This beautiful tourist route leads you over cliffs, past the lighthouse of Albir, gives you an insight into the history of soldiers and gives a glimpse into the life of the Romans.
The municipality of Alfàs del Pi, in the province of Alicante, has set out a tourist route of 13 kilometres running through the six areas that have been awarded the Centro Azul recognition. The route has eight stops and takes you through places to get to know some of the local heritage.
Six areas have received the European environmental certificate from ADEAC, the association for environmental and consumer education. Those are the environmental interpretation centre of Albir Lighthouse; the Environmental and Landscape Interpretation Centre ‘Los Carrascos’; the environmental interpretation centre ‘La Antigua Cantera’; the environmental education centre ‘Los Carabineros’; the open-air museum Villa Romana de l’Albir and the Escoles Velles cultural space.
Route raises awareness of heritage
Mayor Vicente Arques of L’Alfàs del Pi explained that it is the European municipality with the most Blue Centres. The new tourist gives more publicity to this. Blue centres are areas of high heritage value that were in a state of disrepair and totally abandoned. Now they are an example for other municipalities, such as the first lighthouse in the Valencian Community, or the first Open Air Museum Villa Romana de Albir.
As part of this ongoing effort to restore, preserve and disseminate the natural heritage, l’Alfàs del Pi will host the 2nd International Blue Flag Congress ‘Sustainability, Health and Safety’. This will be held on October 22, 23 and 24 this year.
More about the Blue Centres
The interpretation centre of the L’Albir lighthouse has been a Blue Centre since 2013. Also in that year, the Albir Lighthouse Route was added to the list. In 2017, the CEA Carabineros was also added to the list of Blue Centres. The extensive renovation of a historic building in l’Alfàs that had fallen into disuse gave it a new lease of life as an Environmental Education Centre. It is now a space from which environmental awareness, attitudes and values towards the environment can be transmitted. The barracks of the Carabineros de l’Albir were built in 1829, the same year in which the Royal Corps of Coast and Border Guards was created.
A year later, CIPM Los Carrascos also received the recognition. This 11,000 m² plot is home to more than 200 plant species. It is one of the forest areas with the highest concentration of native plants on public display. It is also an example for the conservation of wild flora in the region. In 2020, the Centro de Interpretación Medioambiental la Antigua Cantera de l’Albir became a Blue Centre. It is a recreational and sustainable area in the Serra Gelada Natural Park. In addition, the Villa Romana de l’Albir Open Air Museum was granted the status of Blue Centre in 2021. Finally, in 2023, the Espai Cultural Escoles Velles was added. The building was empty for years but now serves as a centre for cultural and environmental initiatives. In addition, it is a tourist information point that is part of the Tourist Information Network of the Valencian Community. This completes the tourist route.