Las Salinas: Except for the Mar Menor as a whole, the Saltern of San Pedro del Pinatar is without any doubt the most important place along the coast of Murcia and very probably of the whole region. With an approximate surface of 800 hectares, the area of the saltern has a variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, with a rich fauna and flora.
The main part of the saltern is the system of ponds, ponds and channels used to concentrate and evaporate sea water to obtain salt. In the vicinity of these ponds a typical halophilic vegetation grows and very interesting fauna lives there.
The water in its diverse qualities, extensions and depths, provides a variety of conditions for the different groups of animals. The species of fish that have adapted to the high salinity of the ponds are scarce, but of great interest, especially mullet and above all the fartet, endemic to the Spanish Levante.
Amphibians are the only group of vertebrates not represented in the area, due to the absence of fresh water. Reptiles on the other hand are abundant, mainly in the dunes and in the pine groves, although they are also in the undergrowth and even in the water, for example the viperina snake which can live in the less saline areas.
But there is no doubt that the birds form the most representative animal community in the saltern, changing according to the place and the season. In autumn a great number of aquatic birds stop here on their migration, a phenomenon that is repeated at the beginning of Spring. The most spectacular are the flamingos, of which some spend the winter in the area, the waders, plovers, needles, curlews, sandpipers, wagtails, black stone turners, acríbeles and others.
In winter the black-necked grebe can often be seen in the deepest pools. It also spends winter in the saltern. The kingfisher and several species of heron, some pelicans and many others also over-winter in the saltern.
As for the vegetation there are three basic types of vegetation inside the saltern area for us to consider: that of the salt marshes occupying the largest area, then the dunes and the pinegrove of Cotorrillo ..
The salt marsh vegetation grows mainly on the banks of the channels and salt ponds and on the mud bars or slopes that separate them. Different species of plants appear with different mechanisms to deal with the high salinity, depending on the depth of salt water. In this way on the banks of the ponds and permanently flooded areas the most typical species is the prickly saltwort with its green, cylindrical, articulated and succulent shafts. Another important species of the salt marshes is the reed that in some areas – mainly in the north of the salines – occupies large areas, the wolf tail, parasite plant of the saltwort, with attractive yellow flowers, or the “taray”, typical of the areas that are not too saline.
In the dunes, the plants face different problems, the main one being the shifting sandy subsoil that threatens to uncover the root systems. One of the first plants that is colonized in the sand is the “barrón”, a salt grass typical of the shifting sands nearest to the sea. The sea thistle, the seahorn of creeping stems and yellow flowers, the sea iris with its beautiful white scented flowers and sea rocket with its characteristic dagger shaped fruit. In the area furthest from the sea glasswort appears, used in the past to obtain soda, the whitethorn of the sea or the American sloe, introduced by man to hold the movement of the dunes.
In the pinegrove of Cotorrillo which was planted to fix a sector of dunes, we can appreciate the effect of the wind clearly on the vegetation. The pines and holm oaks adopt gnarled forms, bowed over according to the wind and lacking branches on the side it blows.
On 24 May 1985, the Planning Commission of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia approved, by means of a special plan the protection of this wetland area, classified in the International Project “Sea”, the most important of the south east of the Peninsula.
The wording of this Special Protection Plan was prepared by the National Land and Environment Office with the aim of contributing to the conservation and defense of the ecological values of this nature reserve. .
The access to these is by the local road that leads to El Mojón, in the north limit of the saltern and by the road that leads to the Port of San Pedro del Pinatar that crosses the saltern and goes along the Pinegrove. In Lo Pagán there is a road going along the saltern in west to the Calcetera mill at the southern end. This road is continues as a path that takes you to La Llana beach.
As a recommendation to the visitor we will say that any time of the year is good to visit the saltern, but the best for bird watching are the autumn and early spring. In the same way, it is not advisable to walk on the bars t nesting time (spring-summer) except for the established roads and paths, nor to go to islands or other breeding places, to avoid disturbances or accidental destruction of the nests. Nor should you scare the flocks to observe them or to photograph them in flight.
Calblanque: There are only a few kilometers of the Mar Menor which still is unaffected land , in which you can enjoy sun and beach. The nature park of Calblanque is an idyllic alternative of the region. The park is accessible from the motorway Cartagena-La Manga, taking the exit of los Belones.
1987 the parc was declared protected area and offers today a multiplicity of beaches, saltlakes and coasts. The coast hides rock bays as well as small beaches of fine sand, which make with rocks private spaces for nature lovers. When the visitor goes away from the dunes, he must change his footwear, because the landscape becomes very rocky. Large surfaces of volcanic stone go round the outlines of the rocks. The visitor be careful when he approaches the chain of dune fossils, which hides for this landscape the largest nature value and is in the proximity of the saltlakes of Rasall. If you continue walking into the interior of the country, the nature gets transformed again: flatten levels, where it is difficult to find shadows, but you can find vegetation which ricovered some time ago and is characterised through “sabinas” (tree species of the Mediterranean), palms and several “Jaguarzos”. The only remaining pine trees can be found in the hills of “el Horno” and “la Fuente”.
Marine reserve of Cabo de Palos (Islas Hormigas)
The marine reserve has a total surface of 18.98 km2 and contains an integral reserve in the surroundings of the Isla Hormiga, El Bajo, El Mosquito and the small islands El Hormigon and La Losa. The elements which characterize the sea environment is a high biodiversity, ecosystems in a good state of conservation, pointing out the meadows of sea posidonia and the bottom of the sea full of coral of rocky nature.
The purpose of the marine reserve is the protection, regeneration and development of the resources of interest for the fishermen, which allow the fishermen of the area to preserve their tradional way of life.
The marine reserve offers also the possibility to realize other activities of a low impact (diving, environment education etc.) which contribute to the economical development of its area of influence.
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
