Places to Visit

Beaches

The beautiful Blue Flag sandy beaches at La Marina offer safe bathing and are 5 minutes drive from the Urbanisation. Down on the beach there is plenty of free parking just behind the sand dunes at La Marina beach and also at El Pinet. There is a restaurant just behind the La Marina beach called La Pinada that specialises in fish and grilled meats, but also serves snacks and drinks both inside and on its terrace.

There are eight beaches in total in Guardamar which extend to almost 14 kilometres. From north to south, the beaches of Guardamar are Los Tusales (the naturist beach), Los Viveros, De la Babilònia, Playa Centro, La Roqueta,  El Moncayo, Playa del Campo and Les Ortigues.  One thing they all have in common though is their high quality sand, their length and the background of dunes planted with pines, eucalyptus and palm trees.

Eating Out

You will find a wide range of very reasonable bars and restaurants in La Marina and its surrounding areas such as Guardamar, Santa Pola, Torrevieja and Alicante. Here is a list of our favourite restaurants that we have enjoyed recently:

Chinatown (Chinese) - Guardamar
Manolos (Spanish) – Campo de Guardamar
Harlequin (French) - Torrevieja

Golf

For golf lovers the southern part of the Costa Blanca boasts a number of championship courses. The closest golf course to La Marina is La Marquesa situated at Rojales about 5 miles away. The outstanding Las Ramblas and Villa Martin golf courses are within a 20 minute drive and the famous golf courses at La Manga are 45 minutes drive.

Shopping

If shopping is your thing, you will love exploring the variety shops in the nearby towns of Guardamar, Torrevieja, Santa Pola and Alicante.

Alicante’s big new shopping centre is Panoramis, east of the port. Also in Alicante is the El Corte Ingles department store which is on Avenida Maison Nave. For smaller shops in Alicante, head to Calles Mayor, Castanos, Gerona and San Francisco in the new town, or around Calle Mayor in the old town. The Plaza De Izabel II in Torrevieja is just 100m back from the promenade/marina.

The Spanish weekly markets are liked very much in almost all towns close to La Marina. In the Urbanization it takes place every week on Thursdays and Sundays on the marketplace near the centre. The Mercado of Santa Pola and the biggest weekly market of the region on Sunday is in Campo de Guardamar.

The Moors and Christians Festival

The Moors and Christians Festival (Moros y Cristianos) is one of the most traditional festivals in the Southern and Eastern part of Spain, celebrating the re-capturing of Spain from the Arabs in the 12th and 13th Century, where the townsfolk dress as either Moors or Christians to re-enact the battle for the capture of the castle.

A great fun day with much eating, drinking and excitement for all the family. Different districts of Alicante celebrate the Moros y Cristianos on different dates.

Santa Barbara Castle

The imposing Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante is one of the largest in the Spanish Mediterranean. Looking thoroughly impressive, high on Mount Benacantil, a hill overlooking the town. The views from it are tremendous, and castle enthusiasts will be able to identify the three different areas representing its history. The present fortress (there were others before) was originally built by the Moors in the 9th century, though the oldest visible remains are those at the highest part of the castle and date from the 11th-13th centuries. You can approach the castle by road, winding up the hill from the old quarter; if you are on foot, it is quicker to take the lift from the road behind the Playa del Postiguet, the lift shaft seemingly being right in the middle of the hill.

Algar Waterfalls

There are a number of popular tourist attractions along the Costa Blanca and one which you should definitely make an effort to see is Fuentes del Algar (Algar Waterfalls) a beautiful natural park which receives lots of visitors every year.

An excellent day out for the family the Algar Waterfalls is set out like a natural water park. This is made up of the waterfalls themselves and a series of swimming pools in which to enjoy the crystal waters (which are of course filled by natural springs).

The Candelabra Caves

The Candelabra Caves (Cuevas del Canalobre) are located near the town of Busot, just 24 km from Alicante city. These prehistoric caves are 150 metres long, 630 metres above sea level, and containing many dripstones, some of them looking like a candelabra, giving the cave its name. The rock is calciferous limestone, and was formed during the Jurassic period between 135 and 200 million years ago.

The cave is beautifully lit with coloured lighting to bring out the natural colours and highlight the fantastic shapes. The chamber has excellent acoustics, so it is often used for concerts and folk festivals and a large stage has been built for such events.

Terra Mitica

The Terra Mitica Theme Park is situated just inland from Benidorm and approx one hours drive away from La Marina. The park has five themed areas, each corresponding to an area of the Mediterranean.  It also has some of the largest and most exhilarating rides in Europe.

Aqua Parks

The Aqua park at Quesada is a 10 minute drive from La Marina and is open from June to September, providing hours of entertainment for the children and adults alike.

The Torrevieja water park is one of the biggest water parks on the Costa Blanca, and is very popular with children, teenagers and adults. You may also hear it referred to as Torrevieja aqua park or Torrevieja aquapolis.

El Huerto del Cura Garden

Elche, the city of palm trees. The Huerto del Cura Garden, home to The Imperial Palm Tree, is the great treasure of this palm grove, the largest in Europe. Considered the cultural crucible of the city, this area of 13,000 square metres is home to 700 palm trees and over 500 other species of plants and flowers.

Guardamar Reina Sofia Park

Visit the Reina Sofia park in Guardamar which has a beautifully designed lake, trails and waterfalls. The children will love to watch the peacocks, ducks and birds that roam freely about, plus a dedicated play area for children which has loads of swings, slides, see-saws etc…

Salt Lakes

La Marina is surrounded by the famous salt lagoons of Torrevieja and La Mata, designated as National Parks where over 250 different bird species have been sighted.

Guadalest

Guadalest is consistently ranked amongst the top tourist attractions in all Spain and it’s easy to see why. Only 25km inland from Benidorm, the small village has many artist’s workshops and houses carved into the living rock of the pinnacles high above the river which have some of the most spectacular views in the country.

The Island of Tabarca

The only inhabited island in the Land of Valencia is reached by boat from Santa Pola. The island was baptized Nueva Tabarca in the 18th century, when King Carlos III decided to populate it with Genovese families who had been held prisoner on the Tabarca peninsula between Tunisia and Algeria. To discover Tabarca, where there are no cars, there is a walking route all round the island from which the coastline can be enjoyed. Tabarca is less than 2km long and its maximum width is 400 metres.

Salvador Artesano Shoe Factory

Few people can resist a visit to the Salvador Artesano Shoe Factory Outlet at Elche, one of the biggest Shoe Shop Factories in Europe (or so they say).