Las Salinas de Calpe (Salt Lagoon)
Sandwiched improbably between a busy coastal road and the back of Playa de la Fossa, the Salinas de Calpe is a protected wetland and salt lagoon that most beach-goers walk straight past without realising it exists. In spring and autumn it hosts flamingos, herons and dozens of migratory wader species.
The Lagoon and Its Birds
The lagoon covers roughly 9 hectares and has been a protected natural space since 1994. Its shallow, saline water attracts greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) most reliably between March and May and again in September and October, when you can watch them feeding in their characteristic upside-down style just metres from the footpath.
Year-round residents include the black-winged stilt, little egret and purple swamphen, while the reed beds shelter Cetti's warblers and fan-tailed warblers. Bring binoculars — even a basic pair transforms the experience completely.
How to Visit
A flat, easy footpath runs around the perimeter of the lagoon and takes about 25 minutes to complete at a slow birdwatching pace. The path is paved and accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs for most of its length. A couple of simple interpretation panels explain the ecology in Spanish and English.
The best time to visit is early morning when the light is soft and the birds are most active before the heat of the day. Combine it with a sunrise walk along the adjacent Playa de la Fossa for a perfect low-key start to any day in Calpe.
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