Torrevieja, Costa Blanca, Spain

Torrevieja Tourist Information

Torrevieja, fabulous beaches, fantastic weather ( the best climate in Europe according to the World Health Organisation ),great golf and sports, friendly people and very "Spanish". Where do you start to describe Torrevieja ? I could not find one major tour operator with holidays here, yet everything is in place for a fantastic time.

Torrevieja is full of history, from the Roman pier at La Mata to wonderful churches. Surrounded by the famous salt lagoons of Torrevieja and La Mata, designated as National Nature Parks ( over 250 different bird species have been sighted here ), they export the salt worldwide.

Torrevieja as a town dates from the early 18th century when it was a fishing village built around one of the watchtowers that flanks the Costa Blanca coastline.  This watchtower was called the "Old Tower" or la Torre Vieja, because of the bad condition that it was in, and this is where the village took its name from. From the very beginning, the people of Torrevieja have carried out three main professions; sailors, fishermen and salt workers. The men from Torrevieja were ship builders and great sailors who transported wine, salt and flat roof tiles to America and the Phillipines.  They had a long tradition of exporting salt to Cuba, and that is how the typical songs form La Habana came to us from the sailors of Torrevieja. These men used to do what we call "night fishing," where an artificial light was used to attract fishes like red mullets to the nets. The salt works started to be developed in the 18th century when large amounts of salt were discovered in the lagoon.  Today, the salt works in Torrevieja are considered to be the most important in the world, after the Dead Sea.

Torrevieja General Information

Torrevieja Distances;

Torrevieja is situated on the coast in the Southern Costa Blanca region. It is surrounded by two natural saltwater lagoons, which form the "Salterns of Torrevieja" considered the biggest in Europe. Located just 47kms from Alicante (the provincial capital) with its international airport, & 35kms from San Javier international airport in Murcia, it is ideally located for a 2nd home/short breaks alike. Its climate is dry & equable throughout the year with over 300 days of sunshine.

Torrevieja was the home port of the largest fleet of sailing boats in the Mediterranean. Today the esteemed Real Club Nautico of Torrevieja & Puerto Deportivo marina hold in excess of 1500 mooring places of high quality. Smaller marinas are dotted along the coastline (many within easy reach of the town).

Among the opportunities for recreation, the town has easy access to some of the best golf courses around. Villamartin (hosted the '94 Mediterranean Open), Las Ramblas, Quesada, Campoamor, & the newly built La Finca course are all less than 15 minutes drive away. Further a field is the renowned La Manga Golf Club. A multitude of tennis clubs, a flying club, municipal football stadium, bull-ring, water-park, fairground, theatre & several cinemas are also in place.

Torrevieja has some interesting Fiestas throughout the year. with visitors from all over Spain and the world!

Torrevieja has history dating back to the 18th Century, with the odd roman ruin thrown in!

Torrevieja has a population of 100,000 inhabitants during the low season and 500,000 in the high season.  There is a saying which describes the town as "white of salt, tan of sun" and this is written on the city shield and reminds us of the city's  basic elements; the sun and the salt.

The town's salt is exported to northern Europe, Canada, the United States and Western Africa and is used for a variety of purposes such as a dressing for salting meat and fish, in industries as a water softener, and in colder countries it is used on their icy roads and airport runways.  In African countries it is used as a fridge, to conserve food and prevent it from dehydrating.

THE BEACHES

All of the Valencian coast beaches are controlled by the European Community which sets quality levels for the swimming areas.  The most prestigious award is the European Clean Water Blue Flag, which means that the beach has achieved an optimum level for swimming and recreational activities.  The Valencian coastline has 94 blue flag beaches, several of which are here in Torrevieja, such as Los Locos beach, El Cura beach, Los Náufragos beach and the Royal Nautical Club.

Enjoy the fantastic beaches in Torrevieja area. You can start in the sandy La Mata beach (to the north). It is the longest beach of Torrevieja and a full range of facilities are available there.

Los Locos is a golden sandy beach with a typical calm and clean blue mediterranean sea. There are small creeks to the north of the beach all the way to Cabo Cervera.

El Cura is another sandy beach with a bustling atmosphere and a lovely Palm Tree environment where you will find many restaurants and bars to enjoy the traditional local dishes like Paella and taste exquisite tapas and sangría.

Los Naufragos beach (to the south), is the one with more sport activities in the area. The nearly white sand and clean blue waters make this beach an ideal place to relax.

THE HOLIDAYS

Torrevieja has different holidays throughout the year.  The Holy Week with its processions attracts tens of thousands of people into the streets.  During the month of May, the town enjoys one week of the purest Andalusian music and dance, when more than 300,000 people gather in the town dressed in their traditional costumes and dance the famous Sevillanas.  The atmosphere is completed with horse parades and the tasting of fine wines.  In July, there is the Virgen del Carmen fiesta (the patron saint of fishermen and sailors) which involves eating paella and an array of nautical activities.  And finally in December, there are the traditional patron saint's days in honour of the Immaculate Conception

SPORTS, LEISURE AND SERVICES

Torrevieja and its surrounding areas play host to three prestigious golf courses, where both national and international championships are held.  A total of 54 holes, covering an area of 1,700,000 m² give shape to the Villamartin, Las Ramblas and Campoamor golf courses.  The International Sports Harbour Marina offers the chance to practice different water sports, along with several hundred high quality berths.

Torrevieja Excursions

There are loads of day trips and excursions you can take, why not go inland, where you will probably be the only tourist and will enjoy the peace and tranquility of fantastic forests and mountains. Even  boat trips from the marina to the beautiful Isla deTabarca. If you or the kids get bored try the water parks, safari parks, go-carting or local theme parks. For the shoppers among you there are loads of bargains try the perfume shops or even the sports shops, plus of course the street markets. Throw in a few small museums and you've got everything you need for a perfect holiday. How about a day out Fishing Spain?

Information provided from:     http://www.apartmentspain.co.uk/torrevieja.htm