Santa Pola Natural Park |
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VALENCIA REG ION – IT’S NOT ALL CONCRETE!You might be surprised to learn that in the Valencia region,famous for its building boom that stretches along the coast and spreads inland, there are 23 Natural Parks. Located in a variety of habitats including: Inland (which has the most) Coastal Mountain Regions, Wetlands, and even one Mediterranean Riparian Forest plus an Island. These `parcs naturals´ are gems in a land where perhaps too much concrete has been poured during recent years.
You will find Santa Pola 20km south from Alicante airport taking
the N332 highway, between Alicante and La Marina or the next big town of Guardamar
del Segura.
In the city of Santa Pola you can find the castle fortress (Castillo Foraleza
de Santa Pola) built in the 16th Century to defend from pirates, surrounded
by 20th century beautiful architecture. Santa Pola has the biggest deep sea
and coastal fishing fleet in the Mediterranean.
To write a guide to the Santa Pola Salinas is almost superfluous, as you can't, in fact, miss them! Just drive down the N332 southwards from Santa Pola, and you cross the shallow salt-pans, which have been producing salt since Roman times.
Two companies currently work the pans, and you will pass under the gantry of the first, and largest, the Bras del Port works, soon after leaving Santa Pola. If, indeed, instead of doing this, you turn left just before the great piles of salt and park, you can walk along the coastal grasslands and a length of relatively unspoiled beach – which, however, is often the place for nudists (binoculars may be an embarrassment!) This area is frequently the winter haunt of Richard's Pipit.
Back to the coast road, and park where the old tower has been disgracefully 'restored.' Here you should lock up and take great care of your belongings, as elsewhere in this area, but a good long look should result in views of Slender-billed Gull, Osprey and Sandwich Tern, whilst many other species are always possible, including Great White Egret and Spoonbill. Another stop, opposite to the entrance to the smaller Bon Mati saltworks requires great care, but should reveal good numbers of waders, and you will often find big flocks of Shelduck here, as well as impressive numbers of Avocet, Greater Flamingo and Black tailed Godwits.
No internal access to the Salinas is permitted, which is, on balance, no bad thing, in view of the sensitive nature of the breeding species, but, with patience, most birds can be seen from the neighbourhood of the road.
A preview can, incidentally, be obtained, in the form of a walk around the 'salt museum's' reserve on the outskirts of Santa Pola. Depending upon water-levels, the pools at the opposite side of the road can hold good wader numbers, too.
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The
present Santa Pola salt works and the space that today constitutes El
Hondo used to form a great wetland known as the Albufera de Elche,
which covered almost the whole plain of Elche.
Santa Pola Salt Works Nature Reserve is 2,470 hectares in size. The environments found in this natural enclave are extremely varied. |
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The
salt works are located in the coastal zone, with its beaches and dunes.
Heading from this place inland, the visitor finds a zone of permanent
pools of fresh water and land with water at floor level which is
temporarily flooded. The space around the inner edge of the Reserve is
taken up by crops.
From
road N-332, which crosses the reserve from north to south, you can
enjoy the spectacular concentrations of different species of Limicolae
birds which feed on the salt flats. This fact, along with the
eye-catching pink colour of the tanks with greatest concentration of
salt, makes the Park a very beautiful sight.
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The large breeding colonies of some birds are of great interest. The avocet, the black-winged stilt, the snowy plover, little tern or common tern, are just a few examples of the great variety of fauna in this natural enclave. We should also point out the presence of the nesting bird of the common shelduck and the marbled teal, a species very difficult to find in Europe. Other birds, attracted by this zone that provides them with food and water at any time of year, also settle temporarily at the salt works. |
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This is the case of the flamingo, which can be observed in the
Reserve in concentrations of up to 8,000 individuals, the Anatidae such
as the northern shoveler, red-crested pochard, the common pochard or
the green-winged teal, and Limicolae such as the avocets, the
black-winged stilt, the plovers, black-tailed godwit, sandpipers of
different varieties.
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It is also easy to see herons, grebes, terns, black tern, seagulls, water rail, coot and moorhen. Birds not classified as water fowl, but associated with damp ecosystems, have an important presence in Santa Pola salt works. Specimens of the marsh harrier, Montagu's harrier, warbler and bearded tit are also to be seen in this reserve. |
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On the other hand, the presence in the zone of the fartet (Aphanius iberus), a cyprinodontid fish endemic to Valencian geography, has great bio-geographical interest. The spiny-footed lizard, the Spanish Psammodromus and certain invertebrates difficult to locate amongst the coastal sands make the visit to the salt works even more attractive. |
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Enjoy your visit! |
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PARK FACT FILE Santa Pola Natural Park In this area ca often be found the following Richard's Pipit. Slender-billed Gull, Osprey Sandwich Tern, Great White Egret and
Spoonbill. Shelduck Avocet, Greater Flamingo and Black
tailed Godwits. The avocet, the black-winged stilt, the snowy
plover, little tern or common tern, the common shelduck and the
marbled teal, flamingo, northern shoveler, red-crested pochard,
the common pochard or the green-winged teal Herons, grebes, terns, black
tern, seagulls, water rail, coot and moorhen.marsh harrier, Montagu's
harrier, warbler and bearded tit Plus look out for the spiny-footed lizard The Spanish Psammodromus |
Please follow: Rules for preserving the Reserve You are in a protected wildlife area with nesting birds. Keep dogs on a lead. To contribute to its preservation visitors should attempt to come in small groups, make as little noise as possible, not leave the paths marked out, respect animals and plants, not light fires, respect forestry rules, and leave no rubbish, waste or tracks of your presence along the route. Thank you. |
Visit: http://parquesnaturales.gva.es : http://picasaweb.google.es/Robi1305/LAMATATORREVIEJANATURALPARK
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