Practical Information

Practical Information

Your essential guide to the area

Addresses, distances, opening times and/or links to more information – everything you need tot plan your days out, all in one place.

Supermarkets

  • Full Mart — Av. de las Brisas, Vilamartin Plaza. A stone’s throw from the residence, slightly pricier than the larger stores, but ideal for quick top-ups.
  • Mercadona — Ctra. de Vilamartin s/n, C.C. Los Dolses. More than enough for all your daily essentials.
  • Aldi — C. Ramón de Campoamor 2, opposite Centro Comercial La Fuente, Orihuela Costa.
  • Alcampo — La Zenia Boulevard, C. Jade s/n, Dehesa de Campoamor. Very extensive range, including organic (bio) products.
  • Bio Terra La Zenia — Av. de la Playa 1, La Zenia. Small but stocked with well-known organic brands.

Weekly markets

  • San Miguel de Salinas — Wednesday, 8.00–14.00 (5 km).
  • Cabo Roig — Thursday, 8.00–13.00 (7 km).
  • Torrevieja — Friday, 8.00–14.00 (13 km). By far the largest market in the list — well worth a morning.
  • La Mata — Saturday, 8.00–14.00 (16 km).
  • Playa Flamenca — Saturday, 8.00–14.00 (5 km).
Most markets sell fresh produce, clothing and flowers — arrive early in summer, as stalls can pack up around midday.

Indoor daily markets

  • Mercado Central, Alicante — Av. de Alfonso X El Sabio 10. 292 stalls across two floors of a striking 1920s modernist building! Monday to Friday 7.00–14.30, Saturday 7.00–15.00.
  • Santa Pola Central Market — Plaça Maestro Quislant. About 15 stalls, but exceptionally fresh seafood. Monday to Saturday, 7.00–14.00.
  • Mercado Plaza de Barcelona, Elche — 35 stalls. Monday to Saturday 7.00–14.30; on Fridays open until 21.00.
  • Mercado de Verónicas, Murcia — beautiful early 20th-century market hall, open daily until 15.00. (It might still be under construction.)
  • Mercado de Santa Florentina, Cartagena — Calle Juan Fernández. Covered market hall (25 stalls) from 1910, built above Roman and medieval remains. Monday to Saturday, 8.00–14.00.

Activities & bike hire

A taste of what’s on offer:

  • Hot air balloon flights: aeroglobo.com.
  • Adventure at Embalse de la Pedrera: lorufete.com.
  • Check Via Ferrata routes or an easy hiking Via Verde on Google maps around Redován, Elche and Agost.
  • Water sports – Sun Sea Adventures, Cabo Roig Beach for paddle board hire or lessons: sunseaadventure.com
  • Water sports – Jet ski excursions and more, Torrevieja: jetskitorrevieja.com
  • Boat trips to Tabarca (departing Torrevieja, Santa Pola or Alicante): tabarquera.com
  • Visit to the Torrevieja salt lakes and book a train tour (or wine tasting): visitasalinasdetorrevieja.com
  • Bike hire – Lammertink Bikes, C. Ramón de Campoamor 6, Orihuela Costa · +34 665 94 45 88: lammertinkbikes.com
  • Bike hire – MTB Torrevieja, C. Pablo Picasso 25, Torrevieja · +34 618 048 120: mtb-torrevieja.com

City Tourist Information

Official tourism websites for the surrounding cities:

Looking for personal advice closer to home? There’s a Tourist Info point right in Zenia Boulevard (C. Jade 2, Orihuela-Playa) — pop in for maps, brochures and tips for the area.

Golf Courses

A golfer’s paradise right on your doorstep:

Travelling light? Several courses and local companies offer golf club hire, so there’s no need to bring your own set.

