The start of the reforestation work on the Guardamar Dunes

In the late 19th century, the strip of dunes between the beach and the new town, built in 1830 on its present site, began to advance considerably—by more than 5 metres a year—burying a block of houses on what is now Calle Colón and encroaching on neighbouring farmland. The recognised causes of this movement were sediment deposited by the River Segura, particularly after the Santa Teresa flood of 1879, and the impact of people and livestock crossing the dunes—in short, human activity. Francisco Mira recalls in his project that some herds of goats grazed on the dunes. The result was predictable: without vegetation to hold back the sand, it was driven inland by the prevailing easterly wind.

In May 1896, the President of the Forestry Council, José Jordana, accompanied by engineer Francisco Mira, carried out the first survey of the dunes, with a view to including them in the catalogue of sandy areas being compiled under a Royal Decree issued in December 1895. During the visit, they met the mayors of Guardamar and Elche and encouraged them to ask the Minister for Public Works to reforest the dunes as a way of addressing the damage they were causing in both towns. It is striking that the wording of the motion passed by Guardamar Town Council in May 1896, asking the minister to reforest the sandy areas, is identical to that of the motion passed in neighbouring Elche. This suggests that Jordana provided the document, already drafted.

In 1897, engineer Francisco Mira Botella drew up the dune reforestation project. Lost for years, it was recently found in the General Archive of the Region of Murcia. It is an invaluable source for learning about Guardamar in the late 19th century.

The project divided the dune field into sections, with reforestation due to begin in the area closest to the river. However, the first pine-planting did not begin until 1902.

In July 1900, work began to protect Guardamar, with screens made from reeds erected to shield the houses near Calle Mar and Calle Colón. Preparatory work for reforestation followed, including the formation of the coastal dune and the creation of two nurseries. The larger of the two was started in December 1900 in the middle of the sandy area, near the well known as Fuente del Rey; it is still there today. Thanks to Mira’s photographic legacy, we can now see images of this enormous undertaking, to which he devoted much of his life.