Information displayed on the Ecosystem
Signs by the walkways
'Elche has some of the best presented dune
systems in the peninsula, stretching out on 8 out of it's 9
kilometres of coast. Most of them are Sites of Community Interest
(SCI'S), and the beaches and dunes of El Altet, Arenales and
Carabassi are part of the local nature Site of Galvony.
For this reason, the Ministry of the Environment,
by means of the Regional Coastal Service and upon request of
Elche City Council, has taken important actions in order to
ensure the upkeep of this unique ecosystem as well as an easy
and comfortable access to the beaches for those who wish to
bathe in the warm waters of the Mediteranean or comtemplate
an extraordinary landscape with a unique flora and fauna.
Help us maintain them by avoiding to walk
among the dunes other than on the designated areas and you will
bear witness of how the landscape becomes more attractive and
richer in flora and fauna.
The beaches and dunes of Arenales and Carabassi
offer a wonderful example of the dune ecosystem. In these places,
we find broad beaches followed by small embryo dunes that turn
to semi-fixed dunes with a great variety of flora species. At
the end there are dunes fixed by the presence of large bushes
and trees.
The sand accumulating on the dunes constitutes
a natural reserve to replace that of the beach, which is swallowed
by the sea during storms, meaning that if dunes disappear, beaches
will also disappear.
As you walk on the walkways, you will be able
to witness the development of the different types of dunes from
a vantage position. The walkways have been especially designed
not to get in the way of the wind as it transports the sand
deposited on the beach and on the dunes.'
