In the town of Chiclana (Cadiz, Spain), the salt pan of Santa María de Jesús and the ALEMA collective continue their journey to utilise the natural resources of salinas for health and leisure purposes. In the words of Francisco Flor from ALEMA, this project funded by MedArtSal aims to “complete the circle of harnessing the resources provided by salinas”. A whole cosmetic line is being developed making use of the algae collected from the water ponds inside the salinas (so-called ‘esteros’). Moreover, these cosmetics will be part of the treatments offered by the spa situated inside the facility. The use of raw matter to create these products guarantees their natural value and fair price.

Having completed the actions to manage and harvest the algae, the team is currently analysing which products should be finally launched on the market. In addition, the products are being tested and controlled by specialists to guarantee their quality and effectiveness before being commercialised. The spa  is planning to launch the cosmetic line by next June.

This innovative project adds a new activity to the offer of Salinas de Chiclana, besides the collection of artisanal salt, the cultivation of fish in estuaries, environmental education projects and the management of a restaurant and natural spa inside the salt pan.

This type of artisanal activity not only provides benefits for the economy and society of close municipalities, but also contributes to the maintenance and active conservation of an area of high environmental value such as the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park.