Which country is home to the oldest salt lakes in Europe?

The Spanish coastal resort of Torrevieja is home to an amazing feat of nature. As you drive into the town from Alicante airport you will pass between two salt lakes. Torrevieja lagoon is pink and is where salt is extracted while La Mata lagoon is green. The La Mata and Torrevieja natural park is a rich haven for flora and fauna. These salt lakes are also the reason why Torrevieja developed from a little fishing village to a working town in the 18th century.

The town’s fortunes turned around at the beginning of the 19th century when the then King of Spain, Carlos IV, ordered salt production to be transferred to the Torrevieja lake from the nearby La Mata lagoon. Torrevieja prospered and is now home to more than 100,000 residents, including many foreign expats who have set up home here.

The strange pink colour of the Torrevieja lagoon is caused by pigments of the Halobacterium bacteria which lives in extreme salty environments. This is also found in the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake. The colour is also caused by an alga called Dunadiella Salina, which is responsible for the bright red colour of the lake seen at certain times of the year. The Artemia Salina brine shrimp, which lives in the lake, is also red because it feeds on the bacteria. You will also see the flamingos turn a lovely shade of pink because they eat the shrimps.