Embalse de Elche - Hike along river and wetland to dam

Five kilometres from the centre of Elche lies the Presa de Elche. It dams the Vinalopó River and is a beautiful sight. You can get there from below by walking along the Vinalopó River, or from above by following the Pantano de Elche wetland. It is an easy hike for the whole family. The dam has the status of Bien de Interés Cultural. It has water discharges all year round.

Work on the dam began in 1632 and was completed within a few years under the direction of maestro Juaner del Temple. It is built in an arched shape, as the Romans did in Roman times. As this is the first dam since Roman times to be built according to this principle in Europe, it has great architectural and historical value. It is 23 meters high, 12 meters thick at the bottom and 9 meters thick at the top. The arched shape gives it extra strength against the force of the large masses of water.

The dam was originally built to prevent flooding in Elche when the Vinalopó River overflowed its banks during periods of heavy rain. It dammed a wetland area between the Sierra de Elche mountain range and the Loma de Castellar. The water collected could be channeled into canals and used to irrigate agricultural areas in the lowlands. These canals were part of an irrigation system that dates back to Roman times.

In 1923, a project was created to harness the waterfall for electrical power. Negotiations between private stakeholders and the authorities took place over a ten-year period, but the project was terminated in 1935, partly because it proved too expensive to upgrade all the elements necessary to be able to produce electricity there. Since then, the plant has been unused. A new attempt was made to extract electricity there in 2001, but this time too the plans had to be rejected because the job of restoring the plant would be far too large and expensive.

Abandoned power generation building

Instead, it was decided to carry out a major project to rehabilitate the nature along the Vinalopó river and the wetlands above the dam. The aim of the "Plan Integral de Regeneración Ambiental de la ladera del Vinalopó" was to create a long, continuous green corridor for recreation and sports that would unite the wetland above the Presa de Elche dam with the outlet of the river in the large wetland and nature conservation area of ​​El Hondo in Crevillente. This work began in 2007.

Path up to Presa de Elche by río Vinalopó

The pond and wetland above the dam have been rehabilitated and adapted to ensure that birds and animals can live there, while people can walk on walkways and paths around the wetland. Today, there is a rich birdlife both in the pond and in the reed forest. The population of both birds and mammals has increased significantly. A walkway/path has been made around the entire wetland so that you can take a round trip.

Floating walkway along the shores of el Pantano de Elche

Wetland area with reed forest at the end

Path through parts of the wetland area

Wetland with canal at the end

Canal with colonnade underneath

More excursions: www.turideer.com

Excursion of the week: Hike along the river and wetland to the dam - Embalse de Elche

Suitable for: All ages, but it is not possible to cross the dam with a stroller or wheelchair.

Length: The round trip from the parking lot up to the dam and further around the wetland and back to the parking lot along the river is 9.5 km. It is an easy hike with little incline that can also be done by children and the elderly.

Getting there: Type Aparcament Pantà d'Elx into Google Maps. This will take you straight to the car park for this recreational area. Follow the marked path up along the river, up the steps on the right side of the dam and around the pond and wetland and back along the river to the car park.

#Spain #English #Dam #Pond #Wetland #Elche