Why the lake is pink
The pink lake (Laguna Rosa) is the Torrevieja lagoon, about 1,400 ha. Together with La Mata lagoon (about 700 ha) it forms the Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja Natural Park: 3,700 ha across Torrevieja, Guardamar del Segura, Los Montesinos and Rojales, according to the Generalitat’s natural parks website. The lagoons are joined by a canal and linked to the sea by the Acequión channel. According to the tourist office, the pink colour comes from the high salinity and the microorganisms Dunaliella salina and Artemia salina. It is also a working salt works: La Mata acts as the warming and concentration basin, while salt crystallises and is harvested in the Torrevieja lagoon — around half a million tonnes a year.
How to visit the pink lake
According to Torrevieja’s tourist office, the pink lake can only be visited on the tourist train, to protect the environment. It is both a protected park and a working industrial site, so access conditions depend on the type of visit. Timetables, prices and bookings for the train and salt works tours are on visitasalinasdetorrevieja.com, which the tourist office links to; the site belongs to the salt company Salins.
What is not allowed
- Bathing in the lagoons is prohibited — both the tourist office and the GVA say so. Do not go right up to the lagoon shore.
- You may not enter restricted areas, take salt, plants or other natural items, or disturb wildlife; watch birds from a distance.
- Dogs must be kept on a lead and you must clean up after them. Paths are for walkers and cyclists; quads and motorbikes are banned, and you may not ride a bike or horse on the boardwalk.
- Camping and parking motorhomes inside the park are not allowed; groups of more than 15 people must notify the visitor centre.
The town hall’s free eco-routes
From February to November 2026 the town hall’s tourism department runs free guided walks in the La Mata lagoon park and the Molino del Agua natural area. You must book, no more than three weeks ahead: online form on the tourist office website, tel. 965 703 433, or in person at Tourist Info (Paseo Vista Alegre, s/n). Walks are in Spanish and English; in the park up to 50 people, about 3.5 hours, usually 10:00–13:30; at Molino del Agua up to 25 people, an hour and a half, at 10:00 and 12:00. In summer there are night walks.
| Route | Remaining 2026 dates |
|---|---|
| General: “The lagoon’s great secret” | 1 November |
| Birdwatching: “The park’s birds” | 21 November |
The park visitor centre
The GVA centre is in the former forest ranger’s house in La Mata, about 400 m from the N-332 road (km 64.5), reached by a paved road. It is open every day, including weekends and holidays, 9:00–14:00; closed on 1 and 6 January and 24, 25 and 31 December. Tel. 965 721 650 or 679 195 888, parque_lamata@gva.es. The La Mata lagoon has marked trails and viewing points for flamingos, avocets and black-winged stilts.