The Southern Costa Blanca
The Southern Costa Blanca has been popular with for many years. A temperate, all year round climate offering an average of 320 days sunshine each year adds to the attraction. Situated near both Alicante & Murcia airports and easily accessible via the AP7 and N332, the Southern Costa Blanca comes under the Valencia Region and covers an area from Alicante in the North to Pliar De la Horadada in the South.
Main Towns and Villages
Albatera is a medium sized village in the Vega Baja, Albatera sits on the banks of the River Segura, a beautiful spot with spectacular views of the surrounding Sierra de Crevillent mountains - though the town itself has a very level aspect. Modern Albatera consists of wide, palm tree lined streets with attractive white-walled houses. At the centre in the plaza is a beautiful parochial church, dedicated to the apostle Santiago and built in 1729. The church is famed for its elaborate baroque doorway, intricately carved in stone. Also in the plaza is the town hall and the old casino.
Algorfa is another of the Vega Baja villages located in rich and bountiful countryside on the banks of the Segura river in the Southern Costa Blanca. It has a mountainous backdrop but still enjoys panoramic views of the Mediterranean sea. Algorfa has a marvellous climate with over 300 days of sunshine each year, an average temperature of around 19 degrees centigrade and very little rainfall - the Segura valley having the least rainfall in the whole of Spain. The economy of the village depends mostly on citrus farming - primarily oranges and lemons, the trees of which stretch for miles around, lining every road. Algorfa is a typical Spanish village full of tradition and culture. It is a small village having a population of around 1,800.
Almoradi is located on the Northern side of the River Segura, approximately 25 minutes from Torrevieja its inland location makes it quieter to that of the coastal towns but at the same time, Almoradi offers you the more traditional side of Spain and its culture. It also contains some interesting architecture including the Church of San Andres and the casino and has a renowned Saturday market in the town. The town is also a short drive to the Golf Course of La Finca Algorfa, La Marquesa, Albatera and Villamartin.
Bigastro is a small village and municipal district located in the Vega Baja (Low Fertile Valley).
Cabo Roig has its own exclusive harbour and club and drinks can be enjoyed on the beaches where you can find beach huts serving cool drinks, ice creams and snacks. Cabo Roig is renowned for its fine sandy beaches, its luxurious detached villas and its prestigious marina and it is one of the most exclusive resorts along this stretch of the Costa Blanca coastline.
Elx (Elche) Leather products and shoes are manufactured in Elx, therefore these items can be purchased direct from the manufacturers. Also, many palm trees are produced in Elche, which has the largest palm tree park in Europe and is considered the 'Palm tree park of Europe'.
Fortuna is famous for its hot springs. Water, scarce in this area, flows freely in Fortuna, giving rise to a number of fountains such as la Higuera, la Cueva Negra or los Banos, thermal springs that were already popular in Roman times and which have today converted Fortuna into an important Spanish thermal tourism centre. Visitors can admire the Cortao de las Penas (two mountains split apart by the movement of the earth), or the Humedal del Ajauque and Rambla Salada, protected wetland areas of great beauty. For active holiday lovers surrounding area is ideal for walking or fishing.
Guardamar del Segura is famous for its 840 acres of sand dunes, which have been formed due to eastern winds pushing the sand inland creating dunes over 30 metres high. A beautiful park of pine trees has been created, ´The Park of the Dunes¨, running along its coastal boundary leading to the beautiful beaches and harbour of Guardamar. The harbour has a yacht club with water sports for the adventurous, eg; windsurfing, sailing, canoeing etc. Vineyards for wine production are located close to Guardamar.
La Marina is a small town with beautiful clean beaches, which stretch for over 3 kilometres. Ceramics are produced in La Marina and these can be found in many of the area shops.
La Mata, adjacent to Torrevieja, where the sea is rich in marine flora and fauna and boasts 2 kilometres of sandy beaches. It is a special protected area for birds, eg; the flamingo, osprey and purple heron. The old watch tower, Torre Del Moro, dating back from the 16th century and since renovated, is one of 37 built along the coastline. These towers were used as watch points and, in the case of emergency, messages were sent along the coast via smoke signals by day and firelight at night.
Los Montesinos, is one of the Vega Baja villages , it has a more modern feel than many of the surrounding villages. Part of the new feel of the village is created by the new Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), an impressive building close to the Town Square.
Orihuela Costa is a popular holiday destination with a number of urbanisations each with their own commercial areas consisting of shops, bars and restaurants. A new shopping centre has recently been opened at Punta Prima. Many golden sandy beaches can be found along the 16 km Orihuela coastline which have been awarded the European Blue Flag.
Rafal is located just south of Callosa de Segura in the Vega Baja region of the southern Costa Blanca in the province of Alicante and is a pretty town which welcomes tourist and new residents The town boasts not only a musical academy but also an impressive purpose built auditorium which is part of the new Ayuntamiento building and this was constructed in 1999.
Rojales is situated alongside the river Segura. Rojales has become very popular over recent years and has caves worth a visit, also a golf course and water park.
San Miguel de Salinas is situated 12 km from Torrevieja and is known as being on The Balcony of the Costa Blanca, San Miguel sits of the side of Mount Calvario of the The Alcores Hills and is 100 metres above sea level, the most elevated in the area. It looks out over the fertile plains of the River Segura, the salt lakes and to the coast of the Mediterranean. San Miguel offers many bars and restaurants and Wednesday is Market day. Villamartin Golf Club is the nearest with Las Ramblas and Campoamor a mere 10 minute drive.
Torrevieja is a town with all the facilities for holidaying or living permanently all year round. A number of the town´s beaches have been awarded the European Union blue flag signifying the high standard of cleanliness for swimming and recreation. A water fun park is open throughout the summer months and a funfair on the seafront. The market on the sea front is open all year round and ferries can also be caught from here to the Island of Tabarca. Public transport is very good in the area. The local Salt Lakes are the main industry in the area as salt is extracted from the Salinas of Torrevieja, which has been declared a protected natural park area. The colour of the lakes change due to a microorganism similar to plankton called 'Artemia Salina'.
The City of Orihuela is the principle town of inland Veja Baja (the southernmost district of Alicante) The centre is full of beautiful works of architecture, not just churches and public buildings but houses of nobility too. The area is renowned for its golf and as there are a superb selection of beautiful golf courses in Orihuela Costa; Villa Martin, Las Ramblas and Campoamor.
For further information please visit http://www.comunitatvalenciana.com/ which is the official tourist information site for the Valencia Region.