Pego and the marjal: reading water through rice and reeds

The Marjal de Pego-Oliva spreads between the Marina Alta hills and the coastal plain. Freshwater springs, canals, reed beds and rice plots make it a living wetland rather than an empty green space. From Pego, the marjal is a short journey into a landscape where farming and wildlife depend on careful water management.

The local story

The park's habitats change over a few steps: open water gives way to reed, then to cultivated fields and the mountain edge. The Generalitat's interpretive route follows the Río Salinar and introduces these differences without taking visitors into the most sensitive ground. Birdlife is best watched from the path at a distance, especially when water levels and seasonal work alter what is visible.

Plan the visit

Use the park's current map and signed itinerary, take binoculars and keep to public paths. Do not enter rice plots or pull reeds for a photograph. Ground can be wet and mosquitoes active even when nearby Pego feels dry. Early or late light helps with birds and heat. For a longer visit, pair the wetland with Pego town rather than treating the park as a quick roadside stop.

How it connects

The marjal connects north towards the Safor wetlands and south towards Dénia's coastal and mountain landscapes.

Sources

Written in September 2026 using Parcs Naturals de la Generalitat Valenciana.