Parc Natural de Las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja

Spectacular view, if you are lucky enough to see a sunset here. The water is not deep at all, but if you go into the water barefoot, your feet get cuts and the salt will make sure you regret not preparing well enough. Beware! 😊

I visited Parc Natural de la Mata in January 2024, and it was one of the main highlights of my trip to Torrevieja – though getting there was an adventure in itself! 😭 After seeing photos on social media of the famous pink salt lake with flamingos, I was incredibly excited to visit. On Google Maps it appeared to be a 45-minute walk from where I was staying, which I thought would be fine under the mild Spanish winter sun. How wrong I was – and honestly, what on earth is going on with Google Maps? 😩 My route ended up taking me along the edge of busy highways 😱 over a rather nerve-wracking bridge 😱 and through areas that really didn’t feel pedestrian-friendly. After surviving that stretch, I passed through some residential streets, only to find the green verge leading up to the park rather spoilt by an unfortunate abundance of dog mess 💩 Not the most charming welcome 👎 But once I actually entered the park, all was forgiven. Parc Natural de la Mata is a haven for wildlife, especially migratory birds, and the landscape here is wonderfully expansive – wide open stretches of wild vegetation, serene walking trails, and views that feel both raw and peaceful 💕 While the famous lake had only a blush of pink during my winter visit, and there were no flamingos in sight, I later learnt that the vibrant pink hues are at their strongest in summer, and flamingos are more likely to be present. Even without those Insta-perfect touches, the scenery was unique and captivating, unlike any other nature reserve I’ve visited. If you’re visiting Torrevieja, Parc Natural de la Mata is absolutely worth seeing – but if you’re not driving, I’d strongly recommend researching the safest walking or cycling route, or arranging a taxi, to avoid my “highway-hopping” experience. 😭 Come in summer if you want the pink lake and flamingos, but at any time of year, the park’s natural beauty makes it a place to remember.

Nice walking paths, view points, beautiful views, su ny and shady paths, parking lot.

Very helpful lady in the small visitor centre. 3 signed walks, ranging from 30mins to 3 hours and a cycle route. We took the yellow route along a mixture of open paths and tree-shaded paths. There are a number of hides and observation decks.

Lovely naturaul park. A great walk from our Villa to a cold beer on the beach at La Mata. The squirrels are beautiful and will come on to your hand or shoulder if you have natural peanuts.

This is a lovely bird reserve with points where you can quietly watch the wild life across the salt lake. There are 2 paths to follow. One is 3.5 km and the other about 4 or 5 km. However, the signposting is really poor and it's difficult to know which walk you're on. Also, the walks aren't cicular so you end up walking out and then back on yourself. Both points distracted from the pleasure of our afternoon unfortunately.

Beautiful to wonder around. You couldn't get near the water as it's fenced off. Understand this is to protect the wild life but we would have liked to get a little closer.

It's a nice stroll if the sun is not strong that day, otherwise not. There is shade just at the end of the trail, maybe 20 minutes walking from the parking lot. All of this would not matter if you'd be close to the flamingos. The watchtower is far away so you will just be able to identify them as flamingos, not more. If you have binoculars it may be worth a visit.