Fun with the kids

Just a few of the possibilities:

  • Aquopolis Torrevieja. Water park with slides and pools for all ages, including a dedicated Mini Park and Enchanted Lake for the little ones. Seasonal: open in summer only: torrevieja.aquopolis.es/en
  • Greenlands Blue Lagoon. Mini golf and a Balinese-style restaurant, nearby Palmera Penthouse: greenlandsgolfclub.com
  • Pola Park, Santa Pola. Classic amusement park with roller coasters, bumper cars, go-karts and mini-golf: polapark.com
  • Rio Safari Elche — animal park with a splash park attached: 16 water slides and a dedicated children’s and baby area: riosafari.com
  • Urban Planet, La Zenia Boulevard. Indoor trampoline park in the shopping centre, perfect for a too-hot (or rainy!) day: zeniaboulevard.es
  • Aquarium Municipal, Santa Pola. Small but charming municipal aquarium focused on Mediterranean sea life, easy to combine with a beach day in Santa Pola: turismosantapola.es
  • DinoPark Algar. Life-size moving, roaring dinosaurs along a nature trail (about 1.5 hours’ drive, near Callosa d’en Sarrià — combines nicely with the Algar waterfalls): dinopark.eu
  • El Rancho Horse Riding, Torrevieja. Scenic family horse riding behind the salt lakes, with pony rides for the youngest: costablancainsider.com (via ‘things to do’)
  • Calle Setas (Mushroom Street), Alicante. Avenida de Federico Soto, lined with cheerful, larger-than-life mushroom sculptures. Pick up an ice cream at one of the heladerías and let the children count the mushrooms — a sweet detour on your city trip to Alicante. (Fits nicely with a visit to the castle or the Explanada, both a short walk away.)

Wine Tourism

Wine tastings:

  • Universo Ferris — small vineyard between Torrevieja and Punta Prima. Guided wine experiences among the vines by winemaker Rafa Bernabé, with tastings and Iberian pairing. Reservations: universoferris.com
  • La Mata Wine Tasting — wine tasting in the La Mata nature reserve itself, home to historic vineyards. A guided walk between the vines and the lagoon, followed by a commented tasting of local wines. Bookings via: missflamingo.es
  • Bodegas Faelo — in the countryside near Elche. Certified biodynamic family winery with guided visits and tastings among the vineyards, including tapas with local produce. vinosladama.com/en/winetourism

Bodegas & wine shops:

  • Bodegas Vera — Ctra. San Miguel–Orihuela, km 1 (just outside San Miguel de Salinas). Well-stocked wine shop with an extensive range of Spanish wines, barrel-aged wines and spirits, plus personal advice. Just 10 minutes by car to stock up on a good bottle.
  • Bodega 75, Playa Flamenca — C. Las Orquídeas 4, local 11. Specialist wine shop with a curated range of small Spanish wineries, also delivering in Orihuela Costa: bodega75.com
  • Bodegas Enrique Mendoza — L’Alfàs del Pi, near Benidorm (approx. 1 hour). One of the benchmark wineries of the Alicante region, with guided tours and commented tastings: bodegasmendoza.com/en
  • Jumilla wine region — behind Murcia stretches the famous Monastrell area, from D.O. Bullas in the west to D.O. Yecla in the east. D.O. Jumilla sits at its heart and has an impressive wine route: rutadelvinojumilla.com

Nature & Walking

Nature lovers are spoilt for choice here:

  • Lagunas de La Mata & Torrevieja — the famous pink salt lagoons, home to flamingos and countless wading birds, with walking trails right by the water.
  • El Fondo (El Hondo) — one of Europe’s finest wetland reserves, near Elche. Observation towers and hides for spotting herons, flamingos and rare marsh birds.
  • Salinas de Santa Pola — salt pans teeming with birdlife, just south of Santa Pola — easy to combine with a stroll through town.
  • Clot de Galvany — a peaceful, lesser-known dune reserve with small lagoons and birdwatching hides (north of Santa Pola).
  • San Pedro del Pinatar — where the Mar Menor meets the Mediterranean: dunes, salt flats, traditional fishing and the famous mud baths.

