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Costa Blanca & Costa Calida
This page is to help you familiarise yourself
with the various areas of the Costa Blanca & the
Costa Calida,
respectively the Alicante & Murcia Regions.
COSTA BLANCA
 First of all, the Costa Blanca is in the area
known as the "Communidad Valenciana" or the Valencian Community. The
Valencian community is a group of a number of regions including the
Alicante region.
The Costa Blanca is in this "Alicante" province
named after its capital... ... Alicante, located roughly in the
middle of the coastal area of the province. There are two other
large towns in the Alicante province, Benidorm in the area known as
Costa Blanca North, and Torrevieja in the area known as Costa Blanca
South. The former started off as a small fishing village and was
primarily developed for German tourists in the 1960's and has become
one of the largest coastal resorts in Europe & the world. As a
result, although there are large numbers of residents in this part
of Spain, as a percentage, they aren't so numerous. Torrevieja is
the economic and tourism capital of the Costa Blanca South. Just
as Benidorm, it started as a fishing village although it was
substantially larger. As a result, it has a "real" center with a
main street, a promenade, a marina etc...
BENIDORM
Benidorm, in the North Costa Blanca is a stunning
beach resort basically built around two bays, and somewhat tarnished
by its reputation as a package holiday resort. But this doesn't show
unless you are living right in the centre where all the hotels are.
The best part of Benidorm is in the hills behind it where one can
live in an amazing location with panoramic views of the sea and
looking over the resort. Also, for those who are not interested in a
quiet life, these hills are close to the fun parks such as "Tierra
Mitica". Most houses around here are newbuild, and are of superior
quality, especially compared to most properties built 10 years
prior. Within 40 minutes drive from Alicante Airport, the only
undesirables are a couple of motorway tolls along the way.
CALPE
 The
A-7 Motorway will take you all the way north past the smaller towns
of Calpe, Javea & Denia. All three can be described as classic
Spanish towns with narrow streets sloping down to the sea against a
rocky backdrop. These are interesting places to live, visually that
is, but lack the practicalities of the more modern and cosmopolitan
Benidorm & Torrevieja. Calpe has an impressive marina and plenty of
amenities. The hills are very steep and don't always offer much in
terms of building opportunities. As a result, most developments are
coastal. These are very pleasant places to stay. There are many
restaurants and the standard of living is high.
TORREVIEJA
South of Alicante lies
Torrevieja, the largest
town on the Costa Blanca South. It is largely seen as "un-finished"
by most visitors & residents. However, every year there is a
significant improvement to the already very good infrastructure.
Unlike its sister cities to the North, Torrevieja has a large
residential population. The effect on local amenities is amazing.
Nearly every bar, cafe, pub, restaurant stays open all year round.
The lifestyle is that of eating out whenever possible. Prices here
are generally lower than on the Northern Costa Blanca, but there is
still the usual premium associated with resorts compared to more
quiet locations.
Although Torrevieja is great as a holiday town,
this is the sort of place you should be considering as a place of
residence, or at least a place where you can come all year round and
not find a ghost town on arrival.
There are parades, exhibitions, even a submarine
to visit. A cinema, a casino, a shopping mall, bowling alley etc...
Torrevieja has it all. The best part is that even if you are looking
for a quiet life, it is unlikely to be much of a challenge.
Torrevieja has plenty of very quiet "Suburban" areas such as Aguas
Nuevas & La Mata, which offer, amongst other things, walks along the
sea.
 With regards to healthcare,
Torrevieja and its
surroundings can rely on no less that two hospitals, and a number of
clinics. Granted the public hospital is not due for completion for a
few months yet, but it is an important part of the decision making
process. In the meantime, Torrevieja boasts one of the country's
best hospitals in San Jaime. Located in a dominant position on one
of the hills behind Torrevieja, it looks over the town and the salt
lakes, which are also an important part of the Torrevieja economy.
The public transport system is excellent, a car isn't really
necessary if one lives and works locally, and it is free for
residents over the age of 60.
Land in Torrevieja is quite expensive, probably the most expensive
on the coast. This is due to the proximity to the sea and amenities.
