A commemorative plaque has been unveiled at the Molino del Agua Municipal Natural Park in recognition of his lifelong contribution to one of Torrevieja’s most important natural areas.
Torrevieja City Council has paid tribute to Antonio Ruiz, popularly known as “El Liebre”, for his decisive role in creating and protecting the pine grove that later became part of the Molino del Agua Municipal Natural Park.
A commemorative plaque was unveiled at the park’s main entrance on Tuesday, June 23, in recognition of his dedication to the conservation and development of the site.
The ceremony was attended by Mayor Eduardo Dolón, Parks and Gardens Councillor Concha Sala, VOX councillors Salvador Ruso and Yolanda Cabezuelo, and members of Ruiz’s family and circle of friends.
The tribute followed a proposal submitted by Cabezuelo and approved unanimously by the municipal council.
Ruiz became connected with the area during the 1920s after suffering a serious accident while working on the construction of the La Mata canal. Because of the lasting effects of the fall, the salt company employing him assigned him responsibility for maintaining and guarding a small wooded area between Molino del Agua and Lo Albentosa.
He moved with his family to La Mata when it was still a small community of fishermen and farmers. Over the following years, he planted, cared for and protected thousands of pine trees in difficult conditions marked by shifting dunes and strong easterly winds.
His work gradually transformed the modest plantation into the extensive pine grove now regarded as one of La Mata’s most distinctive natural landscapes.
Ruiz also helped create paths and access routes between Molino del Agua and the beach, contributing to the development of an area that would eventually become one of Torrevieja’s most visited and valued natural spaces.
Mayor Eduardo Dolón said the tribute recognised someone who had devoted much of his life to caring for the site when it was little more than a small pine grove.
“Antonio Ruiz represents the quiet effort of those who created the natural heritage now enjoyed by thousands of Torrevieja residents and visitors,” he said.
Concha Sala said the memorial also honoured the wider contribution of people whose work and sacrifice helped shape the municipality’s environmental heritage.
The plaque will remain permanently at the main entrance to the Molino del Agua park as a public reminder of Ruiz’s contribution and his enduring place in the environmental history of La Mata.
