The Torrevieja Municipal School of Salt Crafts showcases one of the city's most unique traditions at FITUR

The Torrevieja Municipal School of Salt Crafts has been present this Saturday (and tomorrow Sunday too) at the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (FITUR), where it has shown the public and professionals of the sector a carefully curated exhibition of salt boats, reeds and cotton curdled in the emblematic pink lagoon, along with a promotional video that explains the unique process of salt curdling, an exclusive artisanal practice of this natural environment.

The exhibition was attended by the school's director, Vicente Martínez Samper, and generated considerable interest among visitors to the Valencian Community stand, as it is a cultural manifestation closely linked to the landscape, history and identity of Torrevieja.

The mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, has stated that “bringing salt-making crafts to FITUR is a way of showing the world an authentic Torrevieja, linked to its natural environment and centuries-old traditions that today have become a differentiating tourist attraction.”

Several pieces by the Torrevieja-based model maker and craftsman Joaquín Montero García have traveled to Madrid, including reproductions of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the Torrevieja Casino, the Templete (a small pavilion), and the old theater known as the "Nuevo Cinema." These works demonstrate that salt-making craftsmanship is not limited to traditional salt boats, but is capable of recreating emblematic elements of the local architectural heritage. Furthermore, the Municipal School of Salt Crafts has displayed cases containing salt boats and pieces in various stages of production, offering an educational overview of the artisanal process, complemented by videos and photographs explaining the salt settling process in the lagoon.

A TRADITION THAT BEGAN IN THE PINK LAGOON

Salt-making is one of Torrevieja's most unique cultural expressions. It originates in the area surrounding the Torrevieja lagoon, which forms the largest saltworks complex in Europe and a space of extraordinary scenic and environmental value.

This location features a unique, world-class wet salt extraction system that keeps the lagoon permanently flooded, allowing for the controlled crystallization of salt onto submerged structures. This natural phenomenon gives rise to the well-known "curdling" process, whereby salt slowly coats objects and models placed in the lagoon during the summer months.

This practice began in the 19th century, developed by the salt workers themselves, and over time, it led to elaborate ship models that have become one of the city's most recognizable symbols. The salt ships represent Torrevieja's close historical relationship with the sea, the port, and the salt industry.

“Talking about salt-making crafts is talking about our history and our landscape, but also about a tourism product with enormous potential, capable of exciting and surprising those who visit us,” said Eduardo Dolón.

THE MUNICIPAL SCHOOL, A CULTURAL AND TOURIST ATTRACTION

With the aim of preserving and promoting this tradition, the Torrevieja City Council created the Municipal School of Salt Craft in 2021, integrated into the “Joaquín Chapaprieta” Municipal Institute of Culture. Directed by the craftsman Vicente Martínez Samper, the school combines craft training with respect for the natural environment of the lagoon.

During the autumn and winter months, students work in the workshop building the models, learning traditional carpentry, planking, and nautical knot techniques. In summer, coinciding with optimal salinity and temperature conditions, the fish-setting campaign takes place in the lagoon itself, always under technical supervision and with the necessary permits.

In the 2024-2025 course, more than 40 students of different ages participated, reflecting the growing interest in a tradition that is now also projected as a cultural and tourist experience.

This commitment has been reinforced by the initiation of the process to declare salt-making a Cultural Heritage Asset (BIC), as well as by its participation in European forums and meetings on salt heritage. The salt boat, now an official gift from the city, currently serves as an ambassador for Torrevieja abroad.

“The tourism of the future lies in offering authentic experiences with their own identity, and salt-making craftsmanship is one of our great differentiating values,” the mayor concluded.

The Torrevieja City Council thus reaffirms its commitment to the protection and promotion of salt-making crafts as a cultural, tourist and emotional resource that connects nature, history and the identity of the city, and that invites you to discover Torrevieja from a unique and different perspective.