Parque Natural at Guardamr del Segura - Guardamar night market - Guardamar apartment - Historical sites in Guardamr del Segura

Guardamar del Segura

Things To Do In And Around Guardamar del Segura On The Costa Blanca

The night market at Guardamar del Segura

Guardamar Night Market

In the peak season Guardamar del Segura has a wonderful night market in the town where you find a fantastic selection of arts and crafts and some delicious food. It has a colourful atmosphere and you will be sure to pick up a bargain.

Surrounding the market there is music and a varied selection of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes. Whether you want a meal that is typically Spanish, you would like to eat Italian, you fancy a Chinese meal or you would prefer a steak you will not be disappointed.

In addition there are plenty of bars to have a drink in including Spanish tapas bars and some wonderful ice cream parlours (Heladarias).

Guardamar Day Market

Guardamar wednesday market

If you haven't had enough of shopping then why not try visiting the weekly market that is held along the streets in Guardamar's town centre every wednesday. This is a fantastic place to buy fresh local produce to stock up with for your stay in our apartment. Most the produce is grown in and around this area of the southern Costa Blanca and is as fresh as it comes.

You will be able to get a fantastic selection of fruit and vegetables or even buy some fresh fish from the local women selling it on the street corners. In addition to the fresh produce you will also find a good selection of local arts and crafts, clothing and gifts.

Guardamar Castle And Archaeological Sites

Guardamar del Segura Castle

Guardamar del Segura is steeped in history and has many places of archaeological interest that are worth a visit.

Most of Guardamar's ancient remains have been long since lost, however an element has been preserved. There is an important archaeological site at the remains of the medieval castle. Dating back to between the 9th and 10th centuries this castle is unique to the west and has been declared of cultural interest.

On the Iberian site of Cabezó Lucero an important archaeological discovery was made when a bust of a woman was unearthed. The bust, now called the "Dame of Guardamar", is similar to the famous "Dame of Elche" also found in this region of the southern Costa Blanca.

Another important archaeological site from the Arab times is the Islamic mosque of the Caliphate Rabita where there is some interest in "Los párajos verdes de las rábitas de las dunas de Guardamar del Segura" (the green birds of the rábitas in the dunes of Guardamar del Segura) that appear on the mosque. Their origin must be sought in Islamic beliefs about the afterlife, since according to a tradition attributed to Mohammed, the souls of Martyrs rest in the crops of green birds in paradise until the final judgement day.

In addition the centrally located Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) houses many artefacts explaining much of Guardamar del Segura's interesting history.

The Dunes Of Guardamar del Segura And The Parque Natural

Guardamar del Segura is famous for its sand dunes, formed by the eastern winds pushing the sand inland from both the sea and the river Segura, these dunes are several metres high. In the past the "flying sands" of Guardamar advanced over 1,300 metres before entering the town. Thanks to the planting of the pine trees and other plants at the turn of the 20th century the progress of the sands has been halted.

Guardamar del Segura's Parque Alfonso XIII

This area is known as the "Parque Natural" and attracts many visitors. It is a beautiful place for a picnic, a stroll or just to sit and enjoy the warm Costa Blanca sunshine. The importance of the pine forest can now be seen by a "tree day" which is celebrated in Guardamar, symbolising the importance of the pine trees to the town for the younger generations.

Within the Parque Natural are two famous nature spots, Parque Alfonso XIII (left) and Parque Reina Sofia (below right). They are both wonderful places to take a stroll.

Guardamar del Segura's Parque Reina Sofia The Parque Reina Sofia is the home to a beautiful lake, black swans, red squirrels and many other forms of wildlife and plant life. If you enjoy strolling in the warm Costa Blanca sunshine then you will love taking the time to casually stroll through this park.

Within the vicinity are bars and restaurants aplenty so you can pop in for a snack or  a drink before your walk. Guardamar del Segura and the surrounding countryside is a beautiful area with many places worth a visit so be sure to take your camera and plenty of film (or memory cards for the digital photographers). It may also be a good idea to take some small binoculars when you come that way if you enjoy nature then you wont miss a thing.

Nightlife In And Around Guardamar del Segura

Guardamar del Segura is a typically Spanish town and is a year round tourist area. It is full of fantastic bars and restaurants, whether you want Greek, Hungarian, Spanish, English, Chinese, Indian, German or Italian cuisine you will not be disappointed. The bars are lively and there is a good variety including Irish bars and Tapas bars.

There is a nightclub which is open throughout the peak summer months for those who want to dance the night away and there is an abundance of Nightlife in Torrevieja which is only a short taxi ride away. Also nearby is the bustling city of Alicante.

Sporting Activities In The Costa Blanca And Guardamar del Segura

Guardamar del Segura's marina close to our apartment

Costa Blanca offers endless opportunities for the more active visitors to the region, and Guardamar del Segura has more than enough to keep the sporty tourist happy. If you like sports, Guardamar offers you every possible sea sport imaginable including sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing, underwater diving, canoeing and jet skiing. All this and more can be found at the Marina de las Dunas (left).

Guardamar del Segura offers extensive sports facilities from its two most important sports centres, "Las Rabosas" and the magnificent Municipal Sports Centre, with its Olympic swimming-pool, 3 football pitches, basketball courts, five-a-side soccer pitches, tennis courts, pelota courts and covered sports.

Fishing, A Local Pastime And Business The Marina de las Dunas is a splendid addition for tourism in Guardamar del Segura. It is located at the mouth of the river Segura, it's unique natural environment adds to the beauty of this area of the southern Costa Blanca.

It has 498 moorings and all the services and facilities you would expect of a top-ranking marina. It also offers 2 km of the new navigable river course for small boats, a risk-free place for sea sports. This is the ideal place for starting or for ending any day at sea. The beaches are also a great place to fish and you will often see local fishermen early in the morning.

Golf is also a very popular pastime for visitors to the southern Costa Blanca, and Guardamar del Segura is surrounded by some of the finest golf courses in Spain. To find out more visit our page on the golf clubs close to our apartment in this region of the southern Costa Blanca click here

Walking And Cycling In The Costa Blanca

Dunas de Guardamar near El Moncayo Beach

There are some fantastic walks in the southern Costa Blanca, and walking is a great way to stay fit whilst exploring the area and topping up on your tan. Within our apartment we have books and maps of Costa Blanca walks and mountain walks, binoculars a compass and even a small portable world band radio to keep you happy while you take in the beautiful views and the warm sunshine that the southern Costa Blanca has to offer for most of the year.

One Of Guardamar's Local Red Squirrel Population For a faster way to look around, why not hire a mountain bike. There are some great tracks through the forest, or just cycle around the town if you wish to stay fit and see things more quickly than if you were walking.

Right is one of Guardamar del Segura's red squirrel population which you will be likely to see if out walking or cycling through the Parque Natural. This one was photographed in the Parque Reina Sofia, and was not at all bothered by my presence. It was far more interested in the ice cream that it had been given!


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