The province of Alicante has a rich and varied geological and hydrogeological heritage, characterized by the presence of numerous unique enclaves, a large part of which are already identified, although in a scattered way, in various studies and publications of both the Provincial Council of Alicante and the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME).
The geological heritage is made up of geological elements that present a special singularity, mainly due to their scientific and / or didactic interest. The geological heritage is part of the natural heritage and includes forms, elements and / or structures originated by any geological process. It is made up of all those enclaves relevant to any discipline of Geology, for which reason thematic studies are frequently carried out, using terms such as mineralogical, geomorphological, paleontological heritage or, as in the case at hand, hydrogeological.
The Places of Hydrogeological Interest (LIHs) are unique enclaves related to the natural water heritage of historical and cultural interest. They contain
They therefore play scientific, cultural, social, environmental, educational and recreational aspects. Together, the LIHs form the Hydrogeological Heritage, made up, according to Durán (1998), of all those places where the water resource is of particular interest for its natural beauty, from a historical point of view, for its importance or for its specific use at any given time, for its architectural beauty directly related to the use of water, as well as for the volume it represents within the total resources of the community.
From the above definition, it can be deduced that elements linked directly or indirectly with aquifers or with groundwater, such as upwelling or a complete aquifer, are part of the Hydrogeological Heritage. But also those places that show the particular use of groundwater by man and not only today, but also the sites that show the use of groundwater for centuries, using the most diverse technologies. In a broader conception, also the reliefs modeled by the action of water.