However, unless you are looking for a Villa, most properties are on
smaller plots and, therefore, affordable. If you are happy with an
apartment, then it will suite most budgets.
Click here
for a printable map of Torrevieja in PDF format (3MB)
ORIHUELA COSTA
Orihuela Costa is part of the municipality of
Orihuela. The "Costa" distinction is to mark the difference between
the town of Orihuela, which is 30 km inland, from the coastal area
which is attached with a small umbilical cord to the inland town.
Needless to say, the Orihuela Costa area is much better known
 than
its inland twin. Orihuela Costa is made up of a number of coastal
urbanisations, most of which are right on the sea front such as
Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Deshea de
Campoamor. Others are located between 1km and 6km from the sea. Los
Balcones, Los Altos, Las Chimosas, La Florida, are all costal
urbanisations within walking distance to the sea. Los Dolses,
Villamartin, Los Almendros, El Galan & Blue Hills are primarily golf
urbanisations that are located on or in between Golf courses.
The Coastal urbanisations are all very different
in appearance. Playa Flamenca is very modern and boasts wide
streets and large commercial areas such as the Flamenco beach
commercial centre.
These offer excellent restaurants of all nationalities such as
Hungarian, British, Irish, Spanish, Chinese, German etc... There are
also games rooms, a large post office, a market on Saturday mornings
etc. The City hall buildings are also located in Playa Flamenca to
make things more convenient for residents.
With
regards to the purchase of a property, Playa Flamenca can suit all
budgets. There are apartments starting around 110,000 Euros
(£77,000) and Front Line Villas closing on the million.
Exceptional value for money.
 La
Zenia is often referred to as the heart of the Orihuela Costa
area. The beach is the largest in Orihuela Costa, and has much to
offer in terms of restaurants, bars, pubs, & supermarkets. Also,
there is a Japanese restaurant called "Cocina Asiatica" where the
food is absolutely amazing. The attraction about La Zenia is that it
is right next to the motorway exit so access is very straight
forward when coming from either Alicante or Murcia ariports. Also
there is a road that leads to the Villamartin Golf Resorts. La Zenia
is one of the most popular areas on the Costa Blanca, but it isn't
reflected in the price as much as one would've thought. Most
properties in La Zenia remain affordable to most wallets.
 
Villamartin is something completely
different. The more rugged appearance of the coastal urbanisations
is abandoned for open green spaces & luscious gardens. Since the
Golfers season is in Spring & Autumn, there is a great rental
potential all year round and restaurants are lively and offer a
great ambiance. If you really feel lucky, you may want to put a
wager on a horse as British racing screens are in Caddies bar &
restaurant where the bookmakers rub elbows with regular clientele.
Caddies is located in the famous Villamartin
Plaza or Square (see picture above right). The Villamartin Plaza is
a rather elegantly decorated, Hispanic style commercial area with
over a dozen restaurants to choose from. Properties close to these
areas are, obviously expensive by Costa Blanca standards, but there
are many bargains to be had.
 
Campoamor is right on the southern edge of
Orihuela Costa. It is a more Hispanic area and as a result most
restaurants are closed during the off-season period. It does have a
very attractive beach and a marina though. The area can offer
excellent sea views as there is a steep slope from the sea towards
the hills beyond. The good side of it being empty during the
off-peak season is for those seeking a quiet life, where this place
would be the ideal location for a winter escape. Due to the fact
that all properties are within walking distance to the sea,
Campoamor Real Estate isn't particularly cheap, but as coastal
properties go, cheaper than most...
COSTA CALIDA
 The
Costa Calida or
Murcia region is an up-and-coming area based around Europes largest natural lagoon, the Mar Menor. Located just accross
the border between the Costa Blanca & Costa Calida, this small
inland sea is on average 2ş Celcius warmer that the mediterranean
from which it is separated by a small strip of land, the now famous
La Manga Strip, after which the Golf resort is named. Since the
1970's, there has been a lot of building along the "Strip" which has
all but ended now except at the very end. It has a Floridian look
about it as it is only a couple hundred metres across at its widest
point.
