The Nature Reserve Walks

Let’s end the summer season with the local walk from Dorothy!

Down at the bottom of the hill, opposite the beach there is a quiet and delightful area of protected land – “El Clot de Galvany” nature reserve, complete with paths, lagoons and bird hides.

Covering an area of over 300 hectares and home to the best dune formation in the province, it was declared a Municipal Natural Park in 2005. Military trenches and bunkers that date back to the Civil War are to be found there too.

The information centre is open at the weekends and bank holidays from 10am-2pm and from 4pm-5.45pm. There are two sign-posted routes – R1, a one mile approx. circular walk and R2, a three mile approx. circuit.

To get there, si

mply catch either the Baile’s Shopping Bus or the Gran Alacant Tourist Train, both of which circuit Gran Alacant.

You can alight at the bottom of the hill where the train/bus will stop at stop No 3! To enter the ‘Clot Del Gavany’ Nature Reserve, walk back along to the car parking area and turn right by the barbeque area to begin the 1 mile circular walk, signposted R1, (Route 1). This will lead you through mature palm and eucalyptus trees to a lagoon and a lookout point and back. You can walk along to the bird hides and enjoy watching the birdlife on the lagoons. There are posters to help you identify the different birds.

Should you stay on the bus/train until the next stop, No4, at the Caribassi Centre then you can enter the Nature Reserve by another route. Walk approx 400m further along and you will come to an entrance on your right.

This circular 3 mile approx walk, R2, (Route 2), can be completed in either direction. It will lead you through different types of flora and fauna and up to the top of a hill which has a lookout and from where you can enjoy some amazing panoramic views!

One of the Observation

Towers!

If you are very lucky, you may even spot a flock of neon-coloured pigeons!

 

On walk R2, up at the corner nearest Los Arenales, there is farmland. If you take the exit gate there at the corner, a five-minute walk will lead you to a pigeon roosting area adjacent to the farmland. We were fortunate to see owners and birds preparing for a race. Male pigeons are individually coloured using vegetable dye and are trained from birth to follow a white-tailed female.

This tradition is rooted in the Valencian and Murcian areas. In 1773, the first pigeon sports club was started in Murcia, but it wasn’t until more than 200 years later, in 1994, that pigeon-breeding was finally officially recognised as a national sport, when the Federación Española de Columbicultura was set up! Check out this link on YouTube!

https://youtu.be/21uMdNoEgdA

(We have also spotted the coloured pigeons in Santa Pola opposite the Carrefour roundabout towards Gran Alacant!)

Return by bus or train which will complete the GA circuit.