French<br />
appellation controlée for wine] as a traditional Alicante<br />
spirit drink.<br />
A reference not to miss on the festival calendar are the<br />
San Antón celebrations in January; countless romerías<br />
[local pilgrimages and religious processions] to the<br />
sanctuaries and hermitages in the area; the Moors and<br />
Christians parades; carnivals in February [to mark the<br />
start of Lent]; the feast days of the patron saints days in<br />
every town and city; and the bonfires of Sant Joan [St.<br />
John’s Day, also midsummer] in June. But of all the<br />
towns and cities through which the route passes,<br />
166 - 167<br />
special celebrations are: the Elx Mystery Plays,<br />
performance of a medieval religious lyric drama at the<br />
Basilica of Santa María, recently declared by UNESCO as<br />
a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of<br />
Humanity; the Holy Week procession of the burial in<br />
Orihuela; and in San Fulgencio our attention is caught<br />
by the groups of ‘Auroros’ who parade through the<br />
streets at dawn singing the “rosary of the aurora” and<br />
popular chants of ancient tradition.<br />
They also present plays about working the hemp in the<br />
fields; in Santa Pola on the 16th of July, day of the<br />
Virgen del Carmen, there is a maritime procession of<br />
boats round the harbour while a choir sings the Salve<br />
Marinera.<br />
With regard to craft work in the area of the route, bags<br />
and shopping baskets are made of dried palm leaves, as<br />
well as rope soled shoes made from esparto or needlegrass,<br />
blankets, saddlebags, boxes of cardboard and<br />
glass, crochet shawls and hair adornments, hemp<br />
products, farming implements, carpets, white palm<br />
braids, footwear and ceramics.<br />
Salt ponds of Santa Pola 38º 9' 26'' N 0º 37' 74'' W
<strong>Route</strong> <strong>15</strong><br />
From Orihuela to Elx<br />
Recommended time of year<br />
Any time is good, although preferably spring and<br />
autumn. In summer the hours around midday must be<br />
avoided. Watch out for the autumnal colours in the reed<br />
beds of the protected wetlands.<br />
Public transport<br />
Orihuela, Elx and Alicante can be reached by local,<br />
regional and national train services. Bicycles are<br />
transported free of charge on the trains. There are<br />
public bus services from Murcia and Alicante to<br />
Orihuela and Elx.<br />
Recommendations<br />
In the case of wishing to travel the route just as it is set<br />
out in the guide, by bike or on foot, a word of warning:<br />
Orihuela 38º 5' 22'' N 0º 57' 03'' W<br />
a mountain bike is best, or as a minimum, the hybrid<br />
type. We do not come across many public waterspouts<br />
to quench thirst and refresh oneself away from the<br />
urban centres, so we should fill up with water whenever<br />
we get the chance. Both the early hours of the day and<br />
at dusk are the times of day with the best light and<br />
most agreeable temperature. If anyone wants to make<br />
use of the car, on the tracks where it is possible to drive<br />
motor vehicles, the main track should never be left, as it<br />
is much better and more respectful to the environment.<br />
In order to get to know each area of nature we propose<br />
in greater detail, it is recommended that you leave the<br />
car parked somewhere safe and secure and undertake<br />
trips on foot.<br />
Salt ponds of Santa Pola 38º 11' 07'' N 0º 36' 85'' W
RECOMMENDED MAPS TO FOLLOW THE ROUTE CORRECTLY:<br />
National Geographic Institute<br />
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.<br />
Further information: www.comunitatvalenciana.com<br />
Information on regional and local trains: Renfe 902 24 02 02. www.renfe.es<br />
TOURIST INFO OFFICES FOR THE ROUTE:<br />
Tourist Info Dolores<br />
Pl. General Llopis, 1<br />
03<strong>15</strong>0 Dolores<br />
