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Torrevieja is famous for its sunshine, beaches and distinctive pink salt lagoon, but behind this spectacular landscape lies one of the area’s most important and historic industries.
This season, Torrevieja’s saltworks are expected to harvest around 500,000 tonnes of salt, highlighting the enormous scale of an industry that has helped shape the town for generations.
Harvesting began in September, with approximately 350,000 tonnes of salt already in storage. These reserves form the huge white salt mountains that have become such a familiar sight around Torrevieja’s lagoon.
From Torrevieja to Spain and the Rest of Europe
Around half of this season’s production is expected to remain within Spain, while approximately 250,000 tonnes could be exported overseas.
European demand can vary considerably depending on the winter weather. During colder winters, greater quantities of salt are required to keep roads clear of snow and ice across northern and central Europe.
However, road maintenance is only one of its many uses. Torrevieja’s salt also supplies the food, fishing and chemical industries, making it an important product both nationally and internationally.
Large cargo ships regularly collect salt directly from Torrevieja’s dedicated salt dock, typically carrying between 6,000 and 13,000 tonnes at a time. Smaller specialist orders can also be transported in containers through Alicante.
Growing Demand in Spain
The Spanish market is becoming increasingly important, with domestic sales also expected to reach approximately 250,000 tonnes.
The company operating the saltworks continues to explore new industrial uses for Torrevieja salt, including markets that require particularly pure salt with very low magnesium levels.
Specialist equipment is used to further reduce magnesium content, potentially opening the door to new long-term industrial customers.
How Is Torrevieja’s Salt Actually Made?
One of the most fascinating things about Torrevieja's salt industry is the unusual way the salt is produced.
Unlike traditional coastal salt pans made up of numerous smaller ponds, Torrevieja’s huge pink lagoon remains filled with water. The salt crystallises beneath the surface before settling on the lagoon floor.
The process starts at the neighbouring La Mata lagoon, where seawater is naturally concentrated by the Spanish sunshine and wind.
The water begins with a salt concentration of around 30 grams per litre, increasing to approximately 120 grams per litrebefore flowing into the larger Torrevieja lagoon.
But seawater isn't the only source.
Brine also arrives from an underground rock-salt deposit at Pinoso, around 55 kilometres away. Water is pumped into the underground deposit, dissolving the salt before the resulting concentrated brine travels through a pipeline all the way to Torrevieja.
Once inside the lagoon, the salt concentration can reach approximately 300 grams per litre.
The salt then begins to crystallise and settle on the lagoon floor, gradually creating a layer of salt beneath the water.
Harvesting Salt From Beneath the Pink Lagoon
Once the salt crust reaches approximately five centimetres thick, specialist GPS-guided machinery moves across the lagoon and lifts the salt from the bottom.
The harvested salt is loaded onto small barges, each capable of carrying around seven tonnes. A tugboat then pulls groups of these barges across the lagoon towards the processing area.
Here, the salt receives its first wash to remove materials such as mud and gypsum.
A conveyor system then transports it towards the shore, where it is screened and thoroughly washed again.
Finally, the clean salt is stacked into the enormous white mountains that can be seen around the saltworks.
From here, it can be processed into different products before being transported to customers in Spain or loaded onto ships for export.
An Industry That Works With Nature
Despite the huge scale of the operation, nature remains at the heart of the production process.
Sunshine, wind and evaporation all play an essential role in increasing the concentration of the brine and allowing salt crystals to form.
Extraction currently focuses mainly on the eastern half of Torrevieja's lagoon, while another section is used to help warm and concentrate the brine.
Most of the operation continues throughout the year, with August traditionally used for maintenance. This is particularly important because machinery working around such highly concentrated salt water is constantly exposed to extremely corrosive conditions.
More Than Just Salt – A Growing Tourist Attraction
The saltworks have also become an increasingly popular attraction for visitors to Torrevieja.
Tourist visits were introduced in 2018 and now attract around 50,000 people, giving visitors the opportunity to discover an entirely different side of the town.
The popular tourist train is one of the best-known ways of exploring the saltworks, while walking tours, cycling experiences and other activities have also been introduced.
Tourism now represents approximately 5% of the salt company's business, demonstrating how Torrevieja's industrial heritage is becoming an attraction in its own right.
The Salt Lakes Are Part of Torrevieja's Identity
For residents and visitors, the pink lagoon is one of the most recognisable features of the Torrevieja landscape. But it is much more than a beautiful backdrop for photographs.
The saltworks remain a working industry, an important local employer, a tourist attraction and a fascinating part of Torrevieja's history and identity.
With around 500,000 tonnes of salt expected to be harvested this season, this centuries-old industry continues to play an important role in the local economy while supplying customers throughout Spain and across Europe.
It is another reminder that there is much more to life in Torrevieja than its beaches and sunshine – and that some of the area's most interesting stories can be found just a short distance inland from the Mediterranean coast.
