Orihuela Costa

With about 320 days of sunshine, it’s the most popular stretch of the Costa Blanca. With leisure harbours, golf courses, a shopping centre and a variety of tempting restaurants.

The Orihuela Costa stretches in a triangle from the city of Orihuela to the 16 kilometres of coastline panning the Mediterranean. The varied landscape combines sierras, orchards and palm groves, but it’s the succession of resort towns, rocky headlands and sandy coves that have made it popular with tourists. Many of the resorts have disabled facilities (like the lifts up the seawall surrounding Punta Prima), kid’s playgrounds and a range of sports amenities, making the area attractive to people at all stages of life, from young families to retirees.

Popular areas include Playa De Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Campoamor, Playa Mil Palmeras, Pilar de la Horadada and Torrevieja. There’s plenty of variation; Campoamor is a resort with a leisure harbour whereas the Playa Flamenco has a string of white sandy coves with shallow paddling flats. Pilar de la Horadada combines a quiet old town with beaches and a marina at Torre de la Horadada. Originally a salt-mining centre, Torrevieja is now a bustling metropolis and one of the fastest growing cities in Spain.

Coastal walking and cycling paths run through the nearby pine woods and protected sand dunes. You’re never far from the popular La Zenia Boulevard shopping centre and a lively strip of restaurants and bars. The rich cultural and historical past of Orihuela has left a large number of monuments including Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance churches, convents and palaces. Sports include golfing, water sports, horse riding and tennis. The diet in Orihuela is a healthy Mediterranean one rich in fish, vegetables, olive oil, rice and fruit. The local Jalon valley produces a very fine Moscatel wine.