Orihuela Costa Guide
The Orihuela Costa is a region south of Torrevieja that encompasses the resorts of Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Vilamartin, Cabo Roig, Mil Palmeras and other urbanisations. The Orihuela Costa has been one of the most popular areas on the Costa Blanca for many years due to the long stretch of coastline, numerous blue flag beaches and wonderful facilities on its doorstep.
This stretch of Coastline is divided into a host of wonderful beaches and coves. The La Zenia beach is a mid-sized bay with an excellent café-restaurant perched on the top of the dividing rock that overlooks the beach. Nearby Cabo Roig is a more sheltered cove that is always popular due to the feeling of seclusion. It also has entertainment almost all year rounds with local bands performing on the beach during the afternoons. Another popular beach is that of Mil Palmeras, a beautiful stretch of sand that is generally a little more quiet but still serviced all year round by a popular beachside bar.
There are many more beaches in the region, all of which offer beautiful clear water, are excellently maintained and throroughly deserve their Blue Flag status.
Besides the beaches, one of the most popular attractions on the Orihuela Costa is the wonderful La Zenia Boulevard Shopping Centre. This large open-air American style mall is a favourite amongst residents and visitors alike. La Zenia Boulevard offers everything from top end fashion to popular high street stores like Zara and H&M and British favourites such as Primark and C&A. There are also many home and furniture stores as well as a large supermarket. The mall is open almost 365 days a year and, with stores open till 10pm, you are able to pop in whenever suits you without using valuable beach time!
The Orihiela Costa is also home to several excellent golf courses including Las Ramblas, Villamartin and Campoamor, three classic Spanish courses that are always well presented. Villamartin played host to the European Tour Mediterranean open in 1997. The excellent Las Colinas Golf and Country Club, ranked in the top 100 courses in Europe sits on the edge of the Orihuela Costa and plays host to the European Tour qualifying tournament every year. Another gem is Lo Romero, an enjoyable course with some of the best greens in the region at just 10 minute drive away.
The resort is family friendly and offers many activities including Go-karting and paintball as well as the huge new play area at the La Zenia Boulevard for the younger children. Spain in general is very family-oriented and kids are welcome in almost all bars and restaurants.
Evening entertainment is plentiful and busy all year round. The area has every kind of restaurant you could ever want as well as an excellent bar scene with live music at a host of late night venues. Whether you like a relaxed atmosphere to sit back and take it all in or something more lively, you will find what you want on your doorstep. Several excellent live bands including Kolted, The Cages and Talk of Alien perform nightly on the Orihuela Costa circuit so you never have to go far to be entertained. For the younger crowd, the Cabo Roig strip offers late night venues playing a variety of music.
The Orihuela Costa is well connected to both Murcia and Alicante airports via the AP-7 motorway while the N332 national road connects it with nearby Torrevieja. Flights to both Alicante and Murcia are frequent and affordable all year round. Alicante airport offers very affordable long term parking which allows many non permanent residents to leave their car safely at the airport so when they arrive they can get straight into the car and on the road to their second home. The Southern Costa Blanca is a most convenient kind of paradise.