Four kilometers from the coast village Villajoyosa on the Costa Blanca (CV-770 towards Orxeta) you will find a dam worth a visit.
It is the river called Rio Amadorio that is dammed up. The dam construction has a length of 318 meters and a height of sixty-three meters.
From the top of the dam construction, you have a beautiful view of the lake and the mountains. Here you can see carp fishes and turtles in the surface of the water below.
The construction of the dam was started in 1947 and was finished in 1957. It supplies both Benidorm and Villajoyosa with drinking water.
Originally it was possible to drive a car from the east side of the river, over the dam and into the valley on the west side. Now the road is closed to car traffic, but open to pedestrians.
Before and after the dam, you must go through a short tunnel.
From the viewpoint in the tunnel you get a good picture of the dam. The two silos on the other side were used for production of cement during the dam construction.
Just behind the silos are the remains of an old rainwater storage chamber.
The water level in the dam can vary throughout the year. Since this area has more than three hundred days of sunshine a year, it is necessary to collect water from the mountains.
The small amount of rain during the summer months often comes in the form of heavy, short-lived rainfall that does not add much to the water pool.
Therefore, some years the river will be completely dry and most of the water supply will have been used up.
Around the lake you will find plants such as juniper, rosemary, and oleander, and you will find different reptiles and amphibians. For this little turtle, the drought became too much.
During periods of drought when the water level drops, previous settlements appear again.
This old bridge is usually well hidden by water. It can be used to cross the lake when the water level is extremely low.
In the areas around the lake there are fox, wild boar, squirrel, and rabbit.
On the other side of the lake, you can see the mountain areas where Orxeta and Sella are located.
In an area along the lake, you will find a small forest with only dead, withered trees.
At the dam near the parking spot, a nice recreation area with benches and vantage points has been created.
Here you can have a meal while the kids play, or just enjoy the silence and nature.
It is possible to walk around the lake, but the road back on the other side is busy and not so safe for pedestrians.
Therefore, you should turn around when you feel that you have gone far enough and return the same way as you came.
Excursion of the Week: the dam called Embalse de Amadorio
Duration: You decide how far you want to go.
Suitable for: A wheelchair and stroller can be used, but then you will not come down to the water.
Get there: Take the CV-770 from Villajoyosa towards Orxeta. Turn left after 3-4 kilometers and follow signs for Embalse de Amadorio. Park in the parking lot at the recreation facility. Go a couple of hundred meter back and pass through the small tunnel over to the dam. Then follow the road across the dam, through a new tunnel and continue until you encounter a path on the right side of the road. Follow the path as far as you want to go. It will eventually end up in a road that leads down to a residential area and further to the bridge over the river leading to the CV-770 which you can follow back again to the starting point if you wish. If you choose to walk around the water, you should calculate 4-5 hours.
More ideas for excursions? Go to: www.turideer.no.