El Hondo is one of the most important wetlands in Spain, shared by Crevillent and Elche. It is listed under the Ramsar convention and protected for its birds, which stop there on the way between northern Europe and Africa. Two irrigation reservoirs, Poniente and Levante, sit at its heart, surrounded by smaller ponds and salt-marsh fields.
From the visitor centre there are two walks: a short one to two small lagoons, and the bird route, about five kilometres there and back, with hides along it. That is long enough to forget what you did with the keys when you got out of the car with binoculars, a camera and a flask.
Before you ring anyone
- Check every door and the boot. One of them may not have locked.
- Look for the second key. Is anyone in your group carrying one? Is there one at home that someone could bring?
- Check your breakdown or insurance cover. Some policies include lockout assistance; it costs nothing to ask.
- If none of that works, ring a locksmith. The car is opened, without damage, where it stands.
Do not try a coat hanger or a wedge in the door. Modern doors and their seals are easily damaged that way, and the repair costs more than the opening.
What to tell us from the car park
El Hondo is out on the plain, a long way from the town centre, and the call will be quicker with:
- A pin on WhatsApp from beside the car. Better than any description.
- Which car park: the visitor centre, or somewhere else along the roads round the park.
- The make and model of the car, and where the keys are: on the seat, in the boot, in the ignition.
- Whether the engine is running. If it is, say so first.
You will be asked to show the car is yours or that you are allowed to drive it: the registration papers, a hire agreement or ID matching them. If those are inside the car too, they are checked once it is open.
Nearby places
San Felipe Neri, one of the settlements of Crevillente, borders El Hondo and farmland running to Catral. If you are staying or living out there, the coverage page has what to say in each of the settlements, and the guide to El Realengo’s houses covers another of them.
If you are a long way from home and the keys are not in the car at all, but in another town, read keys left at work, and the train home.