This May, the MACMA team put our backpacks on and went to explore some landscapes, natural parks, capes, caves and marshes of the Marina Alta. This experience is designed to be done by car, motorbike or bicycle and discover the birds of the region in a different way. An itinerary that combines the landscapes and their fauna with the culture, heritage and gastronomy of our region. 

As the experience progresses, we will reveal the history and curiosities of the towns and landscapes we have visited on this excursion, we hope you enjoy it a lot.

A LITTLE HISTORY. We know where we come from to decide where we are going.

Marina Alta is an ideal place for birds. The good climate and the variety of landscapes and habitats of the Valencian Community mean that many birds use it, whether to breed, spend the winter or as a stopover during migrations to Africa or back to northern Europe. Specifically, the Marina Alta region is a preferred stopover for these flocks of birds. In Marina Alta, 258 species of resident, summer or wintering birds coexist, in addition to 34 that have an accidental presence (292 in total). A very high number if we consider that in the entire state there are 638 catalogued birds.

Our region has traditionally been a place of passage or temporary stopover, but for some species it is increasingly becoming, due to climate change, the definitive place chosen to spend the winter. On the other hand, and also due to global warming, other species such as thrushes, which used to migrate to Valencia to spend the winter, now stay in France where the climate is already quite temperate. 

Why do humans observe birds?

As we well know, the scientific discipline that studies birds is ornithology. But without being scientists, the human species has always found pleasure in bird watching. 

This is now called birdwatching, an increasingly consolidated activity that focuses on the contemplation and study of wild birds. It is a hobby that tries to recognize birds based on their color, plumage or song. There are people who make lists of the birds they have seen or the nests they have found but always from a leisure point of view, as a way to enrich their excursions and walks.

This practice attracts many enthusiasts and experts from other countries who come here looking for these unique species and which generate considerable economic wealth, still little explored. Although this bird watching tourism is respectful of Nature and, therefore, very positive, the activity should not be conceived only as entertainment or a curiosity. Bird watching has always been done and for various reasons.

Birds have been a source of inspiration for legends, literary stories and mechanical inventions (airplanes would not exist without having previously observed how birds stay in the air), but above all they have been a source of information about the climate, meteorological phenomena, crops... Birds are, definitively and primarily, an indispensable biometric indicator and an excellent remedy against insect pests.

In any case, you don't need to be an expert ornithologist to easily spot some of the most common species. Equipped with good binoculars, you can go alone, with friends or even with children and observe some species by following the routes that we propose below. 

Before that, however, take note of these recommendations that will allow you to enjoy your experience to the fullest:

• Morning! To go birdwatching you have to get up early. Birds are most active first thing in the morning and that's when you'll find them most easily.
• Prepare well! Map and route, either on paper or on your mobile, but always with a defined route thought out from the beginning. Bring food and drink, sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent (essential if you are going to humid areas), comfortable clothes and shoes.
• Bring binoculars and a good camera! The birds won't let you get too close, so you'll need to keep your distance (and be patient) if you want to observe them in detail. Binoculars and a camera with a good lens can be very useful.
• Respect the environment! Plants and other animals of course, but also private properties that you come across. A field of orange trees, vineyards or any other crop belongs to a farmer, and if you want a piece of fruit, he will surely give it to you if you ask him, but you don't take it.

PROPOSED DAYS. Step by step we are making our way.

It is important to note that the dawn and morning hours are the best for bird watching, so we recommend that you do these routes in the mornings as much as possible. That way, after each observation, you can stay for lunch and walk around the nearby towns, about which you have enough information on our website  Descobrir la Marina Alta.

You will find data and photographs of all the species we mention in this book , published in 2024 and which constitutes an exhaustive catalog of the avifauna of our region.

Sea route

1- Beaches of Almadrava - Les Marines - Les Rotes - Cap de Sant Antoni. 

The route begins among the stones and dunes of the  Almadrava beach , observing the Corsican gull, an exclusive species of the Mediterranean, recognizable by its red beak and gray legs and which you will also find on the  Marines beach , about 7 km away along the CV-730. Also among the dunes of our beaches nests the black-footed gull, subject to special protection by the authorities, who sometimes seal off certain areas to preserve the viability of this and other threatened species.

Continuing along the CV-7361 you will reach the coast of  Les Rotes , the main refuge of the sea otter, which is becoming more numerous every day. This species fishes during the day along the 20 kilometers of the coast of Dénia, and concentrates to sleep on the coast of Les Rotes and on the cliffs. 

