Twenty five minutes drive from the beautiful city of Alicante on the Costa Blanca in Spain, but still in the Alicante province is a haven steadily growing in popularity, this is a town called Torrevieja (pronounced Torrevieka). I have been visiting the area for nearly 11 years now, my last visit was in September of this year with my husband, my 21mth old daughter and my two little sisters.

My husband introduced me to the resort as my father in law owned an apartment in an area called Playa Flamenca, to the South of the town. It’s a working town, originally created to house and entertain the employees of one of Europes most important salt industries. Since then it has steadily grown in popularity, providing beautiful but affordable second homes for those lucky enough to be able to purchase one, it has also become ‘the’ place to retire for many of our older generation.

The scale on which new houses and apartments are being built is truly remarkable – over the next five years permission has been given to build another 250,000 new villas and apartments along this section of Costa Blanca coastline. With this in mind, it is easy to imagine the place to be overcrowded and full of tourists but this is not the case. Yes, the roads are very busy in the peak summer months but it’s not naturally a tourist resort, it’s primarily a residential area therefore there are only a tiny handful of small hotels in the area. Most people visit the area for the four World Championship golf courses located within a fifteen minutes drive of each other.

People travel to the lagoons to cover themselves in the mud that surrounds the lagoon, and then bathe in the water itself which reputedly minimises the symptoms of diseases such as arthritis and the like. Amazingly, the salt lagoons coupled with the climate reputedly gives the area the second healthiest climate in the world. The area is also very well known for its four Championship golf courses, details further down the page. This also, is where the Spaniards come for their holidays!

From the Airport is it very easy to get to Torrevieja, having to travel along one main road only. The N332 is the main road running past the airport and out to the historical area of Cartagena (and the famous golfing resort of La Manga), which is well worth a visit should you have the time. The road has also been re-routed slightly over the past year or so which has shortened the journey even further, we got from airport to resort in less than 30 minutes. Benidorm is about an hours drive in the opposite direction from the airport.

CAR HIRE
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At the airport there are a number of hire car companies to suit your needs; car hire starts from around £65 for a Vauxhall Corsa equivalent, which is quite cheap. There are also a couple of very reasonably priced local companies on the Internet who can deliver the car to your apartment/hotel or you can collect at the airport. All in all it is well worth hiring a car, although there is a very good and cheaply priced bus service into the town and beyond, but if you get a chance you should explore the surrounding areas.

ACCOMMODATION:
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The beauty of Torrevieja is that even though there is so much building work going on at present it has still kept that unspoilt feel about it; it is still very much a residential area and because of this, there are only handful of small hotels in the area, the main one being La Zenia which can be found in selected travel brochures. This hotel has its facilities open to the public and is very much self-contained, with bars and entertainment, children’s clubs and is located next to the beach. There is also a pharmacy and bank and a few shops located within five minutes walking distance of the hotel also.

Accommodation (booked private and not via a travel agent) costs approx. £250 for a two/three bed apt with communal pool - this is per week and not per person! Flights, depending on the time of year are approx. £160 per person (based on departures from Manchester Airport).

Torrevieja has outstanding monuments such as the Modernist Casino and the church of the Inmaculada Concepción in the main town square. There is also the Monument to the Chorister and the Museum of Sea and Salt, where the history of sea-life and of the salt-extraction industry are exhibited, which make up the history of Torrevieja. The town centre is also packed with gift shops and boutiques, selling almost everything imaginable. Alicante City itself is well worthy of a day-visit.

There are great pizzerias (El Puerto being the best, located on a verandah alongside the boats in the harbour) as well as a fantastic Chinese restaurant which does a three course meal for around £6 a head by the sea front as well as lots of eateries specialising in local delicacies. If American food is more your style you can find a McDonalds or BurgerKing in the area! All in all there are more restaurants to shake a stick at and if I remember correctly, at last count there were well over 200 eateries in the area!

BEACHES:
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The area is renowned for its blue flag beaches, two of our favourites are to be found at Playa Flamenca, which have sun loungers and umbrellas for hire for the ridiculous sum of £8.00 per day, plus a beach café/bar which sells drinks as well as a good lunch/dinner. If you want to hire a sunlounger its best to get there before 10am. La Zenia and Punta Prima also boast good beaches, but if you explore the coast road you will find lots to choose from; some more deserted than others!

GENERAL INFO:
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The last time we visited Torrevieja after a break of a couple of years, we were quite shocked to see so much graffiti in the area, but this was confined mostly to the town centre and I think it is just part and parcel of a working residential town. You have to remember that it's not just a holiday resort. So you will find that people say that crime is high in the area; I personally think that the levels probably match any other working town and are nothing out of the ordinary.

One of Europe’s largest open-air markets is held on a Friday at the back of Torrevieja town. As it can get very, very busy first thing in the morning, the best time to go is from 1pm onwards, although if you do go at this time remember to take lots of water, sun cream and a hat as it will be VERY hot.

We have never been concerned over our safety – there is a strong police presence to make you feel comfortable, and it is our feeling that if we stop visiting the area, they win. As long as you take the same precautions you would if you were in the UK, I don’t think you have anything to fear.

All tables are outside, on both floors. It’s 'the' place to go if you want a good English meal, at good prices! A couple of years ago, Mike Reid (aka Frank Butcher) was eating at a table behind us! "Ooooh" I hear you say!!! There is also a good selection of English bars here; one even includes a mini bowling alley! Most of them show live football or any other sports event happening at the moment. We have fond memories of watching Manchester United or England games there, and it’s a great way to meet people.

This year saw a big difference in the look of the area too - a lot of effort and money has been put into finishing touches - beautiful marble monuments on roundabouts, fountains, landscaped gardens etc, all of which was lacking last year. I'm looking forward to finding out what's new next year! So to sum up, I will definitely keep going back year after year, and would recommend it to anyone seeking a relaxing but interesting holiday somewhere a little different.