Guardamar del Segura: Beaches, Dunes and History

Coast and Nature

The dunes and pine forests of Guardamar cover 800 hectares along the Mediterranean coast. South of Guardamar del Segura lies the protected natural urban park Parc de les Nyores, 200 m from the sea, with 4 hectares of pristine sand dunes.

Guardamar offers eight detailed excursions on foot or by bicycle, as well as a downloadable map for planning the tours. The “Dunes and River Segura’s Mouth” route leads from the Guardamar Tourist Office to the pier at the mouth of the River Segura and is 3.2 km long as a round trip. The Port Route runs along the right bank of the lower stretch of the Segura to the northern outskirts of the town and through the pine forests to the Marina de les Dunes Yachting Club and the fishing port. Along one section of this route, the fresh and salt water of the Segura mix, and many species of waterbirds can be observed there. Guardamar’s bus station is a four-minute walk from the town centre and has a taxi rank as well as a regular stop for the local urban bus service.

History and Culture

The hill of Guardamar Castle was inhabited from the 8th century BC until the 19th century and passed through Phoenician, Iberian, Roman, Islamic-Caliphate and Christian periods. In Alfonso XIII Park, the medieval Islamic Caliphate Ribat is located next to La Fonteta near the mouth of the River Segura. The Islamic Caliphate Ribat is an almost completely preserved Islamic monastic monument from the Umayyad-Andalusian period of the 10th to 11th centuries AD and comprises 23 prayer cells and a mihrab. La Fonteta is a Phoenician colonial settlement from the 8th to 6th centuries BC designated as a Site of Cultural Interest and includes a monumental wall with bastions, fortified houses and evidence of metallurgical activities. The Museo Arqueológico, Etnológico y Paleontológico Municipal opened on 13 July 1990 and was recognised as a museum by the Conselleria de Cultura of the Generalitat Valenciana in December 1993.

Further destinations: Orihuela, Relleu, Benejúzar, Beniarrés, El Fondó De Les Neus, Agres, Benimarfull and Elda.

Food and Festivals

Peix de Guardamar combines local catches such as squid, prawns and the renowned Guardamar red prawn with the traditional fishing fleet and the fishing port at the river mouth. The fish market at the port at the mouth of the Segura is open to end customers; auctions take place from Monday to Friday at 10 a.m. The Guardamar Themed Historical Tapas Route has been held every year since 2012 over two weeks during October and November; more than 20 establishments take part. Guardamar’s Gastronomy Week has been held since 2005; the tasting menus must include one dish with the small sweet dried red pepper and another with the Guardamar red prawn. The festivities for Our Lady of the Rosary include a flower offering and traditional Valencian dances in regional costume. The Auroros sing religious hymns in the streets before dawn on 7 October and every Sunday in October.

For the higher-level travel overview: Alicante.