Guardamar del Segura's 800-hectare forest protects coastal dunes

In Guardamar del Segura, Alicante, a pioneering project initiated in 1897 to protect dunes and prevent sand accumulation from nearby beaches has resulted in an 800-hectare natural area. Known as the Dunas y la Pinada de Guardamar del Segura, this site is a designated Place of Community Interest (LIC) comprising pines, palms, and eucalyptus.

Over four decades, the Alfonso XIII Park saw the planting of approximately 600,000 trees. Since 1904, the area has hosted the annual ‘Fiesta del Árbol’ (Tree Festival). This tradition, which originally involved schoolchildren planting trees, continues every January 31st to maintain the ecological, touristic, and cultural value of the Costa Blanca region.