From industrial activity to cultural and environmental heritage: the Torrevieja and La Mata Lagoons (Alicante)

The town of Torrevieja owes its existence to the sea, to its climate, to the two saltwater lagoons that it sits between, and to the watchtower from which it took its name. The town's motto, "Blanca de sales, morena de soles" ("Salt-white, sun-tanned"), neatly sums up the essence of this part of the Mediterranean, where singular environmental features have always been the driving force behind the area's economic and cultural heritage. In this regard, the salt industry and the growth of tourism are the two activities that have had most impact on this town located next to the Torrevieja and La Mata lagoons, an area of great environmental value and now classed as a nature reserve.