The local presence |
The salt works at Cabo de Gata, which takes its name from the distinctive geographical feature in the province of Almeria, are located in the south-western tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The salt plant is bordered by a sub-desert plain (the Alquián plains) to the North; the volcanogenic Cabo de Gata mountain to the East, and the Bay of Almeria which opens on to the Mediterranean Sea to the South and West. |
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Cabo de Gata (Almería) |
The salt grounds extend over approximately 250 hectares of ground which is fairly recent in geological terms: dating from the Quaternary period, made of an alluvial mixture of sand and clay. The salt marshes are separated from the sea by a barrier of sand dunes.
The sub-desert climate produces very hot summers, while the other seasons are temperate, creating wide temperature variations between the day and night. Rainfall is very low; and the high level of solar radiation and intense prevailing winds, which are sometimes very dry, make this an ideal place for salt extraction.
HISTORY
It is probable that the salt marshes at Cabo de Gata were developed by the Phoenicians and it is almost certain that the Romans made use of them. The earliest surviving documents, indicating their use, date from the Moorish period (the 11th century onwards).
From the 16th to the 19th century, a part of the salt harvest was used for the conservation of tuna fish caught in an Almadraba. Another part of the salt production was used to supply the local human and animal food as well as to conserve perishable goods.
From 1929, the salt marshes became the property of the Union Salinera de España S.A. and were consolidated as a production unit. While maintaining their traditional values, the salt works were transformed into a modern and high technology operation, yielding an exclusive product highly sought after on both the national and foreign markets.
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Current production is mainly distributed in Andalusia or it is exported to the Nordic countries especially for salting cod. Through its production activity, the salt works at Cabo de Gata contribute to the preservation of a unique ecosystem and have been declared Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention and are a European Union SPA (Special Protection Area) for birds. The salt marshes are also part of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar nature reserve which has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. |
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Ancient Loading System |
THE PROCESS
The salt marshes at Cabo de Gata are formed by a series of large and shallow basins where water from the Mediterranean is introduced to obtain, by a natural process of evaporation, a brine that becomes more and more concentrated until it starts to crystallise, leaving salt at the bottom of the basins themselves.
The sea water is transferred successively from the first basins, called evaporation ponds, to the concentrating ponds. Finally, the sea water is transferred to the crystallising ponds, where the salt or sodium chloride, once precipitated, is subsequently harvested.
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The salt begins to crystallise in spring; summer is the period of maximum production; and the salt harvest finishes in early autumn to prevent the salt from being dissolved by the abundant rains that fall in this period. The harvest process starts with drying the crystallisers and, using specific machinery, harvesting the dried salt. The dried salt is then transported in skips to the washing area where any impurities that it might contain are eliminated. |
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Harvesting |
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Finally, the product is accumulated in salt piles, called “camelles”, and, following a centrifuging process, it is ready to be used and commercialised.
Depending on its different applications, the salt is ground and classified by granulometry; it is then packed and sent out by sea or land. |
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Washing |