Famed for its fabulous white sandy beaches, Guardamar del Segura stands at the mouth of the river Segura, north of La Mata and Torrevieja on the southern Costa Blanca. It is a lovely oasis of sand dunes, forests and beaches. It's a beautiful spot for a retreat, for peace and quiet or time spent on the water. The beaches of Guardamar del Segura are perhaps some of the cleanest and best cared for in Spain, and the 15 km expanse of beach is large enough to allow for a very pleasant experience indeed, even during the busiest times of the year.

There is a wide range of water sports available from the marina at Guardamar del Segura; jet skiing, sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving canoeing, and more. The Marinas de las Dunas at the mouth of the river is home to nearly 500 moorings and has a highly navigable 2 km stretch of river designed for safe boating.

In the town itself there are numerous beautiful parks, numerous fine restaurants, many specializing in local cuisine, shops, café bars and everything that one needs for day to day living.

History
Guardamar del Segura has an interesting history stretching back many centuries. Guardamad del Segura has been populated since pre-history, with Neolithic artifacts found from 9,000 - 2,000 BC. During the 8th - 6th Centuries BC the area was much influenced by the Phoenicians and there is evidence of a harbor in the area now called “La Fonteta”. During the 6th - 2nd Centuries BC several villages were built around the mouth of the river Segura, some large and fortified. Skills were learnt and the making of iron developed along with writing and sculpture. There was a village known as Cabezo Lucero where a bust of a lady was uncovered in later years, now known as the “Dama del Guardamar” (Lady of Guardamar).

With the arrival of the Romans in the 2nd Century BC a cultural change swept over the whole region, and the Latin language became compulsory for everyone. Trade and commerce thrived and the area, as was typical in Roman times, became wealthy. New villages appeared together with improved facilities for the exploitation of fishing and salt. A salt works appeared just south of Guardamar del Segura at La Mata. The region remained stable up until the late Roman period 5th - 8th Centuries AD when the decadence of the Roman Empire led to much vulnerability and invasions from the east of Europe caused instability throughout the whole area.

The 9th Century witnessed the conquest of the peninsular by the Arabs and the Islamic religion and culture swept over and finally devoured the Christian way of life. Around the middle of the 10th Century AD a fortified monastery was built (Al - Monastir) known as “La Rábita”, remains of this can still be seen today.

The Arab occupation lasted up until the 13th Century when Christian troops conquered the region once again. Christians then co-existed with the Muslim population. In 1271 Alfonso X founded Guardamar del Segura as a town on the site of the castle. In 1305 Guardamar del Segura became part of Valencia under the Crown of Aragon.

Due to its strategic position Guardamar del Segura was prone to constant insecurity. In 1331 the town was burnt down by Muslims and most of its inhabitants deported. The town was burnt down again in 1358 by “Peter the Cruel” (Peter II of Castille) as a punishment for weakness shown by the town during the wars between Aragon and Castille. Towards the end of the 15th Century agriculture became more important and the irrigation of vast pastures owned by the town resulted in a growth of population throughout the 16th Century. In 1558 the walls of the town were reinforced by to resist attacks from barbary pirates.

In 1829 the old town of Guardamar del Segura was destroyed by a huge earthquake that devastated the whole region and left 3,000 people homeless. The new town was designed in a neo-classical style with straight perpendicular streets, set north to south in 3 symmetrical squares. The houses were designed to withstand earthquakes, single storey and with large gardens. The site of the old castle and town was used as a quarry to provide materials for the new town.

The population however soon discovered that the chosen location, closer to the sea, was not ideal as strong winds from the east were dragging enormous sand dunes towards the town. Cultivated areas were engulfed by the sand and some of the streets of the town were submerged by the sand. In 1896 pine trees, palm trees and eucalyptus trees were planted along the sand dunes to slow down the movement of sand. The planting continued for over 20 years and worked perfectly - the town was saved from disaster. The resulting forest still exists today and still keeps the sands from moving. The area is now known as “La Pinada” and covers an area of 840 hectares, now declared an area of natural interest. There is a wide variety of flora and fauna to be found here and it is a popular place for an afternoon stroll in the shade of the trees.

From the 1950’s tourism started to become important in Guardamar del Segura as holidaymakers from Madrid and the rest of Europe descended on the town during the summer months. So began the housing development of the town. Guardamar del Segura’s main income now comes from tourism and housing development.

Places of interest in the area are;
• The Parque Reina Sofia (Queen Sofia Park), a fine place for a picnic.
• La Gola, where the river meets the sea - perfect for water sports.
• The Parque Natural de Laguna de La Mata, which includes the salt lakes and is a popular area for horse riding, cycling and walking. Many also choose to bathe in the salt water and enjoy its healing effects.

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