Route 15

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
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
Salt, dunes and
monumental cities
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

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 socioeconomic
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 Las
Salinas ‘green way’
156 - 157
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]

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
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

La Mata nature park 38º 1' 48'' N 0º 39' 52'' W
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
158 - 159
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 salttolerant
plant species, salicornia, known in English as
glasswort, pickleweed or marsh samphire, and

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
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
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 bestknown
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

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
160 - 161
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

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
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

Elx 38º 15' 87'' N 0º 41' 39'' W
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 salt
marshes
162 - 163
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,

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
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
Elx 38º 16' 03'' N 0º 41' 77'' W
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.

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 semicircular
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
164 - 165
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

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
Salt lagoon in La Mata 38º 1' 21'' N 0º 40' 15'' 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
Orihuela 38º 5' 15'' N 0º 56' 73'' W
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 Crafts
The 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

acallá [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,
166 - 167
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 needlegrass,
blankets, saddlebags, boxes of cardboard and
glass, crochet shawls and hair adornments, hemp
products, farming implements, carpets, white palm
braids, footwear and ceramics.
Salt ponds of Santa Pola 38º 9' 26'' N 0º 37' 74'' W

Route 15
From Orihuela to Elx
Recommended time of year
Any 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 transport
Orihuela, 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:
Orihuela 38º 5' 22'' N 0º 57' 03'' W
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.
Salt ponds of Santa Pola 38º 11' 07'' N 0º 36' 85'' W

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.com
Information on regional and local trains: Renfe 902 24 02 02. www.renfe.es
TOURIST INFO OFFICES FOR THE ROUTE:
Tourist Info Dolores
Pl. General Llopis, 1
03150 Dolores
Tel. 966 71 03 63
Fax 966 71 11 09
dolores@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Elx
Pl. del Parc, 3
03202 Elx
Tel. 966 65 81 96
Fax 966 65 81 97
elx@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Elx - Aeroport
Aeropuerto de Alicante
Terminal Llegadas T1. El Altet
03195 Elx
Tel. 966 91 93 67
Fax 966 91 93 67
elaltet@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Elx -
Els Arenals del Sol
Av. San Bartolomé de
Tirajana, 42. Arenales del Sol
03195 Elx
Tel. 966 91 01 11
elxarenals@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info
Guardamar del Segura
Pl. de la Constitución, 7
03140 Guardamar Del Segura
Tel. 965 72 44 88
Fax 965 72 72 92
guardamar@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info La Marina d’Elx
Av. de la Alegría, 72
La Marina d’Elx
03194 Elx
Tel. 965 41 97 10
marinaelx@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Orihuela
Pl. de la Salud, 2
03300 Orihuela
Tel. 965 30 27 47
Fax 965 30 62 94
orihuela@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info
Orihuela - Andenes
Av. de la Estación
(Estación Intermodal)
03300 Orihuela
Tel. 966 73 60 89
Tourist Info
Orihuela-Centro
Pl. Marqués de Rafal, 5
03300 Orihuela
Tel. 965 30 46 45
Fax 965 30 62 94
orihuelacentro@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Orihuela-Playa
Pl. del Oriol (Urb. Playa
Flamenca) 1
03189 Orihuela
Tel. 966 76 00 00
Fax 966 76 12 50
orihuelaplaya@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Rojales
Malecón de la Encantada, 1
03170 Rojales
Tel. 966 71 50 01
Fax 966 71 47 42
turismo@rojales.es
Tourist Info Santa Pola
Pl. Diputación, s/n
03130 Santa Pola
Tel. 966 69 22 76
Fax 966 69 60 39
santapola@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info
Santa Pola - Centro
C/ Astilleros, 4
(Junto al Ayuntamiento)
03130 Santa Pola
Tel. 966 69 60 52
Fax 966 69 60 39
santapolacentro@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info
Santa Pola - Gran Alacant
Av. Escandinavia, 31
03130 Santa Pola
Tel. 966 69 97 62
Fax 966 69 60 39
santapolaga@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info San Fulgencio
C/ Amsterdam, s/n
Urbanización la Marina
03177 San Fulgencio
Tel. 966 79 00 21
Fax 966 79 00 21
sanfulgencio@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info
San Miguel de Salinas
Pl. Juan Carlos I, 1
03193 San Miguel De Salinas
Tel. 966 72 34 66
sanmiguel@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Torrevieja
Pl. Ruiz Capdepont, s/n
03181 Torrevieja
Tel. 965 70 57 82
Fax 965 71 59 36
torrevieja@touristinfo.net
168 - 169
Tourist Info Torrevieja -
Alto Castilla
Av. Cortes Valencianas, s/n
Mirador Alto Castilla
03183 Torrevieja
Tel. 666 57 99 49
Fax 966 11 14 22
torrevieja.altocastilla@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info
Torrevieja Centro
C/ Caballero de Rodas, 27
03181 Torrevieja
Tel. 965 70 90 23
Fax 966 70 33 57
torreviejacentro@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Torrevieja-La Mata
Pl. Encarnación Puchol, s/n
Torrelamata
03188 Torrevieja
Tel. 966 92 52 42
Fax 966 92 60 44
torreviejalamata@touristinfo.net
Tourist Info Torrevieja -
Paseo Marítimo
Paseo Marítimo,
Playa del Cura
03182 Torrevieja
Tel. 966 70 22 84