Routes through Las Salinas

The Las Salinas lagoon is the heart of Calpe; a place where, as in a mirror, the entire destiny of this land is reflected. It is the point where the border between the modern tourist resort and virgin nature fades away, and the silence of the ancient bay is only interrupted by the flapping of flamingos.

Living history: Rome's white gold and the sweat of the salt workers

What today looks like a picturesque lagoon was, for centuries, the main industrial engine of the region. Even in the times of the Roman Empire, salt was extracted here, the "white gold" indispensable for the operation of the gigantic salted fish factory of Baños de la Reina. In those times, salt was valued as much as currency itself.

Technology of survival: Salt extraction was an art of patience and hard work. The lagoon was divided into shallow plots called "crystallizers". Seawater was channeled into them, and then the relentless Mediterranean sun did its job. As the water evaporated, a brilliant layer of pure salt was left at the bottom.

The hardest part came at the time of the harvest. The men and women of Calpe, knee-deep in water, manually dragged the salt with wooden rakes, forming large white pyramids that rose on the shore like artificial glaciers. The salt was transported in mule-drawn carts to the port, from where it was distributed all over the world. This labor fed thousands of Calpine families until 1988, when nature finally reclaimed its right over these lands.

Flora and fauna: Survival in the salt

Las Salinas is an extreme environment. The salt concentration constantly changes, forcing life to adapt to strict rules.

• The kingdom of the flamingos: The protagonists are the pink flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus). They get their color thanks to their diet: they consume a tiny crustacean called Artemia salina, which abounds in these waters and is rich in carotenes. Watching their dance with the skyscrapers reflected in the water is the most surreal experience in Calpe.
• Alchemist plants: Only halophytes, plants capable of processing salt, survive around the lagoon. For example, the glasswort (salicornia): green, fleshy stems that turn intense red in autumn, transforming the shores into a landscape from another planet. Or the tamarisk, a tree that literally "cries" salt, eliminating it through the pores of its leaves.
• Masters of the reed bed: In the thicket of the reeds, black-winged stilts nest on their incredibly long pink legs, grey herons hunt, and Mediterranean turtles hide.

Unexpected encounters: Wild boars

The most surprising feature of Las Salinas today is the proximity of the wild world to humans. At dusk or dawn, families of wild boars emerge from the dense jungle of reeds onto the trails.

This spectacle reminds us that Calpe is a territory where nature has preserved its rights. Wild boars have become part of the urban landscape, but they are still wild animals. Seeing a female guiding her striped piglets along the shore of the lagoon under the light of the streetlamps is a moment of authentic magic.

INFTOUR: Life in harmony with nature

At INFTOUR we believe that luxury is the opportunity to wake up to the song of birds and see the pink mirror of the lagoon right from your window. On our website www.inftour.com we have selected apartments with the best panoramic views of Las Salinas. It is the ideal base for those who want to combine a beach holiday with daily walks along protected trails.