Paraje Natural Molino del Agua in Torrevieja
Wild dunes, pines, underground aquifers and a water mill in the north of Torrevieja
The Molino del Agua municipal park is one of many in Torrevieja, and is located at the northern end of the town just inland from the southernmost end of the Playa de la Mata.
Occupying an area of 500,000 square metres, most of the park consists of dunes and native species of pine tree (Aleppo pine and stone pine) and there is also a 500-metre-long series of underground aquifers from which water was taken for human consumption until as late as 1962. Above ground there is also a new waterway which runs from the top of the hill into a pond, and over three and half kilometres of paths wind their way around the inside of the park. A replica of an old water mill, which gives the park its name, is another feature which adds charm.
The park begins on the edges of an urban area, then peters out into dunes and rough, prickly scrub as it heads towards the beach.
This is the last remaining dune system in the southern part of the Comunitat Valenciana, and apart from pine trees there are also figs, prickly pears, carobs, dwarf palms, rosemary, thyme, and various other species of flora. The park is part of a series of similar sites which run from the salt lakes of Torrevieja in the south to the salt flats of Santa Pola in the north. This park area is fairly close to the large natural La Mata lake and salinas system, where there is a visitor centre and a conditioned walking/cycling route.
The park is a popular location for those wishing to enjoy a picnic or a walk in a controlled environment and is particularly popular with locals on feast days or public holidays.
t’s set back off the main road, so isn´t immediately visible from the main coastal road, but is easily accessed through the residential streets. There is plenty of parking alongside the edge of the park and in the residential streets surrounding the park.
Click for map, Paraje Natural Molino del Agua in Torrevieja