Embalse de Guadalest

The Guadalest Reservoir is a regulation reservoir located in the Guadalest valley, next to the town of El Castell de Guadalest, in the province of Alicante. The file of the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar places it on the Guadalest river, with an area of 67.51 hectares and a capacity of 12.99 hm3 at normal maximum level; its dam is of gravity, vibrated concrete, with 74.65 m height above the riverbed and 285.15 m of coronation. It is a key part of the landscape of the Vall de Guadalest, wedged between the Aitana, Serrella and Xortà mountain ranges. The reservoir stands out for the greenish blue color of its waters and the panoramic views over the valley, which makes it one of the most recognizable elements of the environment. Due to its position, it acts as a large sheet of water in a space of strong contrast between the rock, the mountain vegetation and the cultivated slopes. In addition to its visual value, it has hydraulic and territorial importance: the CHJ documentation attributes flood defense, supply and irrigation functions to it. The same file classifies it as a large dam and indicates its construction between 1952 and 1969, with completion in 1969. In the Valencian landscape planning and in the municipal documentation it appears as a relevant resource of the landscape of the Vall de Guadalest, integrated in the tourist and environmental image of the valley. For the visitor, it is of interest for the natural viewpoint over the reservoir and for the landscape interpretation of the historical and mountainous Guadalest, where water, relief and settlement are combined in a very characteristic scene of the Marina Baixa.