This scenic route runs parallel to the coastline and offers a rare blend of Mediterranean beauty, local wildlife, and accessible outdoor leisure at the edge of the turquoise waters.

The promenade is part of the GR92 coastal hiking route that stretches 1,360 km from the French border in Port-Bou in the north of Spain, to the border with Gibraltar in the south of the country.

Officially part of Stage 22 in the Valencian Community, a 23.1 km section of the GR92 that starts in Torrevieja and terminates in Pilar de la Horadada. The Sendero Azul is a little easier to handle, with a much shorter walkable length of just 2.46 km (1.53 miles).

The Sendero Azul coastal promenade in Cabo Roig

Along the route, visitors can enjoy the majestic and rugged marine landscape, with crescent-shaped coves framed by natural rock formations, and unobstructed sea views that reach La Manga del Mar Menor and Isla Grosa to the south.

The cliffs and coves display a variety of geologically significant features, and the Sendero Azul includes a total of five viewing points with steps down to the water's edge.

Nature lovers could be rewarded with views of dolphin pods making their way along the coastline, or close encounters with Mediterranean fauna, such as spiny-footed lizards, woodchat shrikes, and a variety of terns, plovers, and sandpipers.

The entire Cabo Roig coastal walk is fenced from end to end and illuminated at night for a unique late-evening, early-morning, or nighttime Mediterranean walking experience.

How to get there and where to park in Orihuela Costa

Bicycles are not permitted, and most visitors (of average fitness) should be able to complete the walk in around an hour. There are no facilities of any kind en route, so take a bottle of water with you in warm or dry weather.

The path is not entirely flat or even, with a maximum elevation of 25 metres (80 feet). Sensible walking shoes are recommended, and the surface is not ideally suitable for wheelchair users or families with children in pushchairs.

Visitors can start at the northern end of the Sendero Azul coastal walk on Playa Cala Capitán beach in Cabo Roig. Free parking is available immediately adjacent to the beach (Google Map here), or in Calle Mar Rizada (Google Map here).

Alternatively, visitors can start at the southern end of the route on Playa Cala de la Caleta. Free parking is available in Calle de la Ensanada (Google Map here), or in Calle Levante (Google Map here).

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa, or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what´s going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com

Previously, dog owners had been deprived of legally enjoying the open natural beaches with their pets, often risking a fine to provide the open-air space and essential exercise their loyal companions required.

Domestic animals are not permitted on any beach in the Orihuela Costa area, and many owners used to avoid the beaches entirely or walk their dogs along the coastline early morning and only during the winter.

But three years ago, Orihuela Town Hall signed an order designating the natural cove of Cabo Peñas in Alameda del Mar as the official dog beach for the municipal Orihuela area.

Cabo Peñas, the Orihuela Costa's official dog beach in Playa Flamenca

Cabo Peñas is a small cove-shaped beach located barely 100 metres north of Cala Mosca beach in Playa Flamenca. Measuring 112 metres at the waterline and 35 metres wide, the rural beach offers unspoilt fine sand and safe water for “doggie-paddle”.

Flanked on either side and to the rear by a relatively low sandstone cliff, the beach is accessed over natural terrain. Whilst not as immediately accessible as many other beaches in the area, the isolated nature of Cabo Peñas is undoubtedly part of its charm.

Often referred to locally as “Cala Mosca II”, the dog beach offers plenty of space for man's (and woman's) best friend to enjoy the surf, feel the sand under their paws, and enjoy free-running in the surf off-lead and spending time with their owner.

Cabo Peñas doesn't offer on-location facilities, but the beach is cared for by the council, and waste bins are provided to dispose of refuse before visitors leave the cove.

Are dogs allowed on the beaches of Orihuela Costa?

The nearby esplanade at Playa Flamenca offers a host of year-round bars, cafes, and restaurants, in addition to plentiful car parking free of charge – all within easy walking distance.

The designated dog beach is the finest in the South Costa Blanca area. An almost essential luxury in the height of summer, the beach has proven an attractive facility for existing residents and future property owners considering a move to this part of Costa Blanca.

Cabo Peñas dog beach is open all year round, and owners and pets are permitted to use the beach free of charge and free of restrictions at any time. You can find the beach with this Google Map.