The
main town on the Costa Calida is Los Alcazares. Not as large
as Torrevieja, with a beach front the entire length of the town, but
still more of a summer resort. Los Alcazares does have a large
residential population, and the only indication that it is a holiday
town is the unusually large numbers of shutters that are closed
(indicating an empty house). Los Alcazares has two areas; one that
is pedestrian friendly, with lots of pedestrian streets (and narrow
roads) which is the old town, and the other that has wide boulevards
that are very car friendly that is the new town.
If you
like the beaches, then it is best to live in the old town where one
is never at any more than five minutes walk from the warm and safe
waters of the Mar Menor. If you like your car, then the new part of
town is probably your sort of thing, although there is a happy
medium in Los Narejos, a suburb to the North of Los Alcazares with
wide streets and easy access to the beach. Los Alcazares is also
quickly becoming a new costal golf mecca. Indeed, there are
currently two golf resorts under construction within 2km of the
town, and many more within a twenty minute drive. With regards to
the purchase of a property, Los Alcazares is considered quite a
pricy area, but its well worth it.
  Cabo
de Palos is a large village at the base of La Manga strip. There
is a promenade with some fine restaurants open all year round. The
old town, typically, is very pedestrianised. Although quite modern,
the atmosphere is that of a fishing village. With mountains to the
south, and beaches to the north, Cabo de Palos has the perfect image
of a tranquil, remote, Spanish village. In fact, Cartagena (200,000
people) is only 20 minutes drive away, San Javier airport is a mere
30 minutes, La Manga strip, with all its restaurants and marinas, is
literally next door, and La Manga resort, the famous golf course, is
within a 10 minute drive. Properties are scarce here as most
building land has already been used, prices aren't too high compared
to similar locations, so it is still a good time to buy.
 Mazarron
& Puerto de Mazarron are twin cities, one coastal, the other
not, south of Cartagena on the Costa Calida. Unlike resorts to the
north, this are isn't surrounded by hills but mountains. Space is
limited as is winter activity. The scenery is picturesque however,
and the beaches are excellent. As an investment, things are looking
good as there are many motorways being built, as well as Murcia
City's Cordova airport ready by 2008, which will cut the time to get
to the nearest airport down to 35 minutes.
In
addition, there are many more golf resorts being planned within a 30
minute drive from the sea.
  Mazarron
is famous for its rugged countryside and its nudist beach. It is
also very lively in summer, although not too lively which for most
people is a turn-off. Property prices aren't necessarily cheaper in
this area although it does depend what one is looking for. There are
some great opportunities to purchase a property with sea views due
to the steep hills on which they are built.
  Camposol,
near Mazarron is an inland resort only 10 minutes from the
coast. Essentially a new town, it is built around a couple of Golf
resorts. Mazarron Country Club, and Camposol Golf Resort. The
landscapes are
stunning
but there have been complaints with regards to building standards,
delays in completions,
 remoteness,
lack of amenities, and the absence of phone lines. Essentially, the
same as most completely new developments to appear in the middle of
nowhere. Proof that everything comes at a cost, or maybe nothing
comes at no cost. Whatever the morality, one fact remains... once
finished, however, the development will greatly enhance the local
landscape.
San
Juan de los Torreros is a great, really remote place to purchase
a Spanish Property. Located close to Aguilas on the extreme south of
the Costa Calida, it is a place that is very much under development.
Few amenities to show for other than a handful of restaurants. There
is a golf resort being built right next to the sea, and a school is
also part of the plans as well as a sports centre. The population of
San Juan de los Torreros is likely to
 double or possibly triple over
the next four years. Because of its remoteness, one would expect
properties to be rather cheap here. Well they are, but not as much
as one would expect. The builders & developers are basing their
prices on the potential of the area rather than on its actual worth.
However, this could be exactly what you are looking for, and if it
is, then you will be more than happy to pay the asking price as it
is still far cheaper than all other coastal areas.
SUNZONE
SPANISH PROPERTIES: UK 0870 803 4763
Tel Spain-
(0034) 966 705 653 or 965 703 247
email:
info@sunzoneproperties.com
Plaza de
la Constitucion, Nş5 Bajo
Torrevieja, 03181, Alicante.
(Costa Blanca)
Registered
Estate Agent. C.I.F: B-54170485 |
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