Spanish Property Alicante - Vega Baja - Towns and Maps

Vega Baja

La Vega Baja is the southernmost district of Alicante. The coastline and its beaches are superb and consequently heavily developed with well established tourist centres such as Torrevieja and Guardamar del Segura. Inland, the plains of Vega Baja are watered by the River Segura which splits the area in two and enters the sea at Guardamar. These fertile plains are used to grow a large proportion of Alicante’s fruit and vegetables.

The Coast
Between the centres of Torrevieja and Guadamar del Segura and strectching down to the border with Murcia, are a string of superb beaches with white sand lapped by the tranquil Mediterranean sea. If you’re looking for your own private paradise, you’ll be disappointed. Tourism and development are the key words here. But if you want to relax in the sun within easy reach of services, the beaches are ideal. There are two marinas along this stretch of coast offering the chance to pursue a range of water sports, from jet-skiing to scuba diving. Some are more popular than others, but whichever beach you pick, you can be sure to be within easy reach of a variety of hotels and amenities.

Torrevieja
The town of Torrevieja situated just 35 kilometres south of Alicante airport is a popular year-round holiday destination. It is difficult to believe that 200 years ago, there was only an old watch tower and a couple of houses here. The salt flats behind Torrevieja led to the rapid development of the town and port, today it is the biggest producer of salt in Europe. Tourism is the other big business in Torrevieja and people flock here every year to soak up the sun on its gorgeous beaches. The salt water lakes absorb water from the atmosphere and create a special microclimate which is widely regarded to be beneficial for sufferers of rheumatism, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. The salt lakes are now a nature reserve, attracting a diverse range of migratory and nesting birds. Torrevieja has a huge variety of Spanish and international restaurants as well as historic sites worthy of interest including the town’s casino.
There are a number of golf courses within easy reach of Torrevieja including Las Ramblas, Campoamor and Villamartin. Villamartin is the closest, being 8km away.
Torrevieja is conveniently located 27km from Murcia’s San Javier airport and 34km from Alicante airport on the main N332 coast road.
There is a wide range of shops in Torrevieja, a few of them specializing in British and German goods.
A huge street market takes place every Friday. You can buy anything from clothes and jewellery to Spanish handicrafts and local fresh produce.
In the town centre is an indoor market selling a mind-boggling range of seafood straight off the boats at very cheap prices. There is also a daily seafront market with stalls displaying clothes and leather goods.
There are plenty of sporting facilities including sailing schools and diving clubs, horse riding stables, tennis courts and gymnasiums.

Guardamar del Segura
Located at the mouth of the River Segura, Guardamar del Segura is another tourist honey pot. Guardamar was originally situated further inland but after it was destroyed by the 1829 earthquake, the town was rebuilt closer to the coast. The Dunas de Guardamar is a woodland park by the coast that was created at the end of the last century when rows of pine trees were planted to prevent the advancing sands from the beach encroaching on the town. The park is a lovely place to walk through, its fauna includes red squirrels and black swans. Guardamar has plenty of beautiful, sandy beaches, backed by large stretches of sand dunes; the most popular are the Centro and Roqueta beaches whilst those next to the mouth of the river tend to be quieter. The town is well developed and the beaches are backed by modern hotels and apartments, though the centre of the old town retains its original Spanish charm. Guardamar’s population of 10,000 includes a large number of British expatriates.
La Marquesa Golf Club is just 6km from Guardamar.
Easily reached from Alicante, Guardamar is 23km from the airport, or 35km from Murcia’s San Javier airport, linked by the main N332 coast road.
Guardamar has a mixture of international restaurants and typical Spanish bars as well as plenty of supermarkets supplying local produce and imported products from other European countries.
On Wednesday afternoons, the streets are transformed by the hustle and bustle of the weekly market and on Sundays the “rastra”, the flea market, takes place.

Los Montesinos lies between Torrevieja and Guardamar, behind the salt lakes. Originally an agricultural town, the expanding tourist industry is now the main focus for the town’s inhabitants.
A fairly small town with 2800 inhabitants, Los Montesinos is served by Torrevieja, 8km away.
It’s market is held every Friday evening.
Club de Golf La Finca is a few kilometres from Los Montesinos and La Marquesa Golf Club is a 15 minute drive away.
The town is 35km from San Javier airport and 42km from Alicante airport.

San Miguel de Salinas is another agricultural town across the salt lake from Torrevieja, its main interest being its position on the shores of the lake. With a population of 4000, San Miguel offers plenty of shops, bars and supermarkets, with a mrket being held each Wednesday. The amenities in Torrevieja are 12km away.
Villamartin golf club is a couple of kilometres from San Miguel. Campoamor and Las Ramblas Golf Clubs are a ten minute drive away.
The town is 30km from San Javier airport and 38km from Alicante airport. It is located about 5km of the main N332 coastal road.

Rojales used to be a traditional farming village. The demands of the tourist industry on the coast have caused it to expand and it is now a town with a large sports hall, a theatre and large residential areas for people working in the service sector. A couple of kilometers from Rojales is the village of Benijofar. Both towns have attracted a large expatriate community but they are quieter than nearby Torrevieja and Guadamar.
There are plenty of shops and supermarkets catering to the needs of expatriates. Amenities include a 24 our filling station, an internet café and an international pub. The services offered by Torrevieja and Guardamar are a 20 minute drive away.
Rojales holds a market every Thursday.
La Finca Algorfa and La Marquesa Golf Clubs are a few minutes drive away.
The towns are within easy reach of airports, Alicante’s being 29km away and Murcia’s 35km.
Main roads ensure that Benijofar and Rojales are easily accessible, well connected with both the coastal towns of the Costa Blanca as well as inland Vega Baja.

