PLACES OF INTEREST GUARDAMAR

Califal Rabita.

Every town has its history, but Guardamar del Segura really has a rich past, with evidence of Phoenician, Iberian, Roman and Islamic cultures, preceding its medieval and later development into a modern European town. Califal Rabita X-XI century: hidden in the dunes of Guardamar del Segura is the Califal Rabita, an Islamic monastery dating from the tenth to eleventh century A.D. It consists of three rows of buildings, separated by streets and surrounded by a protective wall. The Califal Rabita complex formed a centre of pilgrimage in which a community of monks lived. The only example of such a centre in the Iberian peninsula and one of the oldest Islamic monuments in the world. In spite of this the fenced site is not easy to find, as there are no signposts for it in the extensive dunes of the Park Alfonso. The Califal Rabita however, can be more closely visited, by taking part in the la Senda de la Historica (Path Of History) tour. This guided tour costs around 6€ (timetables, booking and more info in the Tourist Information Office), the tour lasts for around 2 hours. At the time of writing the English tour guided Path Of History tour is held on Friday, and the Spanish version (la Senda de la Historica) on Thursday. Please check with the Guardamar Tourist Information Centre, as times and days have a tendency to be altered. Tourist Information Telephone : 965 724 488.

Guardamar Path of History Tour
The Path of History tour itinerary is as follows ..
From the Guardamar Tourist Information Office - on the Guardamar del Segura tourist train ...
Castle visit (remains of Guardamar fortress), good panoramic view of Guardamar town.
Els Vivers - The forest nursery - and the inspiration behind the Dunas de Guardamar.
The Dunes - and the process of reforestation.
Visit to the Rabita Califal within the Park Alfonso.
Back to the Guardamar del Segura Tourist Information Office.

Guardamar del Segura places of interest - Guardamar land mark ...
The Radio Naval Station Tower.

You just know when Guardamar del Segura is approaching when driving from Alicante on the N332 - as the Radio Naval Station Tower appears on the horizon. The tower can even be seen when driving through the salt lakes (just after the Santa Pola turn off). The Guardamar del Segura radio naval tower stands 380 metre's high and is insulated from the ground in order to transmit low frequency signals to Naval Fleet submarines. The Guardamar del Segura naval tower can be seen up close (although fenced off) by driving up an access road (2nd right off the lemon tree road - the Montesinos CV-895 road from Guardamar) see the map below. The Guardamar tower is apparently also one of the tallest structures on the Iberian peninsula, the tower is also known as the torreta de guardamar.

My camera does not really do justice to the actual scale of the torreta de guardamar. But suffice to say it can be seen from miles around.

Guardamar has three parks, Park Reina Sofia, Park Alfonso X111, and Park Sur.

Park Reina Sofia is a formal park, which includes an open-air stage, a playground, two small lakes, numerous walking paths and areas shaded by many and varied trees.

Park Alfonso XIII is a natural park, formed as a result of the planting of pines in the early 20th century. The resulting pine forest now provides Guardamar del Segura with some excellent natural recreation areas, offering shaded walkways, picnic areas, and more recently new walkways and bridges over the sand dunes to the beaches.

Park Sur much smaller in comparison and has undergone some drastic landscaping.

Park Sur - a small park which was recently given a facelift (2010) ... the park is basically a few walkways among the greenery with a fancy facade.

Park Reina Sofia - A park for the kids ... two water features with peacocks, ducks & geese. The park also has a good size play area, with the usual slides, swings .. etc.

Park Alfonso XIII - This park is hugely important in Guardamar's past and present, even neglecting its historical impact on the town, its importance today as an area of natural leisure cannot be underestimated or understated. Its walkways and cycle paths from the town itself to the mouth of the River Segura and the Marina de las Dunas are excellent, and surely a prime factor in the reason that some people return to Guardamar year after year.

Pictured below is Guardamar del Segura Castle - the castle remains date back to to the fourteenth century and was used by the inhabitants of the Vale of Guardamar till the nineteenth century. Archaeological investigations revealed remains of the Phoenician times - an Iberian Roman sanctuary and several graves of burials from Andalusian times. The castle was built in 1271 when King Alfonso X (who brought Catalan people to the area) ruled. During the fourteenth century the castle became the most important costal fortress for the defence of Orihuela. The destruction and abandonment of the Guardamar del Segura castle happened in the earthquakes which took place in 1829, forcing the inhabitants to retire from the castle into the valley to start new lives.

The river Segura is pictured below, the photo on the left is pointing towards the mouth of the river and the Marina de Las Dunas; the photo on the right points in the opposite direction; the middle photo shows cormorants on the Guardamar del Segura river. The river has a footpath running along its side all the way from its mouth to the town of Rojales ...
perfect for a leisurely bike ride.

The Guardamar del Segura Marina de las Dunas provides berths for around 400 boats. There was talk in 2008 to increase the capacity of the Marina de las Dunas. The land is available to extend the Marina to around 550 berths from the existing 400 moorings, but it seems - in the current financial climate - the plans have been shelved.

NOTE: The Guardamar to Tabarca catamaran has been cancelled...
Going to Santa Pola Marina to get the catamaran is the best option - here a regular service is offered with staggered departure times.


Parking your car in the Guardamar del Segura marina ...
costs only 1€ per day.

For marina services - boat repairs - boat sales - carbon fibre boat parts

Google Street View Location - Guardamar Marina Las Dunas car park entrance.

As you can see from this Street View Map - there are only a few free car parking spaces, just outside the Marina.