Archaeology and territory

ROUTE 2. ARCHAEOLOGY AND TERRITORY

Distance: 20 km cycling. (You can also walk)
Time needed: 3hr 3min

This is the longest and most complete included in Guardamar Council Cultural Routes known as The Memoirs of Sands. You will visit the most interesting archaeological sites and discover the different resources in our environment.

Go to the MAG (Guardamar Archaeological Museum), where you will receive all the necessary information to understand the historical and cultural evolution of Guardamar’s archaeological heritage. Receive the description of the environment to make it easier for you to understand the route you’ve just started. In the museum rooms see the objects discovered in the sites you’ll be visiting.

Cross the town and climb to Guardamar Castle Hill. From this landmark enjoy the view of the Lower Segura River District, the surrounding mountain ranges, the island of Tabarca and some important peaks north of Alicante. This fantastic view of the territory is what attracted so many settlers to the hilltop throughout history: Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans and Muslims left their mark here. However, the Christian town and citadel built here in the Middle Ages left more information. Little is left in sight since the 1829 earthquakes fully destroyed all the vestiges of the town and its fortress, with only the Bulwark Tower still standing.  

After surrounding the castle, descend the slope opposite to the one you climbed before and head towards the river. You’ll soon find the three heritage resources linked to historical and social use of water, from the founding of the town of Guardamar by Alfonso X the Wise, in the late 13th century, to the present time. The most significant, undoubtedly, is the Sant Antoni mill and canal from the 14th-20th centuries, a hydraulic complex consisting of a flour mill and a diversion weir, to which it is historically and structurally linked.

Cross the old river bed using the Iron Bridge, the heir of an older 18th century stone bridge, which linked the town to its farming district. This is an important piece of early 20th century industrial engineering.

Finally, leaning on a wooden bridge, look at a construction in the river itself known as the Levante Company Gates and Irrigation canal. This is a group built in 1923 and inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII, on that same year. It was built to use the surplus remaining River Segura waters at its mouth It is another major early 20th century work of industrial engineering.

From here move on to the preserved section of the traditional meander formed by the River Segura before flowing to the sea. Walk along the winding route which, after crossing another wooden bridge, leads you to the next stop. Climb to the Phoenician site known as Cabeço Petit de l’Estany (The Little Hill over the Pond), an exceptional fortress of casemates or chambers from the 8th-6th c. BC. It is an important milestone to understand the Phoenician colonisation of the Mediterranean.

The next section comprises a rugged circuit that gives access to La Pipa (The Pipe), another early 20th century work of engineering. It is linked to the Levante Company gates visited before. It was also probably inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII.

Walk along the hilly route and  border the protected area known as ”The Americans’ Tower”, built in 1962 in the middle of the “Cold War” by the American Army within the framework of cooperation agreements between Spain and the United States. Peaking at 375 metres, it is the highest military structure in Europe and the tallest human construction in Spain.

Follow the crest of Montcaio Hill till you reach a point with quite a few trenches built to defend the Republican zone located in the “Cartagena Front”, during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Although they were never used, their purpose was to strengthen the coastal area against a possible landing of the National troops.

In Guardamar district, the advanced position resistance line started in the coastal dunes, between Guardamar town and the beach. After that, a second resistance line was made up of these trenches, the ones in La Rabosa Hills and the ones found on the Cabeço Petit de l’Estany (The Little Hill over the Pond).

Then, descend and  cross the National N-332 Road and head to the following archaeological sites included in our route. These are coastal sites related to trade and the exploitation of maritime resources such as salt, fish and other related products. It is known as the Montcaio site, with three different phases: Roman, Late Roman and Islamic ranging from the 1st century B.C. to the 11th century A.D.

After visiting this historic enclave located on Montcaio Beach, go back to the N-332 Road and the town can be reached on the annex bike path. Cross Guardamar town and head for the King Alfonso XIII Park. Your last stop will be at the forest’s Old Nursery. The group found here is made up of: the nursery itself, traditionally used to supply the forest with trees and shrubs, the Forest House, a property traditionally used as housing for forest guards and a covered cistern with a barrel vault collecting rainwater for drinking water or the nursery’s irrigation system. There is also another 1945 stone bust  sculpture of Francisco Mira.

Inside this magnificent city forest park the route to the next stop is about a kilometer long. This will enable you to see how the reforestation of the sand dune system was carried out. The main species are Aleppo and stone pines and, to a lesser extent, eucalyptus and palm trees.

Once you reach the fenced enclosure, have a glimpse at the two sites which were hidden by the sands: the Islamic Umayyada Caliphate Ribat, from the 10th-11th c. AD, and the Phoenician city of La Fonteta, from the 8th-6th c. BC. These two superb archaeological sites confirm the historical relevance Guardamar throughout history, due to its strategic location controlling access to the River Segura and the variety of environmental resources found in the area.

The route ends in the Engineer Mira House Museum (Tourist Office) where you’ll be acquainted to a key person in Guardamar’s recent history, Engineer Francisco Mira Botella. A detailed explanation of the Guardamar Reforestation Project is on show, making you fully understand the history of the human made nature you’ve just witnessed.