The La Marjal del Senillar Wetland

Directly behind L’Ampolla Beach is the small but ecologically valuable wetland “La Marjal del Senillar”. Covering an area of approximately 0.76 hectares, it features a landscape of lagoons, separated from the sea by only a narrow strip of sand and remaining connected to it via a small outflow.

The area is fed by groundwater from the Barranc de les Sorts, which surfaces here year-round, creating a unique habitat.

Following extensive re-naturalization in 2002, the wetland was restored to its original state. Today, typical plants such as rushes, cattails, tamarisks, and the namesake “Senil” characterize the riparian zones. In the adjacent dunes, one can find plants like milk thistles, sea fennel, sea lilies, and marram grass.

The wildlife is also remarkably diverse: various bird species such as moorhens, mallards, and Eurasian reed warblers find a habitat here, as do amphibians and reptiles, including the Iberian water frog, the common toad, and the viperine snake. Furthermore, fish such as mullets and eels, as well as the rare freshwater shrimp, live in the water.

Due to its ecological importance, the area was officially declared a nature reserve in 2004. Particularly noteworthy is the presence of the “Fartet” (Aphanius iberus), a critically endangered fish species that finds a protected refuge here.