Once a thriving fishing town lying to the south of the Valencian Community, Torrevieja has grown to become one of the most popular seaside towns in this beautiful, though bustling area. Surrounded by two large natural salt-water lakes, which form the “Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja” natural park, Torrevieja boasts ecological value by these expanses of water occupying more than half of the municipal district to create a particularly healthy microclimate that has been recommended by medical experts from all around the world.
Introduction
The name Torrevieja comes from the translation of Old Tower, or watchtower, which used to be situated in the vicinity of the Eras de la Sal, or salt flats. The tower was destroyed by an earthquake which also destroyed most of the old town, and had to be demolished. In 1844 the hefty stones were used to re-build the stunning church which still dominates the centre of the city.
Torrevieja has been a salt trading centre recorded throughout history, the first settlement dating from the 18th Century, although development begin in 1803, the date on which the administration of the Royal Saltworks was transferred to Torrevieja from its previous home of La Mata. In 1931 Torrevieja obtained a city charter, granted by King Alfonso XIII.
With its long maritime tradition and its privileged climate and beaches, Torrevieja has become one of the leading tourist areas on the Costa Blanca.
Dynamic, expanding and hospitable, the city of Torrevieja is now enthusiastically embarking on innovative projects that will serve as an added inducement to visitors, supporting the already established cultural, leisure and sports facilities that have already made the area an envy of many.
The Coastline
The coastline of Torrevieja brings together fine sandy beaches and secluded inlets. Practically every beach along the 14km coastline in the area is “Blue Flag” categorised, endorsing the high standard of cleanliness and facilities.
As we travel from North to South, the first beach we visit is that of La Mata, stretching over 2km, making it the longest beach in the area. At it´s southern most point it meats the reclaimed municipal park of “Molino del Agua” or watermill.
Continuing our journey south, we next visit Cape Cervera with its famous watch tower the “Torre del Moro” or Moor´s Tower, dating back to the 14th century. From here we meet with a succession of secluded inlets, such as El Mojon, Zorra, Higuera, Redonda, Gambote, Trabajos and Cornuda, until we reach Salaret Point behind which we find the Playa de los Locos, or “crazy” beach, which despite the name is one of the most popular in the area.
We now pass the Palangre inlet and edge our way round Margalla Point, where we observe the five column monument to the Mediterranean Cultures. Slighly further on, we are now within the city limits, to find the Playa del Cura, or priest´s beach, which boasts a full range of tourist facilities.
Our journey now brings us to the harbour basin of Torrevieja, where a vast array of boats and ships are moored, offering explorations on glass bottomed boats, day trips to the island of Tabarca or just a walk around the Delfin class submarine which has a permanent home for visitors in the harbour.
As we pass the marinas of the harbour, we find the slim beach of Playa del Acequion which loosely translates to the beach of the irrigation ditch or dyke, though it is in fact a pretty, though small area to relax.
Having moved past the harbour, alongside the Muelle de Poniente or Western Wharf, we arrive at the Playa de los Naufragos or Castaway´s Beach, with fine sand and gentle incline extending to a rocky area.
As our journey continues south, we leave the city limits and arrive at the southernmost stretch of coastline, where we find the stunning Prima Point area, then onto the Ferris Inlet which boasts a coastline of palm trees offering a beautiful tropical image.
Things to do
As a result of its warm, dry climate, Torrevieja plays host to a wide range of open-air activities as well as offering some of the best indoor sports and leisure facilities that make the area the envy of its neighbours.
From the beautiful harbour there are boats offering excursions across the bay of Torrevieja, day trips to the island of Tabarca as well as trips on glass bottomed vessels to provide an opportunity for discovery and learning. The harbour also plays host to a decommissioned Spanish submarine, donated to the city by the Spanish Navy, which is now a permanent fixture offering visitors the chance to take a tour of this fascinating once under-water city.
Torrevieja has a massive water park spread over some 115,000 square metres, featuring a wide range of spectacular slides and pools giving the chance to cool yourself down in the hot summer sun.
All around the town you will find numerous establishments offering a wide range of food, drink and social activities, with pavement terraces where you can pass the hours over dinner, enjoy an ice cream or just relax with a drink. Whatever your culinary preference, Torrevieja will have something to suit your palette.
If shopping is your forte, the newly launched Habaneras shopping centre is the place to visit. With a wide array of stores offering designer clothing, sports equipment, electronics and even DIY, this centre has many choice stores spread over its three floors that are sure to take you to shopping heaven.
Alongside the Habaneras centre is the well established Ozone and municipal leisure centre, featuring a wealth of restaurants from Fried Chicken to Italian and the extremely popular casino.
There are also a large selection of supermarkets and hypermarkets in the area, such as the popular Carrefour, where you can shop for everything from bread to fridge freezers. The area also plays host to open-air markets, the most popular being in the vicinity of the bus station on Fridays, which is reported to be one of the largest open-air markets in Spain. There is an open-air market in La Mata on Wednesdays and on the outer regions on Sundays. In the town itself we have the Mercado de Abastos, or covered market, where produce from sea and land are offered. You will find the prices at all the markets a refreshing surprise, especially considering that most of the merchandise is locally grown or produced.
Near the harbour area is the well known night market, though it is open in a smaller scale in the afternoon, where local handicrafts can be purchased, from leather goods, clothing to typical local products like the salt boats, unique to this area, where frames are submerged in the salt lakes and become encrusted with white salt crystals.
Having shopped at the night market, enjoyed a drink in one of the many bars and taken a leisurely stroll along the harbour wall, you can complete your evening excursion by a visit to the fairground, located alongside the market place at the harbour. Here we find a range of facilities to suit all age groups, from the dodgems to the ghost train as well as pick-a-prize games.
