Torrevieja
Torrevieja, overview of the coastal town of Torrevieja, located on the southern Costa Blanca, Spain.
Torrevieja - Costa Blanca - Alicante - Spain
Torrevieja ("Old Tower") - Situated on the Southern Costa Blanca, Spain, some 45 km south of Alicante is the busy town of Torrevieja. Although every year thousands of visitors spend their holidays in the town you will not be likely to find Torrevieja in any holiday brochure. It is not a normal holiday resort - there are no package holidays as such and very few hotels. The vast majority of the apartments and houses in the Torrevieja area are privately owned and the majority are not owned by the Spanish but by North Europeans, for this is "holiday home land".
Torrevieja has grown from a small fishing village into a huge town with a population of over 100,000 over the last 20 years or so due to the growing trend of buying a second holiday home in the sun. For many, the holiday home has become a permanent home as many have chosen to re-locate in the Torrevieja area to enjoy the fabulous climate and the relaxed way of life.
Historically the town of Torrevieja grew up around the salt industry, laying as it does between the sea and the huge natural salt lakes of Torrevieja and La Mata. Originally the majority of the salt production took place in La Mata and it is said that the money from salt actually funded the expeditions of Christopher Columbus in the 15th Century.
Torrevieja was officially put on the map in 1803 when King Charles IV (Carlos IV) removed the administration of the Royal Salt Works from La Mata to Torrevieja.
In 1829 Torrevieja was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake after which the town was completely re-built. The earthquake devastated the entire area between Torrevieja and Orihuela and many other villages were razed to the ground.
Modern day Torrevieja is a growning cosmopolitan town with some superb facilities. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and shops, a fine promenade and marina (due for a major refurbishment), a huge Friday market (the biggest in the region), a fabulous new shopping centre (Habaneras), an exciting water park (Aquopolis), some interesting museums including The Museum of the Sea and Salt (outlining the history of salt production in the town) and some beautiful parks, notably the Park of the Nations (Parque de las Naciones).
HOME