All well-behaved dogs are welcome, but please abide by the instructions on the beach display board. The beach is a natural environment, so please leave it clean and use it respectfully.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com

Less than 3 hours flight time from home, the Spanish salt lakes and the wildlife that inhabit them are absolutely stunning. And locals know an even better secret: the Torrevieja salt lakes possess all the therapeutic qualities of a natural spa.

It is purported that just living within the vicinity can have positive benefits for your health and wellbeing. The vivid bubblegum pink colour of the water in the salt lake has been attributed to a rare type of micro-algae that thrives in exceptionally salty conditions.

The rare halophile algae produce a pink dye to help improve sunlight absorption under the surface of the water.

The vibrant hue of the pink lake is permanent and does not change when the water is poured into a container, and the algae is known for its high concentration of healthy antioxidants and cancer-beating carotenoids, the same naturally occurring pigment that gives salmon its strong and noticeable pink colour.

Torrevieja salt lake tours: discover the pink lake

Salinas de Torrevieja is home to 2,000 flamingos during migratory seasons, and the town hall ensures that this wild habitat remains protected during critical periods to ensure that the magnificent wading birds can enjoy their fleeting season in the sun in complete safety.

The pink salt lake has been commercially farmed for its salt for more than 200 years, and it's a renewable commodity as the Mediterranean Sea water is constantly replenished.

Salt and the city of Torrevieja have always enjoyed a close association, and salt production continues today. The lakes produce more than 600,000 metric tons of salt each year, with the product being shipped to countries throughout Europe.

And Torrevieja's historic salt lake tours detail the history of that connection, with the fascinating attraction running throughout the summer.

The tours set out to educate attendees, highlighting the many uses for salt in the modern world, from pharmaceutical use to generating renewable solar energy.

The tour guide points out the indigenous flora and fauna in the region and explains the reason for the bubblegum-pink water colour.

The lakes are home to an ancient saltwater brine shrimp that positively thrives in rich saline conditions, and also happens to give the lake its salmon-like colour.

Marvel at the flamingos in a naturally beautiful environment

The tour encompasses 3,700 hectares of exotic and unique Mediterranean nature, with a chance to scale one of the salt mountains, many of which reach the size of an office block seven storeys high.

Observe the many rare species of birds that inhabit the lakes, and take in the amazing natural panoramic views.

The flamingos are a popular sight, and successive wet winters over the last few years have been beneficial for these much-loved birds.

The additional freshwater contributed to a lowered level of salinity creating perfect conditions for a reproductive explosion in the brine shrimp that populate the waters.

This led to record numbers of migrating African Greater Flamingos over the spring and summertime in 2021, and the favourable conditions encouraged more than 1,500 breeding pairs of flamingos.

For the first time since 1983, the birds nested in the wetlands and established nurseries, resulting in the sighting of at least 600 baby flamingos.

Torrevieja salt lakes: take the tour at almost any time of year

The tour makes plenty of stops to allow for beautiful photo and selfie opportunities.

Tours use the familiar Spanish road trains that have proven so popular with tourists. These trains offer shade and a pleasant way to enjoy the environmental spectacle.

The Torrevieja salt lakes are a protected and delicate wetland environment that the town hall goes to considerable measures to protect. Therefore bathing in either of the salt lakes is not permitted.

This year, the scheduled tours take place from Tuesday 2nd April 2024, with tours running every day throughout the year.

Tickets cost €9.50 with a one Euro discount for children under 13 years old or people over the age of 65 years, and the tours take just over an hour to complete. A family ticket for two adults and two children (2 to 12 years) costs €29.90.

Trains depart from the Paseo de la Libertad in the centre of Torrevieja (see map below or click here) at Waldo Calero square every day at 11:00, 12:15, 13:30, 16:30, 17:45, and 19:00. For more information, visit the official Torrevieja tourism website.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com / Turismo de Torrevieja

For the third year in a row, the migratory Greater Flamingo population in Torrevieja has enjoyed one of the most productive summer seasons in recent history.

