Torrevieja

The Town of Torrevieja

Torrevieja is located in the Spanish region of Alicante on the Costa Blanca and offers beautiful sandy beaches, Europe's biggest salt flats with the bird life, historic sites and a huge variety of Spanish and international restaurants.

Flights from London take about two and a half hours.The resort is just 35 kilometres south of Alicante's international airport, El Altet. This convinience for foreign visitors and Torrevieja's wide range of facilities and attractions make this a popular holiday destination for all year round.

The town is located at the southern end of the Valencian community and is known for the two large saltwater lagoons which surround it. These "Salterns of Torrevieja" are the second biggest in the world and the largest in Europe. The lagoons have been designated as national parks and are an impressive sight, attracting more than 250 bird species including flamingoes. The flats have been used for salt production since Roman times and still provide salt for export worldwide.

This ancient sea port is steeped in history and you can still see many reminders of its colourful past. There are the "embarcadero romano", the old Roman docks at La Mata and along the coast you'll see the ancient watch towers of La Mata and El Moro. These were used in the Middle Ages to warn the local inhabitants of impending attacks by Barbary pirates.

One of the biggest festivals of the year is the "Habaneras" international music contest which takes place in August. Torrevieja swings for a week to the soulful rhythms of the melodies brought back from Latin America in the late nineteenth century when the town's salt trade with Cuba was at its peak. The festival attracts a live and television audience of hundreds of thousands of people. It's a great time to visit Torrevieja, although you must to book your accommodation well in advance.

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