One of its prey is the corbellot, a species that arrives during the month of February and returns to Africa at the end of August. It only touches land during the breeding period, and sleeps in the air at night. It has an important breeding colony in the Cova Tallada, a good place also for lovers of water sports.

From there it continues on to reach  Cap de Sant Antoni , which is a very important migratory stopover area. From mid-September to mid-March, some species such as the gannet and the black-backed guillemot come from their breeding colonies located in northern Europe to spend the autumn and winter months, fleeing the cold and rain of the North Atlantic.

If you have brought a sandwich or a lunchbox, this is the time to sit down and let yourself be carried away by the natural beauty of one of the most emblematic viewpoints of the Marina Alta. The Cape of Sant Antoni has been immortalized in numerous photographs and paintings.  Joaquin Sorolla captured this beauty in many of his paintings and sitting there you will understand this fascination.

2 - Cap de Sant Antoni - Cap de la Nau - Penyal d'Ifac.

We suggest you leave the  Cap de Sant Antoni , leaving its lighthouse with its endless views to reach the  Natural Park of Penyal d'Ifac , declared as such in 1987 and where some 80 different species of birds are mentioned, including nesting, migratory and wandering birds. The presence of the queen's falcon, the plumed cormorant and the variable tern stands out. The peregrine falcon, the pale falcon and the Mediterranean herring gull nest there.

Although you can take the national road to get there faster, we suggest taking the local roads (CV-7361, CV-734, CV-740, CV-741 and CV-7471), in order to enjoy the landscape along a one-hour and fifteen-minute journey, with incredible views and viewpoints, such as that of  Cap de la Nau , where it is worth stopping.

In winter it is easy to observe the guillemot, the tern and different species of shearwaters, such as the grey heron, which only comes ashore to nest and, after the breeding period, migrates to the Atlantic until March. The Balearic shearwater is endemic to the Islands, the largest breeding colony of which is located in Formentera. Both species are concentrated in large numbers, forming the so-called pools, where hundreds of specimens can be observed on the south coast of Dénia.

The shag has been a resident and nesting species since 2006. Currently, its nesting population consists of about twenty pairs, constituting, therefore, the largest colony in the entire Valencian Community. Some specimens of fulmars also live on the cliffs near Cap de Sant Antoni, but their elusive nature makes it difficult to spot them. On the other hand, the common gull is the most abundant species in the area and we can observe how its plumage changes, in winter with a black spot behind the eye and the nuptial, in spring, with a completely black head.

Dirt route

This route can be done in a single day, since our intention is simply to observe the birds that you will encounter along the way. However, we have divided the route into two parts, in case you want to stop for  a bite to eat or visit some of the  towns, museums, and natural sites that you will pass through.

1- Orba - la Vall de Laguar  - la Vall d'Ebo - la Vall d'Alcalà - Castell de Castells
2- Castell de Castells - Serra de Bèrnia

The first part of the itinerary will take you deep into our region. We will take a route through the valleys of the Marina Alta, looking for birds common in all of them.
Start your route in  Orba , gateway to the  Vall de Laguar if you take the CV-720 road. After passing the  Vall d'Ebo , a landscape greatly affected by fires, but which is beginning to recover largely thanks to the birds, go into the  Vall d'Alcalà along the CV-712, and observe not only the sky, but the vegetation and the cliffs, since there you will find several types of birds.

Take the CV-720 again to reach the town of  Castell de Castells where we recommend that you pay special attention to the  Municipal Natural Park of Els Arcs to try to see one of the most iconic and widespread birds in the Marina Alta, the robin. 

Now is the time to stop for breakfast and gain strength, before starting the second part of the route, which leaves Castell de Castells and reaches the Serra de Bèrnia, a place shared between the Marina Alta and the Marina Baixa, with a very rich ecosystem with very interesting  hiking proposals . If you are interested in the history of our region, we recommend you visit the  Fort de Bèrnia , which dates back to the 16th century and was built to fight against the Barbary pirates.

All along the route, from the beginning to the end, you will find places and viewpoints to stop and if you are lucky you will catch a glimpse of some, from magnificent specimens of the Bonelli's Eagle, of which there are only a few pairs left inland, to the small common pine warbler, a small bird that inhabits coniferous forests and can be found in the region during the winter, especially in mountainous areas.

