Nature Parks & Reserves on the Costa Blanca

Why this small province has so many protected areas

Alicante sits at the meeting point of three climates — Mediterranean coast, semi-arid south and mountain hinterland — which produces an extraordinary range of habitats in a tiny footprint. The Valencian government protects nine Parques Naturales here, plus several smaller paratges and the country's oldest marine reserve at Tabarca. All are free to enter; most have a visitor centre and waymarked walking routes.

The nine Parques Naturales at a glance

The wetland trio — Spain's flamingo country

The southern Costa Blanca holds three of the most important wetlands in the western Mediterranean: the Santa Pola salt pans, the Lagunas de La Mata–Torrevieja and El Hondo. Together they support over 2,000 flamingos year-round, peaking at 8,000+ in late summer, and act as a critical refuge for migrating waders. La Mata's lake turns vivid pink in summer from a salt-loving alga; the Santa Pola pans have a boardwalk through the salt mountains; El Hondo has a series of hides for serious birders.

The mountain parks

The four inland Parques Naturales — Mariola, Font Roja, Aitana (technically a paraje, not a parque) and Carrascar — preserve the cool, wet Mediterranean montane forests that once covered the inland Costa Blanca. Font Roja in particular is unmissable: a fragment of ancient beech, yew and maple forest at 1,200 m, glorious in autumn colour and home to wild boar, golden eagles and the elusive wildcat.

• ✦Font Roja — visitor centre at Mas de Tetuán, 5 km waymarked loop
• ✦Mariola — herb walks, the Cava Arquejada snow well
• ✦Aitana — 22 km road to the summit antennas, immense views
• ✦Carrascar — quiet holm-oak forest, perfect for wildlife dawns

The coastal & marine reserves

Three coastal parks anchor the northern half of the province. Serra Gelada protects the dramatic cliffs between Albir and Benidorm and extends 3 nautical miles offshore. Montgó towers over Dénia and Jávea with peregrines and Bonelli's eagles. Penyal d'Ifac is a postage-stamp park around the iconic Calpe rock. Offshore, the Tabarca marine reserve has been a no-take zone since 1986 — Spain's first — and snorkellers see grouper, dentex and dense shoals of bream within metres of the shore.

Visiting — practical tips

• ✦All parks are free; visitor centres open weekends and most weekdays
• ✦Best months: October to May (and dawn in summer)
• ✦Wear hiking boots — limestone trails are sharp and loose
• ✦Bring binoculars for the wetlands; a snorkel mask for Tabarca
• ✦Drones banned in every Parque Natural — don't risk the fine
• ✦Take all litter out; fires forbidden year-round