The notoriously selective birds established breeding grounds in Torrevieja's salt lakes in the spring of 2020 for the first time since 1983. A flamboyance of 1,500 nesting pairs was observed, and local environmental authorities mobilised to provide the flamingos with the isolation they required.

Three months later, the Ministry of Agriculture and Ecological Transition confirmed that the breeding season had resulted in the birth of 1,237 baby flamingo chicks – more than double the initial estimates based on counting nests.

Once again this year, Torrevieja's salt lakes have become one of the main natural habitats in Southern Europe for the pink-hued birds, with local media reporting more than 4,500 breeding pairs nesting in the lagoon.

Baby flamingo chicks and young flamingos in Torrevieja

If those estimations are correct, the number of flamingo chicks born in Torrevieja this summer could exceed those registered in the Fuente de Piedra salt lake in Malaga – often regarded as a national benchmark in the reproductive success of the Greater Flamingo species.

But now, some eighty days after the first eggs tentatively hatched, many of the fledgling youngsters are beginning to spread their wings for the first time – sometimes with limited success.

After the first nesting in 2020, adolescent birds made their way out of the colony, with some errant birds inadvertently making their way to roads and beaches in the surrounding vicinity.

And over recent weeks, hapless young flamingos have been exploring their local habitat, resulting in some surprise encounters between the birds and workers at the salt production facility, and landing in private residential gardens located relatively close to the lakes.

The youthful birds are often dehydrated but otherwise unharmed, and authorities are expecting them to venture further afield over the forthcoming weeks, as they did following the end of the nesting season in 2020.

What to do if you find a flamingo in your garden

Federico Kenzelmann Area, an avid wildlife photographer and “Salinero” at the Torrevieja salt works, points out that the main thing to do during an encounter with a flamingo is to call for help as soon as possible.

Secure the adolescent bird, preferably in a ventilated cardboard box, and try to keep the flamingo calm. Once secure, do not approach the flamingo unless you need to, to prevent causing additional stress to the bird.

Immediately call the Santa Faz Wildlife Recovery Centre in Alicante on +34 965 938 085, and call the Orihuela Costa Local Police unit on +34 966 760 000 or +34 649 900 304.

Give the flamingo water to drink, but as Federico highlights, do not feed the bird. “Flamingos feed on microorganisms filtered from the lake water and you should not attempt to feed them.”

In most cases, these young Greater Flamingos recover quickly with the application of a special serum to hydrate the birds, and often return to the nursery with the rest of the colony in a safe location that will allow them to remain calm until they are ready to finally take flight.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com

Despite the ongoing pandemic the popular tours attracted 1,200 participants just last year, and they've proved popular with residents and the admittedly limited number of international visitors.

After a winter hiatus, Torrevieja City Councilors Antonio Vidal and Rosario Martínez announced the return of the eco-routes through La Mata's natural park just yesterday.

The Councilors for the Environment and Tourism confirmed that each tour will focus on one of four themes: “The Great Secret of the Lagoon” (general nature), “The Birds of the Natural Park” (ornithology), “Vineyard, water and salt”, and “Nocturnal Nature in the Light of the Lagoon”.

The general nature routes present an opportunity to learn about the natural and cultural values ​​of our majestic park. Suited to all participants including families with children, the experience aims to provide information and eco-education in a fun and enjoyable way.

Torrevieja's flamingos, watch them live on your mobile phone

“The Birds of the Natural Park” ornithological routes aim to increase public interest and awareness about the wide variety of birdlife that populates the park, including emblematic birds such as storks, avocets, cranes, and Torrevieja's beloved flamingo population.

City Hall is keen to make the best use of the latest technology, and a digital telescope will broadcast live close-up views of birds in the park and on the waters of the lake.

The feed will be viewable on participants' mobile phones, reducing a future contact risk, and the live video stream will allow anyone who cannot participate in the route to view the “bird-feed” from their device at home – wherever in the world they may be.

The “Vineyard, water and salt” routes will explore Torrevieja´s rich history and close industrial relationship with the pure-white crystalline mineral.

Salt and the city of Torrevieja have enjoyed a close association for more than 200 years, and the lakes produce thousands of tons of salt every year, with the product being shipped to countries throughout Europe.

