Inland salt-making

Discover how sodium chloride is extracted in an unusual environment, far away from the coast, in the last example of this kind of salt production.

When most of us imagine the white expanses of salt evaporation ponds [salinas], we imagine them close to the coast, but these artificial salt pans are also found inland. Far from the coast, seeing how salt is produced is a fascinating experience, a chance to observe an interesting process that few people know about.

Sierra de Yeguas, a mountain range in the province of Málaga, is home to some of these inland salinas, where the process of salt-water evaporation takes place, after which the sodium chloride is extracted from the various ponds or pans.

Over time, this form of salt production has developed, and the facilities have been modernised: the ponds that were originally made from stone and clay are now concrete, making collection easier and more profitable

But please note that this is a seasonal experience. Only the fierce heat of the summer enables salt collection to take place, from the end of June until September, which is the period in which we can enjoy this unique regional experience.

The visit to this inland salina – the last of its kind – begins with an informative talk about the site, followed by a tour around the salt evaporation ponds and other facilities. The salt ponds act like the shallow pools on rocky beaches, the salt left after evaporation having originally been collected by hand. As well as salt, the salt ponds also produce brine: water with a very high concentration of sodium chloride.

People have been working in the salt evaporation ponds in the Sierra de Yeguas since 1751, as the records in Ensenada’s land registry attest.