Torrevieja
is . . .
Torrevieja
is one of the fastest growing towns in Europe and
is on the Costa Blanca 20 miles south of Alicante
airport and one
of the largest street market in Spain is held here
every Friday - it is really big and has fantastic
bargains to haggle over!
The
sandy beaches and coves shelve gently and are among the
best in Spain, several are Blue Flag recognised,
there are sand dune beaches, busy ones and quiet
beaches where you can be almost alone!
There
are six golf courses within easy reach of all of
the properties on this site, one of them, Las Ramblas,
is totally unique
There
are two Aqua Parks - discount vouchers for visitors
are in most properties we advertise
Eating
out in Torrevieja . . .
The Spanish
generally prefer to eat quite late in the day, but
you'll find restaurants busy serving from 7:00 pm.
Bills usually include tax and service charge, but
it is normal practice to leave a small tip
Restaurants are
classified and priced by a system of forks, with facilities
and length of menu more relevant than the quality of
the food. Five forks guarantees real comfort, but the
food will not necessarily be better than in a two-or-three
fork establishment, just more expensive. A bargain
menu del dia (menu of the day) is often available
How about a plate
of freshly grilled sardines with lashings of crusty
bread for lunch? Or perhaps Spain's potato omelette
(Tortilla Espanola) either of which make a tasty and
excellent budget meal. To
keep costs down, order vino de casa (wine of the house.)
Tinto is red, blanco, white and Rosado is Rose
Drinks are often
accompanied by a small plate of crisps, nuts, olives
or baby gherkins for you to enjoy and are always free
of charge . To many people
part of the fun of the evening 'promenade' is to sit
in one of the pavement cafe bars and indulge in conversation
over drinks or ice creams. And an ice cold cerveza
(lager) or Cuba Libre (Bacardi, coke and a twist of
lime with lots of ice) or two certainly help the chit
chat to flow!
In busy areas
traffic is often banished as dusk falls and you'll
see tables, chairs and parasols take the place of cars,
motorbikes and scooters. With many of the shops open
until 9 or even 10:00 pm there is a pleasant 'bubble'
that few fail to enjoy!
Shopping
in Torrevieja . . .
Torrevieja
boasts one of the largest street markets in Spain
and every Friday, people come from miles around
to pick up a bargain or two
An
indoor market is open daily for fish, fruit, vegetables
and fresh meat and is right in the centre of town.
Every evening a craft market with pottery, leather
goods, pavement artists and more is set up on the
marble promenade overlooking the harbour, open until
late at night it's an ideal place to stroll and soak
up atmosphere. Each Sunday the Lemon Grove market
offers fabulous shoes for a fraction of the UK price
and much more of course. Did you know that over 70%
of all Spanish shoes are made less than 20 miles
away?
While
there are a few big department stores in Spain, you'll
find that there are many more smaller shops that
are independently owned. The choice and quality are
fantastic and as a matter of course gift wrapping
is completely free and usually done beautifully
Local markets
There's a market
somewhere in the area everyday, here's a quick guide
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday: |
|
Santa
Pola
Orihuela
Guardamar
Alicante
Torrevieja
Santa Pola
Guardamar |
Things
see or do in Torrevieja . . .
Waterpark
Visit
the two water park and get very wet in the slides, flumes
and waterfalls. With bars. cafes, restaurants and picnic
areas as well as the rides this could be a great day out!
Funfair
The funfair by the marina is open in the summer
months and is great fun for everyone, they often have
some very different rides to those you'll find at fairs
in the UK
Boat
trips
Take a trip to the nearby
Island of Tabarca or sail along the coast and admire
the beautiful scenery. How about an evening dinner with
on board entertainment
Go-Karting
There are two Go-Kart tracks in the area, one to
the south of Torrevieja, the other near Santa Pola. Safe
fast fun for all the family with snack bars and restaurants
on site too
Health
baths
Take
a medicinal bath in the lagoon. The water is supposed
to cure for heart troubles, rheumatism and respiratory
ailments - be warned, the aroma of the mud is quite pungent!
Embarcadero
Romano
In Roman times, this area
was well known for its outstanding port, the remains
of which can still be seen in La Mata, called Embarcadero
Romano, or Roman docks.
La
Mata salt lake
The area is surrounded by
the famous natural salt lagoons of Torrevieja. These
are now National Parks and over 250 different bird species
have been sighted there
Guardamar
del Segura
Drive to Guardamar del Segura
and you will have a great day out. There are pine forests
bordering sand dunes right next to Mediterranean Sea.
The beaches are some of Europe's finest
Elche
Not too far away you'll find Elche where over 80% of
Spanish leather shoes are made, a beautiful town,
it's origins are Moorish and Roman. There are some
wonderful Palm forest parks to wander round too!
Orihuela
Another superb place to visit with it's typical Spanish
squares and cobbled streets, fountains and historic
monuments - four of the buildings have World Heritage
awards
Cartegena
Further down the coast at Cartegena, cruise ships moor
each day while passengers admire the magnificent
(now unused) Bull Ring and visit the site
of the launch of the worlds first submarine |