Torrevieja salt lakes, a choice of eco-routes for summer 2021

The “Nocturnal Nature in the Light of the Lagoon” eco-routes take place during the summer, offering an evening experience that escapes the high temperatures experienced during the day.

All routes are completely guided and expected to have an average duration of 4 hours. Each route is narrated in Spanish and English, and the maximum number of participants per route is 30 people divided into two groups of 15.

Tours of the Torrevieja salt lakes are organised by the City Council and will take place in compliance with current health legislation and precautions for safety and hygiene, including social distancing, mandatory use of facemasks, and the application of sanity hand gel.

The 2021 calendar will offer 13 tour dates during the spring and autumn season, plus 18 nighttime routes during the summer months of July and August 2021.

The new tours start with the first of the general nature routes on Sunday 14th March, with further dates set for Sunday 11th April, Saturday 8th May, Sunday 6th June, Sunday 3rd October, and Sunday 7th November.

Book now for your place in summer 2021's Torrevieja eco-tours

Bird-lovers won't want to miss the ornithology routes, with four upcoming dates for your diary: Saturday 27th March, Sunday 25th April, Sunday 23rd May, and Sunday 21st November.

The vineyard and salt routes take place on Saturday 19th June, Sunday 17th September, and Saturday 23rd November. With only three tours of this theme available, early booking is highly recommended.

Nocturnal nature routes take place in the evenings every Monday and Friday during July and August, with a final date for the nighttime tours on Friday 3rd September 2021.

Reservations can be made up to a month in advance either online or by calling +34 965 703 433. Find out more about the 2021 eco-tours of the Torrevieja salt lakes from the official website, download the brochure, or submit a reservation enquiry online.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com

The distinctive pink-hued birds began arriving in record numbers in March, attracted by an abundance of brine shrimp, unique weather conditions, and relative tranquillity – a vital ingredient required for successful breeding.

The CoVid-19 pandemic and the lockdown that accompanied it brought commercial salt-harvesting activity in the lagoons to a standstill.

Flamingos are notoriously selective about their reproduction habits, and the tranquil habitat accompanied by the low accessibility of the area selected for nesting proved to be a boon for the birds.

Flamingos breed in Torrevieja for the first time since 1983

When mating pairs of flamingos began arriving in the city earlier this year, the local environmental authorities established a discreet surveillance plan to provide the flamingos with the isolation they needed to breed successfully.

By June, distant observations confirmed around 1,500 breeding pairs of flamingos, and for the first time in nearly 40-years, the birds had established nurseries and constructed nests on a sandbar in the wetlands adjacent to the vibrant pink salt lake.

Official estimates put the number of offspring at around 600, but with breeding underway, it just wasn´t possible to approach the nesting site at that time.

With the breeding season now concluded, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Ecological Transition moved into the area to inspect the site.

They found 1,244 nests distributed in 13 areas along a 1,500-metre stretch of islets isolated by floodwater sections.

Baby Flamingo numbers double initial estimates, with more than 1,200 birds.

1,237 confirmed baby flamingos were documented via photographic monitoring, more than double the initial estimates, but an examination of the nests and the remaining egg fragments suggest that at least 160 nests were reused by a second pair of flamingo parents.

Ring readings of some of the remaining adults in Torrevieja revealed that some of the 1,404 breeding pairs of flamingos came from other areas in Spain, including Punta de la Banya in Tarragona), Marismas del Odiel in Huelva, and Laguna de Fuente de Piedra in Málaga.

With commercial activity returning to Torrevieja´s salt lakes, a substantial drop in the water level, and a return to the lakes hypersalinity, it may be some time before flamingos return to the city to successfully breed again.

But with most of the teenage birds now dispersed throughout wetlands in the Alicante Province, large groups of this summer´s adolescent flamingos can still be seen adjacent to the N-332 coast road in Santa Pola and San Pedro del Pinatar to the south.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: Federico Kenzelmann / Miguel Ángel Villar / Informacion.es

Some ten years ago Loggerhead sea turtle sightings along the Spanish coastline were an incredibly rare event, but the progressive nature of climate change and an increase in seawater temperature is bringing more of the rare animals to local beaches each year.

