Benidorm completes the clearing work that will allow the creation and integration of 3.5 kilometers of Xixo trails into El Moralet Park

The third phase of the fire prevention project in El Moralet Park has completed the planned clearing work, a key intervention for creating and integrating 3.5 kilometres of new trails in Xixo within the El Moralet urban park. Mayor Toni Pérez and the councillors for Parks and Gardens and Public Space, José Ramón González de Zárate and Francis Muñoz, have recently inspected the progress of the work, which is part of the Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan (PSTD) ‘Verde Benidorm’ and focuses on the section of the ravine bordering Nicaragua and Cuba Avenues.

The mayor emphasised that “this phase of the project is confined to an area that was previously practically inaccessible due to the dense undergrowth that had gradually taken over, and which is primarily composed of pine, olive, and eucalyptus trees, some of them quite remarkable for their size.” In addition to weeds and dead trees that posed a fire risk, debris has also been found in the area and is currently being removed.

Furthermore, “the clearing and brush removal work has uncovered a pond where, many decades ago, during periods of heavy rain, water from the stream that runs through much of this section of the ravine must have been stored.”

Once the clearing is complete, the work will now focus on cleaning and removing pruning debris and other waste, a necessary step before the space can be opened to the public.

Toni Pérez noted that “this third phase of the fire prevention project in El Moralet includes the creation of two new access points to the park from Avenida Cuba, one of them next to the Miguel Hernández school; as well as the installation of new thermal cameras to improve fire protection,” which are in addition to those already installed in other parts of the park. All of them are equipped with sensors to detect sudden changes in temperature, "so that action can be taken as quickly as possible if necessary."

As the mayor indicated, "with this project, we not only gain new spaces for leisure and recreation for residents and visitors, through these 3.5 kilometres of new trails, but we also protect a green area of ​​great environmental value very close to the urban area and nearby homes."

Toni Pérez recalled that "10 years ago, everything that is now Moralet Park was private land, which the City Council acquired from its former owners and has made available to the residents of Benidorm." "We have invested," he emphasised, "in creating public land for the present and especially for future residents of Benidorm, who will have one million square meters of green space in the heart of the urban environment."

Project financing

The fire prevention project in El Moralet Park corresponds to Action 1 of the PSTD ‘Verde Benidorm’ (Green Benidorm) initiative, for which the Benidorm City Council received a grant within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – financed by the European Union-NextGeneration-EU funds, included in the Territorial Sustainability Plan of the Valencian Community and coordinated by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana. The budget for this overall action amounts to €434,808.85.