In serach of a pink logoon, Torrevieja

Did you know that Spain has a pink lake?

Torrevieja Pink Lake also known as Laguna Salada de Torrevieja or Laguna Rosa de Torrevieja is one the few lagoons around the world that have this  colouration ….

It only took one photo on Instagram  of a girl floating in what appeared to be a pond of lush strawberry(ish) milkshake to immediately start questioning ourselves :

How on earth Spain has a pink lake and I had no idea of its existence?

It took even less time searching on the internet to discover that this strawberry milkshake coloured lagoon existed in Spain and was only a few Km away, it was one of the lagoons of the Natural Park de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja.

Visiting Torrevieja Pink Lake was now high on the list of things to Tick off on our winter  road trip we through Spain.

So a suitable parking plot for our little Volkswagon T5 camper was selected and off we drove ….

While doing our research about this spot, we found  very little apart from amazing photos, but we did stumble across a couple of articles about the benefits of bathing in this pond, although on arrival it had lots and i mean lots of signs say ‘no bathing’

In addition to the beneficial effects that the high salinity of the water can have, the black muds that are in the vicinity of the lake are also a great attraction due to its therapeutic properties apprently.

warning we have not altered any of the pictures – so please don’t be too dissapointed !

Although we desperatly wanted to try out the benifits of this amazing natural place, we did encouter two problems a) its the depths of winter and b)signs ! – We could have simply ignored the signs, perpetuating the idea that swimming in these salt lakes is normal. However, as travel bloggers, we think it’s important to share with you beautiful places and hidden gems. But also talk about the importance of preserving these places for the next generation.

So Why is the water pink?

The unusual pink water colouration results (or at this time of the year a brownish) from the presence of pigments in an unusual type of bacteria called halobacteria, which survive in extreme environments. These Halobacteria have on their membrane a protein called bacteriorhodopsin.

Single-celled algae, Dunaliella salina, also play an important role in the pink/reddish coloration of the pond and Artemia saline crustaceans acquire a pink coloration by feeding on these halobacteria.

Another internet serach showed there was a simple way to get to the lake , at any time of the day, just go to the El Hondo urbanization, click here for Google Maps to guide you.

When you arrive at El Hondo urbanisation, it won´t be hard to see the fence and the pink lake.

There were several holes in the fence, which made us start worrying if this wouldn´t be a legal and safe access to the lagoon. But at the end of the fence there is a a nice little path into the park.

ok its not as pink as the Instagram pictures but still its got to be one of the wonders of Spain ?

Paul.