Southern Costa Blanca
Alicante to Mojacar
Travelling south from Alicante the first town you come across is Santa Pola, a predominantly Spanish town and once one of the most important in the fishing industry in Spain. The town has grown up between long stretches of fine sand beaches and the salt lakes behind which are split between the harvesting of the salt and the El Hondo wetland nature reserve which is of international importance. Between here and Torrevieja there is the urbanisation of La Marina which is about 1km back from the old village of the same name and the coastal towns of Guardamar and La Mata with the beaches in many areas backed by sand dunes and pine trees.
Torrevieja itself has grown from a small fishing village at the turn of the 1800’s through to the largest exporter of salt in Europe and in its latest guise has seen a massive increase in building due to the popularity with foreign buyers at the start of the housing boom. This is something that is continuing today and the town has spread out to the south to encompass the smaller resorts of Playa Flamenca, La Zenia and Cabo Roig along the coast as well as around the three golf courses in the Villamartin area and north toward La Mata. There are two marinas with a promenade behind in the town centre and with most of the side roads closed during summer evenings the restaurants fill these with tables and chairs for alfresco dining. The general area around Torrevieja is a truly international community with shops bars and restaurants catering for many nationalities, especially the British, and is more of a home from home with sunshine rather than living in the real Spain but you only have to venture inland 20 minutes or so and the lifestyle changes completely.
Inland from Santa Pola is the city of Elche with its old castle and palm gardens which are the largest collection of palms in Europe. Elche is the shoe making centre of Spain and as such is a working town with an old quarter and new shopping malls side by side. Just to the south we find Crevillente which is a centre for rug manufacture and behind is the Sierra de Crevillente an impressive range of hills that rise from the Vega Baja, a predominantly agricultural area that uses the moors system of irrigation to make it an important growing area for citrus fruits and vegetables. Between here and Torrevieja are the villages of Dolores, Catral, Almoradi and Algorfa with their village squares and weekly markets their charm has captivated many people looking for a country style property in an area not too far from the beaches and larger towns. Quesada is a purpose built urbanisation that is still being developed with the overseas buyer in mind and has numerous bars and shops to cater for all nationalities.
West of Elche is the town of Aspe which is becoming increasingly popular with foreign buyers due to its country setting while only being 15 minutes drive from the airport at Alicante and just a little further to the city itself. It is also at the head of the Hondon Valley with its vineyards and small villages, a scene that is repeated as you move inland through various valleys and past mountains of increasing height passing towns and villages such as La Romana, Monover, Novelda, Pinoso and Jumilla which is renowned in Spain for the quality of the wine produced in the region. The pace of daily life is slower here and you will come across foreign residents in numerous village bars that have decided, once exploring the area that they prefer this way of life to the one that they moved out to on the coast; although it is only 30 minutes to an hours drive from most of these rural backwaters. Having now crossed into the region of Murcia we follow the road in a south westerly direction and although the mountains become more rugged the cultivated areas are more colourful with peach and apricot orchards, olive trees and various other crops.
Coming to Calasparra the area around one side bordering the Rio del Segura is given over to the paddy fields and the rice cultivated here is famous and much prized throughout Spain. A typically Spanish large village it is becoming increasingly popular, especially with those buying a second home in Spain having first moved to the coastal areas. Other towns in the area are Caravaca de la Cruz which is a Holy City in the eyes of the Vatican, and Cehegin an old town built on a hill surrounded by the countryside. The area is very green with an abundance of water from the Segura and Argos rivers and various streams fed by the mountains. The water from the tap is spring water and fresher than bottled water from the shop.
Heading towards the coast is the capital of the region the city of Murcia also the capital of an independent kingdom when the Moors ruled this area of Spain. It used to be a centre for the silk industry but this has declined and other industries such as food processing have taken its place. The most striking landmark is the gothic cathedral started in the 14th century and with one of the tallest towers in Spain. The coastal area some 30 minutes away is dominated by the Mar Menor an inland sea protected by a small strip of land from the Mediterranean and developed with hotels and apartments to become the La Manga strip. Along the shores of the Mar Menor are the towns of San Pedro del Pinatar, San Javier, and Los Alcazares which have all seen development both in the residential and tourist markets and a lot of urbanisations have been built along the coastal area. The area inland toward Murcia is also proving popular with some developments being built alongside new golf courses and other leisure facilities but the majority of this area inland is still given over to agriculture with finca style properties.
Further south on the coast is the large town of Cartagena founded in 218 BC by the Carthaginians and also of great importance as a port to the Romans and the Moors who followed. The town is still a working port and is the main shopping and commerce area for surrounding towns and villages. Further along the coast and over the Sierra de la Muela is the town and port of Mazarron and a few kilometres inland is the Camposol urbanisation and golf course which has grown up over the last few years amongst the hills and countryside and is by far the largest development aimed at the overseas buyer in this part of Spain. Continuing to follow the coast the next town of note is the resort of Aguilas an old town that has given itself over to tourism and has long stretches of sandy beach as well as rocky headlands hiding small coves, the crystal clear warm Mediterranean inviting all types of water sports. The area inland is given over to agriculture where hiking and climbing can be enjoyed in the Sierras and protected park areas. Further inland is the Sierra de Espuna with peaks of over 1,500m and often snow covered during the winter months it is a beautiful and unspoilt area popular with mountain bikers and walkers and there are numerous marked trails to follow. The other side of this range of mountains are the towns of Bullas and Mula which are on the road between Murcia and Caravaca de la Cruz mentioned earlier, and to the south west the towns of Totana and Lorca.
Crossing into the area of Almeria we come to Cuevas del Almanzora close to a large reservoir and just 12km from the sea, it is a town that has a new country club development being constructed on its outskirts. Taking the road down to the coast again we arrive at journeys end and the white hilltop pueblo that is Mojacar with the modern resort below by the sea. The old village can trace its origins back some 4,000 years, but by the 1960’s with inhabitants moving away to seek other employment the village had fallen into a state if disrepair. A local official decided that to preserve the village and the area it would be better to give property and building land away and after this it became very popular with artists, writers and the beautiful people of that era. Because of its increasing popularity a new resort grew up on the coast in its shadow and today people are moving into the area from abroad to retire and enjoy the year round mild climate although you can ski in the Sierra Nevada through the winter less than an easy two hour drive away.
Areas in Southern Costa Blanca