Places to Visit
Torrevieja
The tourist resort of Torrevieja comes alive in the summer months, when open air cafes and ice cream parlours
fill the streets around the port. On Fridays you can visit the huge street market situated on the newly constructed
promenade. Various pavement artists and a funfair (7pm-1am) add colourful character, whilst many bars and disco clubs stay open well into the next morning.
Torrevieja esplanade
Murcia City
Murcia is a wonderfully satisfying tourist city : there is so much to see and yet all of it is
within easy walking distance. Wander at leisure around the shops, parks and museums, and when it all
becomes too much, take long retreats in the cafes, bars and ice cream parlours.
Holy week and springtime are the best times to visit to see the explosive fiestas and processions
that line the streets.
The city also has an abundance of Baroque architecture and art to see, and can all be
captured in the Museo de la Cuidad. The cathedral, Bishop's palace and the lovely oval
Iglesia de San Juan de Dios are all worth a visit.
Alicante
Spend a full day exploring beautiful Alicante on foot : shopping along the trendy Calle Mayor in the morning ; a beach in the afternoon, then visit the old town, Castle and Museum of 20th Century Art in the early evening.
The 'Museo Arqueologico de Alicante' gives a modern spectacular insight into Roman, Muslim and Medieval Alicante.
Later, stroll back towards the old town through the central market, selling everything from paella pans to traditional 'apargatus', shoes sold direct from the factory. Walk past the 19th century theatre down the busy rambla and arrive at San Nicholas the town's 17th century cathedral, boasting typical Spanish Baroque architecture. Carry on down the pedestrianised Calle Mayor, the city's main shopping street to explore the Barrio Santa Cruz, originally the muslim part of the town and now the most atmospheric.
After a short walk back towards the castle, you can visit the Pozos de Garrigos, four giant urn-like water cisterns built underground by the Muslims to catch water as it poured down the mountains after heavy rainfall. Only rediscovered in 1861, the cisterns are an ingenious piece of engineering and here there is a small exibition inside.
Finish your evening walk with a short stroll down the seafront esplanade where you can enjoy a well-earned meal in one of the seafront restaurants - or if your'e feeling really up for a party, take the Hydrofoil over to Ibiza and loose yourself in Europe's biggest club scene!
Alicante harbour
La Salinas de Torrevieja and La Mata
A short 5 minute drive north from Torrevieja town are the saltwater lagoons of
Salines de Torrevieja, La Mata, and Laguna El Hondo. These areas of natural beauty
have now been given nature reserve status and are host to interesting bird life,
including Flamingos, Pelicans and various wading birds which can be best viewed in
the migratory seasons of Spring and Autumn.
In Torrevieja itself, the Museo del Mar y Sal gives interesting insight into how the
million tons of salt are extracted every year from the lagoons and the ecology of the area.
Down the Segura Valley - Calasparra to Murcia City.
The drive down the dramatically beautiful Segura valley to Murcia city can be completed in 2 hours, but is more enjoyable taken slowly over the course of the day. You can also continue past historic Orihuela to an unusual Mediterranean garden at Jacarilla. Following rivers is one of the best ways to explore Spain. The Segura is no exception.
Places of interest along the way include, the Cañon de los Almudenes, the Muslim citadel of Sisaya, Europe's largest working water wheel at Aberan and the 'belle epoque' town of Archena with its 19th century hotels and spa.
(More information and route directions for this tour can be found in the villa guide on-site).
Santa Pola and Tabarca Island
From Santa Pola harbour you can catch the ferry across to the island of Tabarca which Charles III fortified and settled with Genoese prisoners in the 18th century. The walled town now
looks like a grandoise folly, and the unfinished church still remains from more turbulent times.
The island breezes are refreshing, especially between July and August, and the gentle sloping beaches
safe for children. Beneath the waters of Tabarca, around the small coves, lies an abundance of marine life
making snorkelling and scuba-diving a great pleasure, with even the odd turtle still in residence!
The Tabarca Ferry
Benidorm
Allow 3 hours drive north to the 'Vegas of Europe'. It's easy to knock Benidorm - particularly if you have never been there, but anyone that has will admit there's a fascination in the style with which Benidorm, like Vegas, does it!
One of the largest resorts in the world, it is a huge fun-factory, from the 52-storey Hotel Bali, through the Terra Mitica, europe's largest theme park, to 'New Benidorm' and Levante Beach with its disco bars, salsa joints and night clubs. If you can stick the pace through the night, finish off with an early morning hot chocolate at one of the cafe bars along the main road in Villajoyosa!
(More information on this resort can be found in the villa guide on-site).