Menu
Torrevieja - Just a 10 minute drive from Dehesa de Campoamor is the Salinas Natural Park of Torrevieja. It refers to the salt mines or salt extraction near the port city of Torrevieja (Salina is the Spanish word for salt mine). The first use of the salt lakes dates back to the year 1321 with the original plan to use this inland sea for fishing. No fish swam to the salinas, due to the very high salt content. This salt turned out to be of high quality. The salt lake at Torrevieja is one of the largest salt exploitation sites in Spain and produces an average of 600,000 tons of salt per year. In contrast to other salt exploitation in Spain, the salt extraction here goes almost all year round. This of course because of the extremely sunny climate throughout the year.
The Salinas of Torrevieja and La Mata with a total area of 3,743 hectares were declared Natural Park on January 27, 1989 by the government of the Autonomous Community of Valencia. In 2009, the park had 74,000 visitors. Of course, the Salinas of Torrevieja attract more than just thousands of visitors. Without a doubt, one of the most striking bird species in the park is the flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), which has about 2000 specimens during the breeding season. Also important is the presence of the black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) up to about 3000 specimens. Of the other bird species, the black-winged avocet, the white shelduck, the harrier, avocet and tern are striking. The salinas are a breeding ground and wintering place for many birds.
Due to the absence of heavy industry and the presence of the large salt lakes in the area, the air in the region is known to be very clean. The area is therefore popular with the elderly and sick with all kinds of chronic health problems. It is said that the environment promotes health because of the relatively high concentrations of iodine in the air due to the presence of the salinas. There are many clinics in the area for cardiovascular diseases, rheumatism and skin diseases.
