Torrevieja

Torrevieja, salt and sea on the southern Costa Blanca

Torrevieja sits about 45 km south of Alicante, at the southern end of the Costa Blanca. It grew up as a salt town and still lives facing the sea and its two large lagoons. To the north lies La Mata, a district with its own beach and the natural park right on the doorstep, where much of our work is based. It is an open, very international place, with residents from across Europe who have made it their year-round home.

The pink lagoon and the natural park

The image that defines Torrevieja is its rose-coloured lagoon. The water takes on that shade from algae and bacteria that thrive in extreme salinity, and the effect shifts with the light and the season. It belongs to the Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja Natural Park, declared in 1989, with two sheets of salt water, walking paths and flamingos among the wildlife. Salt is still harvested and shipped out through the harbour, as it has been for more than two centuries.

The salt lagoon of Torrevieja, with a salt crust along the shore. Photo: Werner Wilmes / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Long beaches, coves and La Mata

The coast strings together broad stretches of sand and smaller coves: Playa del Cura in the centre, Los Locos, Los Náufragos and, to the north, the wide Playa de La Mata, sheltered by dunes and the park. La Mata keeps the feel of a coastal village, with its promenade, its fish market and the old watchtower that gives the place its name. It is a calm spot to live near the sand, away from the bustle of the centre.

Playa de La Mata, Torrevieja. Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Salt culture, habaneras and climate

Salt runs through local life: in the Museum of the Sea and Salt, in the old salt yards by the water and in the International Habaneras and Polyphony Contest, which fills the town with choirs every summer. On the table, fresh market fish, prawns and seafaring dishes such as caldero take the lead. The microclimate created by the lagoons has earned Torrevieja a reputation for good health, cited by the World Health Organization among the healthiest places to live.

Torre de La Mata, an old watchtower. Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Getting here and around

Alicante-Elche airport is about 45 km away, a little under an hour along the N-332 and the AP-7. The same N-332 links the town to Cartagena to the south and to Alicante and Valencia to the north, and a bus network connects the neighbourhoods and beaches. The centre is easy to manage without a car, though for La Mata and the outlying urbanisations one comes in handy.

Buying in Torrevieja

We help people who want to buy near the sea without giving up year-round services. Right now in La Mata we have a three-bedroom penthouse with views, a short walk from the beach and the natural park. If you are looking around here, let's talk.