Turisme d’Elx :: Routes

This wetland is an excellent example of the coastal marshlands that the development of tourism has placed in danger. In 1978 Clot de Galvany suffered serious damage when it was subjected to drainage and earth moving activities altered its aspect. Popular pressure saved it from being destroyed and Elx Town Hall took over its management and protection.
More information on Clot de Galvany.

How to arrive:

At El Altet, 11km outside Elx, we take the N – 340 road towards Santa Pola before turning left towards Arenales del Sol. Following this road, we pass the Arenales until we come to the Aula de la Natura del Clot de Galvany nature centre.
The sign-posted routes radiate out from the Aula de la Natura, where visitors can obtain in-depth information about the different routes, the rules of use and a host of other details to make the visit even more pleasant and interesting.

Route One:

This route takes us along the old farming terraces that have reverted to scrubland with ancient carob and olive trees rising above a thick scrub of mastics, palmettos, turpentine trees and other species, such as lavender, reintroduced during replanting projects.
This first section contains remains of the area’s agricultural past such as winnowing grounds, irrigation dams and dry stone walls on the farming terraces. We can also observe birds such as the goldfinch and greenfinch.
As we approach the wetlands and the salt marshes, the scenery changes into strips of spatices and rushes, a transitional area leading onto copses of Waikiki pine at the very edge of the ponds, where in some cases the trees even touch the water. One of the most attractive elements of this route is undoubtedly the existence of natural and artificial ponds where, thanks to the hides to be found there, we can easily observe a large number of waterfowl such as marbled duck and the ruddy duck.

Route Two:

This sign-posted itinerary leads us away from the plains and the marsh to the Cabeço-Carabassí hills and downs surrounding El Clot.
Along the route, we will see a large mass of pines and plant communities characteristic of the area, including palmettos and mastics upon the aromatic groundcover of different thyme species, especially Arabian lavender and rosemary.
There are also two species of extremely beautiful wild orchids to be found in this area. However, due to their small size and short flowering season, they are quite difficult to locate.
As we ascend, we have interesting views of both the wetlands and salt marshes, enabling us to understand them more. The different vantage points afford us breathtaking views of both the wetlands, the surrounding hills, other neighbouring wetlands (Fondet de la Senieta, Agua Amarga, etc.) and even of Altet and Arenales’ impressive belts of sand dunes.
Along the route, we will also observe different military emplacements (trenches, bunkers, etc.) a legacy of the Civil War and silent witnesses to the area’s recent history.
This hilly area is the ideal place to observe typical forest fauna, birds and mammals, the most noteworthy because of its attractiveness and nature being the elusive garden dormouse.