The pine forest at Guardamar is not natural woodland — it is a piece of engineering more than a century old. By the end of the 1800s the sand was advancing some eight metres a year and burying the town. In 1897 the engineer Francisco Mira y Botella began a dune-stabilisation scheme that, between 1900 and the 1930s, planted more than 600,000 pines, palms and eucalyptus. It worked, and the result is 800 hectares of Mediterranean forest growing on sand.
The circular walk
A 6.5 km circuit runs through the park past the main points of interest. It is flat, on compacted sand and forest tracks, and anyone can do it — no difficulty, and shade for almost the whole way, which in summer is what makes the difference. Allow about two hours walking with stops.
What you pass
La Fonteta
The remains of a Phoenician port city from the 8th to 6th centuries BC, with walls and workshops still visible. It is one of the more important Phoenician sites on the western Mediterranean coast of the peninsula.
La Rábita Califal
A 10th-century Islamic monastic complex, unique on the peninsula — there is no other surviving group of buildings of this kind. It holds protected heritage status.
The nursery and forestry house
The buildings the replanting was run from. They explain what the project meant better than any information board: this was the works camp for a planting operation that ran thirty years.
The beaches
The forest runs straight down into the sand. Platja dels Tossals, Platja dels Vivers and Platja del Montcaio sit inside the protected area, quieter than the beaches in the centre of town, with the pines immediately behind for shade at lunchtime.
Practical
Access is free and there is parking at the entrances off the coast road. Take water — there are no fountains anywhere on the route. In summer go early or after six. And repellent, because near the mouth of the Segura there are mosquitoes at dusk.
Guided walk
We run the route with a guide in small groups, about three hours, covering both the archaeology and the story of the replanting, with pick-up in Guardamar, Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa.
Common questions
Is there an entrance fee?
No, the park is free to enter. You only pay for the guided walk.
Can we do it with children?
Yes, it is flat and shaded. With small children you can do just the stretch to the Rábita and turn back.
Can we cycle it?
Yes, the forest tracks suit bikes. Stick to the marked crossings through the dune sections.
How long do we need?
Two hours for the full circuit on foot, three if you stop properly at the archaeological sites.
Message us on WhatsApp — we will come back with availability and the final price.