Tel. 966 71 03 63<br />
Fax 966 71 11 09<br />
dolores@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Elx<br />
Pl. del Parc, 3<br />
03202 Elx<br />
Tel. 966 65 81 96<br />
Fax 966 65 81 97<br />
elx@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Elx - Aeroport<br />
Aeropuerto de Alicante<br />
Terminal Llegadas T1. El Altet<br />
03195 Elx<br />
Tel. 966 91 93 67<br />
Fax 966 91 93 67<br />
elaltet@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Elx -<br />
Els Arenals del Sol<br />
Av. San Bartolomé de<br />
Tirajana, 42. Arenales del Sol<br />
03195 Elx<br />
Tel. 966 91 01 11<br />
elxarenals@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info<br />
Guardamar del Segura<br />
Pl. de la Constitución, 7<br />
03140 Guardamar Del Segura<br />
Tel. 965 72 44 88<br />
Fax 965 72 72 92<br />
guardamar@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info La Marina d’Elx<br />
Av. de la Alegría, 72<br />
La Marina d’Elx<br />
03194 Elx<br />
Tel. 965 41 97 10<br />
marinaelx@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Orihuela<br />
Pl. de la Salud, 2<br />
03300 Orihuela<br />
Tel. 965 30 27 47<br />
Fax 965 30 62 94<br />
orihuela@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info<br />
Orihuela - Andenes<br />
Av. de la Estación<br />
(Estación Intermodal)<br />
03300 Orihuela<br />
Tel. 966 73 60 89<br />
Tourist Info<br />
Orihuela-Centro<br />
Pl. Marqués de Rafal, 5<br />
03300 Orihuela<br />
Tel. 965 30 46 45<br />
Fax 965 30 62 94<br />
orihuelacentro@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Orihuela-Playa<br />
Pl. del Oriol (Urb. Playa<br />
Flamenca) 1<br />
03189 Orihuela<br />
Tel. 966 76 00 00<br />
Fax 966 76 12 50<br />
orihuelaplaya@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Rojales<br />
Malecón de la Encantada, 1<br />
03170 Rojales<br />
Tel. 966 71 50 01<br />
Fax 966 71 47 42<br />
turismo@rojales.es<br />
Tourist Info Santa Pola<br />
Pl. Diputación, s/n<br />
03130 Santa Pola<br />
Tel. 966 69 22 76<br />
Fax 966 69 60 39<br />
santapola@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info<br />
Santa Pola - Centro<br />
C/ Astilleros, 4<br />
(Junto al Ayuntamiento)<br />
03130 Santa Pola<br />
Tel. 966 69 60 52<br />
Fax 966 69 60 39<br />
santapolacentro@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info<br />
Santa Pola - Gran Alacant<br />
Av. Escandinavia, 31<br />
03130 Santa Pola<br />
Tel. 966 69 97 62<br />
Fax 966 69 60 39<br />
santapolaga@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info San Fulgencio<br />
C/ Amsterdam, s/n<br />
Urbanización la Marina<br />
03177 San Fulgencio<br />
Tel. 966 79 00 21<br />
Fax 966 79 00 21<br />
sanfulgencio@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info<br />
San Miguel de Salinas<br />
Pl. Juan Carlos I, 1<br />
03193 San Miguel De Salinas<br />
Tel. 966 72 34 66<br />
sanmiguel@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Torrevieja<br />
Pl. Ruiz Capdepont, s/n<br />
03181 Torrevieja<br />
Tel. 965 70 57 82<br />
Fax 965 71 59 36<br />
torrevieja@touristinfo.net<br />
168 - 169<br />
Tourist Info Torrevieja -<br />
Alto Castilla<br />
Av. Cortes Valencianas, s/n<br />
Mirador Alto Castilla<br />
03183 Torrevieja<br />
Tel. 666 57 99 49<br />
Fax 966 11 14 22<br />
torrevieja.altocastilla@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info<br />
Torrevieja Centro<br />
C/ Caballero de Rodas, 27<br />
03181 Torrevieja<br />
Tel. 965 70 90 23<br />
Fax 966 70 33 57<br />
torreviejacentro@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Torrevieja-La Mata<br />
Pl. Encarnación Puchol, s/n<br />
Torrelamata<br />
03188 Torrevieja<br />
Tel. 966 92 52 42<br />
Fax 966 92 60 44<br />
torreviejalamata@touristinfo.net<br />
Tourist Info Torrevieja -<br />
Paseo Marítimo<br />
Paseo Marítimo,<br />
Playa del Cura<br />
03182 Torrevieja<br />
Tel. 966 70 22 84