Torrevieja´s history is closely related to salt, the harvesting and the exporting of the mineral. Several salt lakes or lagoons are nearby on the road to Santa Pola and you´ll find reference to salt everywhere in Torrevieja.
My passion are museums of which there aren´t too many in Torrevieja. So, I was delighted to learn about the existence of the museum of the salt and the sea. During the first months of my stay and much to my disappointment, the museum was closed for refurbishment, but now it has opened its doors again.
Small it may be, but it contains a selection of objects which represent the roots of Torrevieja, i.e. the salt industry and everything to do with it. In fact, only last week and for the first time in many decades, a freighter was under way to export salt to the USA.
Located in Calle Patricio Perez close to the promenade, the first thing that caught my eye were glittering sculptures of ships and ancient buildings made from salt. I have seen ice sculptures, sugar sculptures but never salt sculptures, so that rounded the picture nicely out for me.
There are many exhibits of the process of harvesting salt, boats, maps, old photographs, all nicely displayed and explained in big show cases.
I also had to smile when I saw an old SINGER sewing machine, used to make the laborers´ clothes. SINGER is a trademark for Germany which you will find anywhere in the world.
Entrance is free and a bonus was the curator who watches over the place. Nobody else but me was visiting, so we got to chat about history, football and Wagner operas.
I tell you, the world is full of surprises!! A very enjoyable morning indeed.