El Pantano de Elche is a dam from the 17th century. It is an arch-shaped dam of approximately 22 meters high and 75 meters wide. The thickness of the wall is 12 meters at the base and 9 meters at the top. The reservoir was built on the Vinalopó river and lies between the mountains of Elche and the Castelar hills. The special thing about Pantano de Elche is the fact that this dam is no longer in use. As a result, water flows permanently over the dam wall. This produces very beautiful scenes, especially after a period with a lot of rain. Be sure to also go to the top of the dam. Since the beginning of 2019 there is a floating platform where you can walk above the water.

The dam is currently recognized as a cultural heritage by the Generalitat Vanlenciana.

Given that there are few good roads in the area, both Google Maps and GPS devices often provide unrealistic routes. Therefore an alternative route:

Drive from Aspe towards Elche on the CV-84. At the fourth roundabout there are gas pumps. Drive one roundabout further. Turn left there (small road that runs just beside the main road). Turn away from the main road after a hundred meters. Keep following this road until you reach a roundabout (about 1 km). Turn left there and follow the signs.

The last hundreds of meters are absolutely not suitable for a normal car. It is best to park the car in time, even before you see the dam. The holes in the road are more than a meter deep in some places and some are almost as big as a car. Since the spring of 2019, handrails have been installed in several places. Still it is advisable to be very careful.