With an area of 41.08 Ha. Calpe’s salt flats are located in the same urban nucleus of the town and close to the Peñón de Ifach natural park. They are a unique enclave with present cultural and social values, in addition to natural ones. 173 species of birds have been recorded, highlighting the populations of the common flamingo, which reaches several hundred specimens, and the common stilt.
Calpe’s salt flats is one of the most beautiful natural spaces in the Valencian Community. A visit that can be done with a comfortable walk, where we will stop at the different bird watching points that we have arranged for the visitor. An ideal activity also to do as a family.
The first written document that speaks of them dates back to the middle of the 13th century. The definitive abandonment of the exploitation takes place in 1988.
Calpe’s salt flats or ‘Salinas de Calpe’ are part of an old bay closed by the formation of a transverse barrier to the waves. In the past, salt was a staple product, basic for food preservation. It is during Roman times when Calpe becomes an important center for the production of salt, reaching its maximum splendor in the s. II d. C.
But it is at the end of the s. XVIII, when they begin to deteriorate and be seen as a source of infections that bring disease and fevers in the population as a consequence. This ended in his complete abandonment. And after some attempts in the 1980s to reactivate them using new production methods, in 1993 they were finally declared a maritime-terrestrial protected area.
Currently they make up a small natural reserve in the very heart of Calpe, offering unique views of species and nature, with the Calpe skyline as a backdrop.
How to arrive Calpe’s salt flats
Calpe’s salt flats will be one of the first things you will see when you arrive in the municipality. One of the most beautiful trails begins at Avenida de Polonia. From there you can comfortably leave your car and start the tour along its path, bordering the bay.
Here you will find the directions on the map:
