Torrevieja Pink Lake in Spain: Discover Las Salinas de Torrevieja

Among its hidden gems, Spain is home to a beautiful pink lake that not many people know about. I stumbled upon Torrevieja pink lake by chance when I was planning my Alicante itinerary, so I had to see it myself. And now, I am sharing the detailed guide on how to get there and everything you need to know before embarking on a journey. 

Understanding Torrevieja pink lake

Laguna Salada de Torrevieja or Laguna Rosa de Torrevieja is a salt lake located on the northwestern edge of the Costa Blanca region, near the small seaside town Torrevieja. 

Apart from the pink lake, Torrevieja is home to a green lake nestled nearby the pink one. Together, these two lakes form Las Salinas de Torrevieja, or the Salty Lakes of Torrevieja, and are part of the Natural Park de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja. However, don’t get too excited; unfortunately, the green one doesn’t stand out as much as the pink one. It has a tint of green color, but not that eye-catching. 

So why is water pink? The water got the bubblegum hue pink color from a natural process of bacteria and algae. The so-called salt bacterium, or Halobacterium, and micro-algae (Dunaliella Salina) flourish in salty water and similar places, giving the lake its strawberry milkshake color. Despite its unusual color, the water is absolutely fine. It’s very salty and can sometimes smell. 

Salt production

The town of Torrevieja depends on its salt lakes. Locals obtained the mineral from Las Salinas de Torrevieja for centuries. At the beginning of the 19th century, the town officially became a center for the country’s salt industry. 

Apart from increasing the city’s economy, the Laguna Salada de Torrevieja also functions as a natural spa. Apparently, the residue of mud and salt at the bottom have healing characteristics and can help respiratory diseases and common skin problems. 

Can you swim in Torrevieja salt lakes?

Swimming in Torrevieja salt lakes is prohibited, although there are people who do swim despite signs. I have read in various blogs and even watched YouTube videos where people go for a dip. The reason for this is that salt exploration and production are still running in Torrevieja pink lake. Moreover, as it’s part of a Natural Park, it’s essential to preserve the ecosystem of these lagoons and their unique flora and fauna. 

That being said, public access to the salty lakes and the natural park is allowed, but remember to minimize your presence and interaction. 

If caught by the environmental agents or civil guard, you might get fined a large sum, something around 6000 Euros. When I visited the Torrevieja pink lake, we dipped our toes and walked no more than a meter from the shore to take some photos and left the premises. My friends and I didn’t want to risk being caught and care about the environment, even though it was very appealing to take a relaxing swim in the Torrevieja salt lakes. 

Torrevieja pink lake: essential information

If you want to learn more about the Las Salinas de Torrevieja, you can pay a visit to the Visitor Center, Centro de interpretación Parque Natural la Mata Torrevieja, to learn more about the salt production. 

The center is open from Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 2 pm; on weekends and public holidays from 9 am to 1 pm. It is closed on the following dates: January 1 and 6, December 24, 25, and 31. 

Alternatively, you can visit the Sea and Salt Museum or Museo del Mar y de la Sal, located in Torrevieja town. Opened in 1995, the museum gives a glimpse of the areas’ salt production and the complex relationship of town with sea and salt. It showcases Torrevieja’s traditions and customs from an early stage when it still was a small fisherman’s village. 

The museum displays old photographs, gorgeous buildings and ships made from salt, and an old salt port model. The Sea and Salt Museum is definitely an interesting place to explore if you like unique venues. As the museum is relatively small, you won’t need more than 30-40 minutes to see it all. Plus, it’s FREE to enter. 

Apparently, flamingos also frequent the Torrevieja pink lake to feast on algae-filled shrimp that live in the lake. Even though I would have loved to see the flamingos matching the lake’s color, the best time to do so is their breeding season, i.e., March, April, and May. Around 2000 flamingos fly here to feed and rest. 

If you decide to tip-toe in the pink salt lake, bring an extra bottle of water to wash off the salt from your feet. Once the water dries on your skin, you’ll have a sandy-looking residue from the salty left. 

How to get to salt lakes Torrevieja

Visiting salt lakes Torrevieja is possible both by a rental car and using public transportation. The best and the most convenient way would be to rent a car and visit it as a day trip from Alicante. 

If you decide to take public transport, you’ll need to walk a fair amount of kilometers to get to the lakes’ entrance. Frequent busses run from Alicante to Torrevieja, or from other nearby towns.  

Alicante Torrevieja bus departs from Alicante bus station and arrives in Torrevieja station every day starting from 6:45 am to 10:15 pm. The journey takes around one hour, and the ticket costs 4,65 Euros one way. 

Buses from Torrevieja to Alicante also run daily from 6:45 am to 9 pm.

When visiting Torrevieja pink lake, consider that the territory is fenced, but there are a couple of openings to enter and get closer to the lagoon. These openings can be close or far from each other. 

The entrance Google Maps showed had bushes preventing us from getting closer. So we drove to Calle Munera and Via Verde de Torrevieja. We walked on a dirt road for a few meters to get to the water to dip our toes inside. 

The shore here was not as sandy-like as I have seen in the pictures, but it was pretty enough to take a couple of pictures. 

Find other possible entrances from Calle Venus by walking down about 50 meters to the water or from Calle Sol. I believe these are the most common areas to get to salt lakes in Torrevieja, so we drove a bit further to be on the safe side. 

What to expect from Torrevieja pink lake

The lake is truly pink, but you only notice its strawberry milkshake color once you get very close to the lagoon. It’s not very vibrant pink, as it’s shown in the pictures. Full disclosure, I have increased pink hues for a bit in my pictures. Or maybe it didn’t look vibrant when we visited it even though it was a sunny day with a clear blue sky.  

I have also read that, during the wind and cloudy day, the pink water color turns somewhat brownish. I can only imagine how stunning the pink lake would be during the sunset with a reflection of the pastel-color sky in the lagoon. 

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To ease your travel planning, check out all the posts about Spain travel. Additionally, here are some of the websites and services I use when preparing for my next adventure anywhere in the world.

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