The Mediterranean Sea is a nursery for juvenile Loggerheads, and the Greek islands of Cyprus and Zakynthos host the largest nesting colonies of turtles in Europe.

But two turtles were spotted on Murcia's beaches in La Manga and Calblanque in 2017, and just last year a female turtle made her way onto Orihuela Costa's Cala Capitán beach in Cabo Roig.

Female Atlantic Loggerhead sea turtles are attracted by the area's wide beaches, the fine sands, and a general lack of strong tides.

Loggerhead sea turtles, more sightings in Spain over recent years

The world's largest hard-shelled turtle, and categorised as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Loggerheads head for land to deposit their eggs in late spring and throughout the summer months.

In recent years, animals found nesting on local beaches have been relocated to less populous beach areas by environmental specialists.

If a Loggerhead sea turtle is spotted please do not attempt to approach or touch the turtle, and always walk past the animal behind its tracks and not in front. Never use flash photography, stay as far away from the turtle as possible, and call 112 immediately and report the sighting.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com

Less than 3 hours flight time from home, the Spanish salt lakes and the wildlife that inhabit them are absolutely stunning. And locals know an even better secret: the Torrevieja salt lakes possess all the therapeutic qualities of a natural spa.

It is purported that just living within the vicinity can have positive benefits for your health and wellbeing. The vivid bubblegum pink colour of the water in the salt lake has been attributed to a rare type of micro-algae that thrives in exceptionally salty conditions.

The rare halophile algae produce a pink dye to help it to better absorb sunlight under the surface of the water.

The vibrant hue of the pink lake is permanent and does not change when the water is poured into a container, and the algae is known for its high concentration of healthy antioxidants and cancer-beating carotenoids, the same naturally occurring pigment that gives salmon its strong and noticeable pink colour.

Torrevieja salt lakes, discover the pink lake

The “Salinas de Torrevieja” are home to 2,000 flamingos during migratory seasons, and the town hall ensures that this wild habitat remains protected during critical periods to ensure that the magnificent wading birds can enjoy their fleeting season in the sun in complete safety.

The pink salt lake has been commercially farmed for its salt for more than 200 years, and it's a renewable commodity as the Mediterranean Sea water is constantly replenished.

Salt and the city of Torrevieja have enjoyed a close association for more than 200 years, and salt production continues today. The lakes produce thousands of tons of salt each year, with the product being shipped to countries throughout Europe.

And Torrevieja's historic salt lake tours detail the history of that connection, with the fascinating attraction running throughout the summer.

The tours set out to educate attendees, highlighting the many uses for salt in the modern world, from pharmaceutical use to generating renewable solar energy.

The tour guide points out the indigenous flora and fauna in the region and explains the reason for the bubblegum-pink water colour.

The lakes are home to an ancient saltwater brine shrimp that positively thrives in rich saline conditions, and also happens to give the lake its salmon-like colour.

The tour encompasses 3,700 hectares of exotic and unique Mediterranean nature, with a chance to scale one of the salt mountains, many of which reach the size of an office block seven storeys high.

Observe the many rare species of birds which inhabit the lakes, and take in the amazing natural panoramic views.

The tour makes plenty of stops to allow for beautiful photo and selfie opportunities.

Marvel at the flamingos, a naturally beautiful environment

Tours use the familiar Spanish road trains that have proven so popular with tourists, which offer shade and a pleasant way to enjoy the environmental spectacle.

The Torrevieja salt lakes are a protected and delicate wetland environment that the town hall goes to considerable measures to protect. Therefore bathing in either of the salt lakes is not permitted.

This year the tours take place from the beginning of March until the end of September. The tour schedule can be extended at the end of the year dependent on demand at the discretion of the town hall.

Tickets cost €7.95 with a one Euro discount for children under 13 years old, and the tours take just over an hour to complete. Trains depart from the Paseo de la Libertad in the centre of Torrevieja at Waldo Calero square, daily at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00. Find more information from the official Torrevieja tourism website.

Looking for holiday ideas and travel inspiration? Find out more about our favourite recommended things to do on the Orihuela Costa or join the La Zenia community Facebook group and find out what's going on in the local area.

Photo credit: LaZenia.com / Turismo de Torrevieja