Great walks, just a small pick:

  • Río Seco, Pilar de la Horadada — an easy, rewarding walk through a dry riverbed carved into the rock, 15 minutes from the penthouse.
  • Cima del Picacho — a hilltop hike with sweeping views over the countryside — a real insider tip.
  • Pantà d’Elx (Elche reservoir) — an easy, scenic walk along the water to the foot of the spectacular Elche dam.
  • Pasarela de Relleu — a spectacular footbridge route made up of wooden planks cantilevered over the wall of the canyon — only for those not afraid of hights. Close to Relleu, north of Villajoyosa. Reservations needed: pasareladerelleu.es

Restaurants in populaire stadjes

A personal selection of our favourite places to eat — from authentic Spanish tapas bars to international kitchens. Certainly not a complete overview, but all tried and tested.

Alicante

  • La Taberna San Pascual — authentic tapas, in the heart of the historic centre, Calle  San Pascual 3, Alicante, +34 651 10 17 60.
  • Multiple ice cream shops (Gelateria) — great local ice cream parlours (try the pistachio!), in the ‘Mushroom Street’/ Calle de las Setas / Carrer Sant Francesc, Alicante

Orihuela

  • Restaurante Trocadero — tapas and Spanish dishes. Avenida de España 34, Orihuela.

San Miguel de Salinas

  • Las Cuevas — fine dining inside 500-year-old hand-carved caves. A unique experience, just a short drive away. Booking essential. Calle Torrevieja 1, San Miguel de Salinas, +34 965 03 34 44.

Elche

  • Sal i Fum Restaurante — creative Mediterranean cuisine in the heart of Elche. Slow food at its best: seasonal produce, surprising dishes and a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere. Carrer del Marquès d’Asprella 8, Elche, +34 604 43 32 45.

Murcia

  • Mercado de Verónicas — covered market with food stalls serving small dishes. Calle Plano de San Francisco 10, Murcia.
  • La Púlpito — typically Spanish, plenty of fish dishes. A tip from the locals. Plaza Santa Catalina 6, Murcia.
  • El Pilón de la Negra — Venezuelan restaurant (outdoor, covered seating only) on the edge of Murcia. Calle de Vicente Baeza 2, Murcia, +34 606 67 87 36.

Santa Pola

  • Los Curros — fish dishes with your feet in the sand of the beach. Playa de Calle Levante, Santa Pola, +34 965 41 11 21.
  • Restaurante Batiste — Spanish, plenty of fish dishes, with lovely views over the harbour. Av. Pérez Ojeda 6, Santa Pola, +34 965 41 14 85.

Orihuela Costa & Torrevieja

We’re particularly fond of typical Spanish restaurants, but there are good international options nearby too.

International

  • La Zenia Boulevard — popular with locals and holidaymakers alike. Our favourites: Argentinian Steakhouse (food court, top floor; Calle Salvador Dalí) and La Tagliatella (above MediaMarkt, next to the main entrance), Calle Jade 2. +34 965 35 58 06 / +34 966 77 31 89.
  • The Stray Sod — an Irish café in La Fuente shopping centre, the closest to the residence — great for breakfast. Avenida T. Pichon, top floor, +34 685 64 32 11.

Spanish cuisine

  • La Bahía — right on the beach at Cabo Roig. Tapas and Spanish cuisine. Park on the road and walk down the steps along the rocks (step-free access to the marina side). St. Puerto s/n, Cabo Roig, +34 966 76 19 05.
  • Nautilus — right on the beach, tapas and Spanish dishes. Book a table upstairs for a beautiful view over the coast. Calle Acantilado 1, Urbanización Rocío del Mar, Torrevieja, +34 966 79 83 54.
  • Lizarran — a popular Spanish chain for pinchos; branches nearby at La Zenia and Las Habaneras (Torrevieja). Our favourite is the one at Playa del Cura — the view alone is delicious: Avenida de los Marineros 4, Torrevieja, +34 966 70 18 24.
  • Restaurante La Mirada — at Playa La Zenia. Tapas and paella; it doesn’t get more Spanish than this. P. del Mar 2, La Zenia, +34 966 76 03 85.
  • Nuevo Toñi — tucked away in otherwise unremarkable Albatera, you eat here among the Spaniards. Excellent quality, an enthusiastic host, and remarkably affordable. Calle José Canovas Serna 16, Albatera, +34 650 15 17 75.