Inland
The River Segura is the life blood of the Vega Baja, where the economy inland is mainly agricultural. The river is channeled by thousands of irrigation ditches, the origins of which are Roman and Moorish. The area is almost completely flat and the irrigation channels allow water flow to the soil in what is otherwise a dry, temperate climate. As such, the plains of the Vega Baja are rich and fertile, producing the bulk of the Alicante Province’s fresh produce.

Orihuela
Orihuela is the principle town of inland Vega Baja. There are some architectural gems in the old city where superb churches and buildings of Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance origin can be seen. The Santiago church is the building where the Catholic Monarchs held a general parliament in 1488 in order to generate funds to finance the movement that was to culminate in the conquest of Granada in 1492. A custom unique to Orihuela can be seen at the Burial Procession at Easter, when one of the procession’s floats contains a representation of the “Diablesa” – the female form of the devil. There is also a statue of the Diablesa in the town.
Orihuela has all the amenities you would expect from a town of 56,000 people, including a hospital, a good selection of shops and banks, supermarkets.
A good time to visit Orihuela is Tuesday, when a market is held.
La Finca Algorfa Golf Club is 18km from Orihuela.
Orihuela is easily accessible, situated inland on the N340, 5km from the A7, the motorway that runs between Murcia and Alicante. It is 22km from Murcia and 59km from Alicante. San Javier airport is 38km away.

Founded by the Moors, Redovan is sequestered on a sparsely vegetated plain at the foot of the Segura Sierra, close to Orihuela. Redovan is famous for its hemp and cotton and its production of espadrilles and ceramics. At the end of September, an exhibition of hemp products is displayed to celebrate St. Michael. Redovan is a small town with a population of 5600.
4km north of Redovan is the town of Cox. Originally a Moorish farmstead, Cox is near to the Sierra de Callosa. There are caves nearby where potholing can be done. Cox has a fifteenth century fortified palace built on a ridge that has recently been restored. There is also a hermitage near to the palace.
The village of Benferri with a population of 1000 is located on the edge of the district, north of Orihuela, near to the border with Murcia. It is conveniently situated on the A7 motorway. The village developed around a small tower that housed 29 families in the 16th century.
Redovan and Cox both have their own shops and supermarkets. It is 6km from the service centre of Orihuela.
Alicante and its airport are 52km away. It is easily accessible via the N340 or the A7 motorway.
Albatera Golf Club is 15km away.

Albatera
North of Cox, the wide streets of Albatera, lined with palm trees and its white-washed houses make the town a pleasant place to visit. On the town square there is a church with a splendid baroque door, intricately crafted in stone. In July, the town honours St James the Apostle with a week of open air celebrations including novilladas, when novice bullfighters challenge young bulls.
Close to Albatera, the village of San Isidro was established in 1959, after a law was passed to encourage settlements in marshy areas. San Isidro is clearly the work of town planners, its white houses are built on a grid of identical streets.
Albatera has a population of 9000 and has a good infrastructure. Orihuela is 12km away.
Situated on the N340, Albatera is within easy reach of Alicante (41km) and Murcia (37km).
Albatera Golf club is 5km away.

East of Albatera, is Catral, a small town in the heart of the Vega Baja. the fertile lands around Catral mean that the area relies largely on agriculture for its subsistence. The Hondo Reservoir is nearby and there are various trails that lead to it, allowing enjoyable walks through the countryside.

East of Catral, the village of Dolores was established when the marshy land of the Vega Baja was drained at the beginning of the eighteenth century so that the marshy areas of the Vega Baja could be used for farming. Livestock are farmed around Dolores and a large cattle fair is held there in August.
Dolores and Catral each have about 5000 inhabitants. Being inland, the population is mainly local.
The service centre of Almoradi is a 15 minute drive away.
The towns are fairly accessible, positioned on national roads that run through the area
La Finca Algorfa Golf Club is 7km away.

Dotted along the southern banks of the River Segura is a string of towns and villages that take advantage of their riverside location to produce large quantities of citrus fruits.

Algorfa lies on the banks on the Segura. One of Vega Baja’s citrus farming villages with a population of 1000, Algorfa is situated amongst lush and fertile countryside. Just outside the town is an unusual neo-gothic church that was built at the beginning of the nineteenth century and is worth visiting. Algorfa holds a market on Sundays. Travelling further inland, we come to Benejúzar, a semi industrial town with 5000 inhabitants and then Jacarilla which is close to the Palace of the Marquis of Fontabla, with its extensive gardens. Next is Bigastro, an industrial town on the Segura, in the centre of the Vega Baja. Nearby is La Pedrera, a recreation area with mountain bike trails, walking trails along with barbeque and camping areas.
The towns and villages are within 20km of the service centres of Orihuela and Almoradi.
The area is well connected to the main roads of the area.
Alicante and Murcia airports are less than 50km away.
La Finca Algorfa Golf Club at Algorfa is the nearest golf club to all of the towns.

Almoradi
On the northern side of the Segura, the town of Almoradí contains some interesting architecture including the Church of San Andrés and the casino. If drama interests you, excellent Spanish plays can be enjoyed at the Cortés Theatre. A water tribunal operates in Almoradí to settle disputes over irrigation. The tribunal is an historic institution, reflected in the fact that it imposes fines not in euros or even pesetas but in Vellón reals - old Spanish coins.
Almoradi has 13,000 inhabitants, its inland location makes it a quieter alternative to the coastal towns.
An excellent market is held there every Saturday.
It is a 25 minute drive to the tourist centre of Torrevieja.
La Finca Algorfa Golf Club is a few minutes from Algorfa, La Marquesa, Albatera, Villamartin, Campoamor and Las Ramblas Golf Clubs are all within 25 minutes drive.
Alicante airport is less than 40km away, San Javier airport less than 50km.

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