Did you know that the municipality of Alfas del Pi, where Albir is situated, has won 7 European Blue Flag awards in 2021, a symbol of quality, good management and excellence?
Alfas del Pi is the only municipality in the Valencian Community to have collected so many awards, from the Foundation for Environmental Education, which considered the following spaces to be worthy of these honours:
Raco de L’Albir – This beach in Albir is some 550 metres long, a beautiful white stone beach, inviting turquoise waters, and having the Sierra Helada mountain as a backdrop.The beach is also home to our famous marbled promenade, lined with mature palm trees and which features stars denoting famous actors and presenters. A summer cinema festival holds screenings on the beach and there is a summer craft market and children’s fair. The Raco de L’Albir beach has won the blue flag for more than 30 consecutive years. https://visitalbir.com/albir-beach/
Lighthouse walk – Many of us know this beautiful walk to the lighthouse, passing deserted beach coves and cooling pine woodlands. The blue flag recognises the immense work which has gone in to create both the walk and in all the explications on the way, there is also a brochure available explaining the rich natural heritage of the park.Lighthouse interpretation centre – The lighthouse itself was built in 1863, to protect passing shipping from the Sierra Helada mountain. The visitor centre has won a blue flag practically since it was finished in 2013, see how the original lighthouse man and his family lived and worked in difficult conditions. Carabineros Environmental education centre (CEA)This centre was built in 1829 as the barracks for the “carabineros”, an armed paramilitary force, set up to protect the coastal areas from invasion and smuggling. The building is being renovated and put to good use, as the offices of the Sierra Helada natural park. The second phase will offer multipurpose educational space, for exhibitions, school trips and seminars.
Los Carrascos Environmental and landscape interpretation centre CIPMThis educational centre was awarded a blue flag in 2018, and runs eductational courses, a pionering centre with some 200 botanical species, organised in seven sections, including aromatic plants, cooking and medicine, ecological kitchen garden and greenhouse.
Cantera de L’AlbirThis old mine has been recovered and put to new use, with a recreational and sustainable leisure area in the heart of the Sierra Helada natural park. Received the first blue flag just last year, in 2020.
Roman Villa MuseumLast, but definitely not least, is the open air Roman villa museum, from the historic ruins of an old roman villa, which was discovered by developers and since protected for future generations to understand what it would have been like to live in Abir during the Roman times of the 4th and 6th centuries.
