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Population:
45.000 (estimated)
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Video Orihuela Costa
Orihuela Costa consists of:
Location: Coast
Torrevieja: 8 km
Vliegveld Alicante: 50 km
Orihuela Costa in a nutshell:
The Orihuela Costa is a strange phenomenon for two reasons. The sixteen kilometer stretch of coastline between the important tourist town of Torrevieja in the north and Pilar de la Horadada in the south remained virtually unexplored well into the twentieth century. The slightly more than 5,000 people who lived there in the year 2000 mainly had their homes right along the coast. The huge hinterland on the other side of the coastal road N-332 was largely vacant. The enormous potential for mass tourism was only addressed when the interest of Europeans in owning a (second) home under the Spanish sun exploded. According to official figures from 2018, the Orihuela Costa now has more than 20,000 inhabitants, but because many home owners commute between their country of origin and their holiday home, the actual number of inhabitants is estimated at more than 45,000.
The Orihuela Costa is also remarkable for geographic reasons. The area, which includes urbanisations such as Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Villamartin, Cabo Roig and Campoamor, is administratively under the municipality of Orihuela. This old, historic city is located no less than 35 kilometers inland. For the residents of this Costa, there is therefore little affinity with the 'mother municipality'. Usually the relationship with Orihuela is limited to a day trip or a (necessary) visit to the annex of the town hall, which is located along the N-332 in Playa Flamenca.
There is a much stronger connection with Torrevieja, which is a stone's throw away. Both Torrevieja and the Orihuela Costa benefit from the mutual interaction between the two. It consists of work, tourism, amenities, nightlife and so on. The mutual cross-fertilization simply means that the two tourist areas help each other to offer more and more visitors in the future.
A fact that is often overlooked is that the eleven beaches and coves on the Orihuela Costa have more blue flags per kilometer for quality and amenities than anywhere else in Spain. Here is a brief description of the different sandy beaches:
Over the past twenty years, construction activities have kept pace with the amenities that new residents demand from a tourist area. All over the Orihuela Costa, small and medium-sized shopping centers have sprung up where shopping and inviting terrace life go hand in hand. With the realization of the La Zenia Boulevard shopping center in 2012, this resulted in the largest and most popular center of its kind. The formula of an extensive range of shops with countless restaurants and terraces, play areas for children and a range of cultural events has now more than proven its worth.
The nightlife is within walking distance almost everywhere on the Orihuela Costa. There are plenty of bars, terraces and restaurants. An important location for a bite to eat or a café visit, with or without karaoke or live music, is the so-called Cabo Roig strip. Here are dozens of choices for a culinary exploration. Anyone walking along the strip past the many Indian eateries will find it hard to understand that at the turn of the century there was only one Indian restaurant on the entire Orihuele Costa.
A still popular destination for the inner man is the Villamartin Plaza. This somewhat older complex is set up as a gigantic, typically Spanish, courtyard with palm trees and water features. The intimate setting attracts many people to the Plaza both during the day and in the evening for a snack or a drink. Despite the competition from newer entertainment centers, the Villamartin Plaza still has great appeal and even hosts concerts of international stars on a regular basis.
For everyday shopping you never have to travel far on the Orihuela Costa. All major supermarket chains have several branches there. In Playa Flamenca there is now also an international supermarket where popular items from the home country can be stocked. This supermarket mainly has many Dutch, German and Scandinavian products on its shelves.
This Costa also has two weekly markets: in Cabo Roig on Thursdays and in Playa Flamenca on Saturdays. Also read our complete overview of all weekly markets in the region.
The large amount of golf courses is an important reason for home buyers to choose the Orihuela Costa. In addition, people who want to rent out their home from time to time have a popular audience of golf enthusiasts here. The Orihuela Costa can without exaggeration be called the heart of the golf courses in the southern Costa Blanca. Players have a choice of four beautiful courses. Here's a brief description:
Check out our page on these golf courses and many other courses in the region for more information.
Both in and on the water and on the mainland, the Orihuela Costa has a lot to offer sports enthusiasts. The range of water sports activities is often arranged from the two marinas. The marina in Cabo Roig and the Club Nautico in Dehesa de Campoamor also offer beginners courses for various water sports. In addition, motor boats are rented there. No special qualification is required for smaller vessels, but it is mandatory for longer vessels. The marinas also rent out sailing boats. In some cases this can be done with a complete, competent crew.
The sports enthusiasts can participate in include: jet ski, parasailing, snorkeling and water skiing. There are also two qualified companies in the area, dedicated to courses in scuba diving for beginners and advanced. These two dive centers also organize underwater trips all along the coast from Torrevieja to Cartagena in the province of Murcia.
The municipal sports center has been located on the mainland in the Las Piscinas district since 2010. It houses many amenities, such as a 25 meter long swimming pool, three paddle tennis courts, two tennis courts and two fields where various ball sports such as volleyball, basketball and handball can be played. It also has an artificial grass football field, two fields for 7 a side football and a 550 meter long track for running.
On the Orihuela Costa, swimmers who prefer a pool to a dip in the sea can also visit several pools, which also feature bars, restaurants and entertainment. Over the years, further activities such as a sailing regatta, a beach volleyball tournament and fun runs have been added to the sports calendar.
The long path running parallel to the coast is an attractive place for walks or joggers. The route runs along the coastline of the entire Orihuela Costa and for the enterprising walkers also goes north in Torrevieja and south towards Pilar de la Horadada. Along the way there are countless possibilities to relax on a nearby terrace.
Hikes of a completely different kind can be taken in the hinterland in the Sierra de Escalona. This nature reserve stretches a few kilometers inland from San Miguel de Salinas along the Orihuela Costa to Pilar de la Horadada. The fairly narrow ridge is the habitat of the most diverse types of birds, including many birds of prey and various mammals.
Cycling enthusiasts have the advantage that the Orihuela Costa is a flat area. That makes it fairly easy to move between the different urbanisations. Special cycling routes have been set out at various places in Campoamor, Cabo Roig, la Zenia, Playa Flamenca and Villamartin. It is very relaxed in the various spas and wellness centers. Mostly anti-stress programs and relaxation therapies from both western and oriental cultures are offered.
If you want to boost your adrenaline levels a little, you can do so at Go Karts along the N-332 at Playa Flamenca. In addition to a go-kart track, there is a quad track, an area where paintball can be played, trampolines and a bouncy castle for children and a wind tunnel for skydivers.
For a lively and colorful party, the streets of Cabo Roig have been a good place to be for several years on March 17. Then St. Patrick's Day is celebrated. This is the festival that Irish people around the world celebrate in honor of their most important patron saint. These festivities on the Orihuela Costa have quickly become one of the largest in Europe.