Birds do not understand municipal boundaries or borders, only ecosystems and natural habitats. Therefore, we will be able to see many resident species that will accompany us all along the way, such as the red-breasted warbler or the solitaire, whose males are easily distinguishable by their intense blue color and which feeds on insects and small vertebrates, such as lizards. 

Also the peregrine falcon that takes advantage of the abundance of ornithological prey to feed its chicks. It only hunts in the air, after a spectacular dive at high speed and breeds on cliffs and cliffs, while the common kestrel is a small falcon that frequents open areas and agricultural land. The tawny owl is a large owl that inhabits mountain areas and can be found on the cliffs of the region. It is one of the most impressive nocturnal raptors, so it is difficult for you to see it during the day, but if you decide  to spend the night there you may have the opportunity.

Another species that we can find on our way is the golden eagle, impressive for its size, and which is found in mountainous areas, especially in nearby natural parks such as the  Serra de Bèrnia .

We recommend that you bring a notebook with photographs of the different birds and their basic features, so that when you see them you will know how to distinguish them and you can create your own birdwatching list. This activity can be ideal to do with children, who will surely get excited filling out their notebook and listing their discoveries.

Wetlands and marshes route

1 - Marjal de Pego - Oliva - Parc Natural del Montgó - Marjal del Senillar - les Salines de Calp

Wetlands, marshes and fens are very important ecosystems for maintaining freshwater inland. In these types of habitats you will find birds such as the marsh grebe, a bird of prey also called the voltonera kite. Another typical species of humid environments with calm waters is the horned coot, a gryphon bird included in the list of protected species, with a risk of survival given that it can be confused with the common coot, the hunting of which is permitted.

If you are lucky during the route we propose, you will also see the blue grebe, as it is found in areas of calm water where it catches its prey with a harpoon-shaped beak. The carob martin is also found in wetlands and areas of calm water, such as in areas near rivers and lagoons.

Also impressive is the common flamingo that can sometimes be found in the salt marshes and marshes near the coast, such as the Pego-Oliva marshes. Its presence, although not too frequent, does not go unnoticed, since it is a large bird that groups itself in colonies formed by numerous individuals.

We will begin the route by visiting the  Marjal de Pego-Oliva Natural Park , a natural space on the border between Marina Alta and Safor of great natural richness, especially due to the more than two hundred and fifty species of birds that have it as a habitat. It is a unique place due to its geographical location and for offering various sources of food to birds, both resident and migratory, both in its waters and in the vegetation.

Bird watching requires patience, but in the Marjal de Pego-Oliva we can even see ospreys thanks to the  reintroduction work that is being carried out.

Leaving the Marjal de Pego-Oliva behind, we will take the CV-678, the N-332 and the CV-743 to reach the  Montgó Natural Park , where waterfowl also nest and which also offers countless interesting routes. A little further south, following the CV-7361, CV-734 and CV-740 and CV-737 roads, we reach the  Marjal del Senillar , in the municipality of Moraira, declared a Wildlife Reserve in 2004 and a preferred habitat area for the mallard duck and the reed warbler.

We will end our tour in  Les Salines de Calp at the foot of the Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park and where the presence of flamingos and sandpipers stands out. There we can visit the Les Salines Bird Observatory , an interpretation center where we will find information about these species and their ecosystem.

Urban route

Finally, if you can't leave the city or don't have enough time to go on an excursion, don't think you'll be left without bird watching, since in parks, gardens and ports you can also find birds adapted to urban life.

The first thing that comes to mind is the common house sparrow, one of the best-known species and which you can see moving fearlessly among humans, on terraces and parks. Don't forget to look at the familiar barn swallow, with its bowl-shaped mud nests that you can easily observe on the eaves of houses and buildings. Likewise, during the pandemic, kestrels could be seen in the cities and in the area of  ​​Dénia Castle , where the presence of some loners is also confirmed. Finally, seagulls, despite presenting a problem due to their excessive proliferation, are also a good indicator of the urban and port ecosystem, and deserve our attention.

In short, birds have always lived with humans and whatever their size or appearance, we can learn a lot from them if we observe them with attention and respect. It is our task to make them feel safe living among us in order to benefit from everything that, without knowing it, they are communicating to us.

*This experience is designed to be done in two days, either consecutively or on two different days. The MACMA team proposes routes, spaces and buildings to visit, but each person can adapt the experience to their abilities, physical resistance and interests. If you want more information or elements to visit in each town, you can enter the website of  Descobrim la Marina Alta and adapt the experience to your tastes with the backpack. 

AND MORE. On the table and in bed at the first cry. 

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