Villa Tranquilo - Places to Visit on the Costa Blanca near Albatera

Our aim Is to help you to completely relax and enjoy the tropical climate here in the real Spain
Here are a few places to visit during your stay with us (tranquility ratings are our opinion only)
(the times in brackets are approximate travelling times by car but if you don't want to drive ask about day trips)

Albatera: (8 minutes)
Albatera is a town and municipality located in the comarca of Vega Baja del Segura, in the province of Alicante, part of Valencia (autonomous community), Spain.

Albatera is surrounded by natural areas of plains, wetlands and mountains. It’s local park stretches to 30,000m2 of gardens, with a lake, fountain and a variety of marked out walking routes.The most important monument in the city is the baroque Catholic church of Santiago Apóstol, built in 1727.

Albatera has 6 squares/plazas and sitting in one of the cafes in the main Plaza is a great way to watch the world go by and study the people. It is a general meeting place for the Spanish people and late into the evening the children play together while the rest of the family - parents/grandparents etc. sip a drink or two. Albatera has a wonderful Mediterranean climate having the lowest rainfall in the whole of Spain.

Plaza at Albatera

Tranquil rating ****

During the day the Plaza doesn't get much busier than this but evenings are different!

Torrevieja: (30 Minutes)
The lively resort of Torrevieja lies to the south east of Albatera where you will find plenty of fish & chips and English run bars. The walk along the front is enjoyable, you can feel like Canute sitting on the man-made seats next to the water, wander along the promenade (the ice-cream parlours are to be highly recommended) or look at the little market-style stalls which are there until the late evening.

The city of Torrevieja lies about 50 km south west of Alicante. You can reach Torrevieja via the road N332, a wonderful road along the Costa Blanca. If you have some time discover the beauty of the area via this road - you will love it's views. Torrevieja marks a kind of language line between the traditional Valencia/Catalan in the north of the Costa Blanca and the spanish wide Castellano Spanish. Further in the south you will find more and more "spanish-only" speaking people, while the area of Torrevieja and upwards is usually more bilingual. Current Torrevieja weather can be found here.

The city of Torrevieja
Which get's its name from an old tower (old=vieja ; tower=torre), was first mentioned around 1800. It became famous in 1802, when it took over the salt administration from Orihuela. A part of the salt industry, tourism and fishing keep the city alive. The harbour, surrounded by many Torrevieja hotels, gives home to 300 fishing ships and over 900 private sport boats. A wonderful view especially when the sun sets.

The busy marina at Torrevieja

Torrevieja area's salt lakes
The entire area around of Torrevieja and Orihuela are famous for their salt production. Huge salt lakes surround the road down from Alicante. It is impressive and fascinating every time I see the huge salt mountains producing annually more than half a million tons (it makes you respect the way you will use your salt and pepper next time). So if you visit the area of Torrevieja spend some time looking on your way to it.

Tranquil rating * (Out of season **)

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Benidorm: (55 minutes)
At one time just a small fishing port and is now probably the most famous of the Costa Blanca resorts and lies about 1 hour to the north of us. People say if you want to see Spain then don't go to Benidorm because it is like Blackpool with the sun. But we thingk everyone should go there at least once!

To get to Benidorm quickly use the AP7 and toll road but to return take the N332 road back south towards Alicante and Albatera. You will see spectacular scenery and save some money by not having to pay for toll roads!

The delightful Old Town with its marvellous selection of shops and boutiques also has pubs and clubs galore. There are 'olde worlde' to the newest disco sounds, adventure and theme parks with the wildest rides and shows and performances the like of which you've never seen at home. The Old Town merges into the new part of Benidorm and at it's busiest the small streets feel "grid-locked".
Tranquil rating * (Out of season **)

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Alicante: (40 Minutes by Train & 50 minutes by Car)
The resort of Alicante has something to keep everyone happy. Look at the old Spanish buildings in the town. Shop at Courte Ingles (everyones favourite) or wander down to the marina and beach (about a 20 minute walk from the station) and just chill.

The train runs at half-past the hour (on the dot - this is not British Rail) from the small town of San Isidro but the station is called Albatera/Catral.

(For other destinations search the RENFE train site)

A return ticket costs just 4 Euros (Dec 2007) for an adult and the parking is free - what more could you want? Buy your ticket at the station then cross over the line to catch the train to Alicante.

N.B. When the train reaches the sea at the station of Saint Gabriel do not get off. The train will wait and then suddenly start reversing back the way you came. Don't panic the train is only changing lines and the next station will be Alicante


Wander round the market		Venture up to the Castle
Enjoy wandering along the sea front promenade looking at the variety of market stalls and when you reach the end carry on walking to find the cafes to recuperate with a glass of sangria!		You can climb the steps seen here, drive to the back entrance or go up in the lift. The day we visited the lift was not working so this is the closest we got to the castle on this particular visit.

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Abanilla:(about 30 minutes by car)
Is one of the typical Spanish villages near here full of both history, architecture and magnificent views of the area. For a village that has a great feeling for its past and where a warm welcome awaits the visitor, a trip to Abanilla will introduce you to a slightly slower more relaxed world.

Walking through Abanilla you will discover that you have been steadily going uphill and when you reach what the local people call the High Place you will see the remains of a Muslim fortress and the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Church of San Jose was built in 1712 and the exterior alone is very impressive but make sure you take the time to go inside and have a look at the wonderful artistic displays with its magnificent altar piece. Once inside when you reach the bottom right-hand corner of the church it is in the dark. On your left there is a switch - press this and all of a sudden infront of you is glass and the area behind it is lit to show something special........

Just off the square and unfortunately even higher up the hill you can see a lovely tiled area (in front of an estate agents). head for the tiles and you will see 3 small jets of water. Put your hand in it and you will find the water is warm thermal spring water.

For birdwatchers there are many varieties to be seen in the area including the red partridge, the ring dove and the turtle dove. Look out also for the bee-eater.

The only public laundry in the region is preserved in the Plaza Purest (behind the church) and leading from there are the charming side streets displaying the village’s medieval origins.

Tranquil rating ****

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Novelda: (about 30 minutes by car)
Novelda calls itself a "dynamic and modern city" and it is specifically known for it's Modernist character and interests. In the town there are plenty of things to see and in the centre there is a Tourist Information centre.

3km outside of the town there is the magnificent St Mary Magdalene's Sanctuary. This is a typically religious and modernist building and was designed by Mr Jose Sala Sala who was born in Novelda but it is deeply influenced byGaudi.