Guardamar del Segura is one of the most Learnn places in the Costablanca region. Discover the natural environment Dunas de Guardamar, the archeological site of La Fonteta such as others places in Costa
The city of Guardamar Del Segura in the region of Alicante has a 14-kilometre coastline of fine sandy beaches which makes the city one of the very well known place within the Costablanca region and among its more than 10.000 inhabitants. Lying very close to the beach, the city whose name Guardamar (Guarda-mar) literally translates to “Guardian of the Sea”, often got large blasts of sandstorms coming in from the Levante. Throughout the years, this sand accumulation, paired with the silt that was being brought down from the Segura River, aided in the build-up of sand dunes that threatened to overrun the small coastal town.
Eventually, a huge earthquake in 1829 destroyed the ancient Castillo de Guardamar and large part of the old town. This gave the town an opportunity to re-build itself in another area, while still remain close to the sea. Unfortunately, this new location didn't stop the ever moving sand dunes from encroaching up to the new town again. This led to the implementation towards the end of the nineteenth century of a system of planting a large forest alongside the coast to control the movement of the sand dunes and perhaps save the town from the threat. The project ended in 1930 and its success allowed the town to flourish into the city we know today.
This unique natural environment grew over the years becoming a beautiful and contrasting area that is known today as Dunas de Guardamar. Hundreds of large, rolling golden dunes covered with shady pine, palm and eucalyptus trees make up this 840 hectare environmentally protected forest that has been declared an “Area of Natural Interest” because of the enormous amount of wildlife it attracted since its implementation. They extend along the coast all the way up the salty-marshes of the idyllic fishing town of Santa Pola.
The wonderful tree covered area now breaks off into 2 beautiful parks: the Parque Reina Sofia and the smallest natural park in all Spain called Parque Alfonso XIII. The Reina Sofia Park is a good place to admire the magnificent scenery of native flora and fauna which includes waterfalls, beautifully designed trails, and ponds with peacocks, swans and ducks, making it a popular place for leisurely strolls, picnics and open-air festivals. The Alfonso XIII Park also offers similar natural recreational areas including shaded walkways and bike paths. Together, the Dunas de Guardamar, the Parque Reina Sofia and the Parque Alfonso XIII are a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a typical sunny day.
Another exciting aspect near the dunes is the archaeological site of La Fonteta, where a Ribat Caliphate (Rábida Califal de las Dunas), a kind of fortified Muslim religious institution dating back to the X century, was discovered during a dig in 1996. This place was considered in its time the Mecca of the Andalusian Arabic world and also proves the existence of ancient civilisations in the area.
It seems that anywhere you go in the Costa Blanca region, and at almost any time of the year, you will be pleasantly surprised at what specialties await you. Why not head over to Alicante and discover Spanish as well? don Quijote gives you the chance to learn Spanish in Spain… where you do not only learn the culture, but live the culture.