Guardamar del Segura Surrounding Area

Towns And Cities In The Area Surrounding Guardamar del Segura

Alicante, Capital Of The Costa Blanca

The city of Alicante is the capital of the Costa Blanca. It is built around a natural harbour and so as well as being a popular beach resort it also has a fabulous marina. Alicante is a fantastic mix of both old and new.  It has a history which goes back over 3000 years which has left it with some fascinating museums covering a diverse number of subjects. Alicante is dominated by the Castillo de Santa Barbara, which sits high on a cliff above the sea. It has a picturesque old quarter and modern avenues packed with shops.

Alicante has been a favourite destination for visitors for over a century and a half. Like Guardamar del Segura, Alicante boasts a number of beautiful beaches, all with fine, golden sands and high standards of cleanliness and service. Year after year they too are awarded the European Blue Flag which guarantees their consistent quality.

The Explanada de España is perfect place to meet for a drink or a chat or simply to take a break from sightseeing. Here you will find restaurants, cafés, bars, taverns, pizzerias, burger bars, chocolaterias and heladarias (icecream parlours).

Behind the Explanada and stretching into the southern part of Alicante is an area called 'La Zona', this is the area for the nightlife where cafés, pubs, beer gardens, nightclubs and nightspots for young people all combine to create a lively atmosphere. Don't be surprised to see fashionable nightspots packed with teenagers or places for uninhibited adults; this is all part of the diversity offered in 'La Zona'

Another area of Alicante which is renowned for it's nightlife is the 'Ruta de la Madera' (literally the 'route of wood'), it takes it's name from the fact that wood is used in abundance to decorate it's pubs and disco bars.

However, the largest and most popular area is 'El Barrio', it is suitable for all ages, beliefs and convictions. At night it has a lively atmosphere, due to the huge number of bars, pubs and taverns that cater for all tastes and that frequently offer live music or art exhibitions. 'El barrio' is located around the Co-Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari.

If you are looking for a more modern and cosmopolitan area of the city for entertainment visit the port and the marina. Here you will find exclusive restaurants, pubs and cafés alternating with shops exuding a nautical flavour. Apart from this you also have it's fantastic views, and the highly professional artistic and musical shows that take place there during the summer months. On the other side of the marina there is a new shopping and leisure centre, Panoramis, also with a wide range of pubs and restaurants together with Warner cinema screens.

Orihuela

Human settlements in the area of Orihuela can be traced back as far as the second half of the third millennium BC. In the 8th century Orihuela was an independent capital extending over the provinces of what are now now Alicante and Murcia. At this time it was the seat of the dukedom of Teodomiro, a Christian ruler who enjoyed an autonomy pact with the Moors following the Islamic conquest. It's status of capital was diminished when Alicante took over as the regional capital.

Orihuela has gained a certain amount of fame from being the birthplace of Miguel Hernandez, a radical poet and shepherd who died in prison after the Civil War. You can visit his birthplace in Calle Miguel Hernandez which is open every day between 10am - 2pm and 4pm to 7pm. Other noteworthy men from Orihuela include the painter Joaquín Agrasot, the cardinal Desprades (first Apostolic Nuncio) and the archbishop Loaces amongst others.

It also served as the geographical inspiration for the novels of Alicante born Gabriel Miró (1897 - 1930), Nuestro Padre San Daniel ("Our Father, Saint Daniel") and El Obispo Leproso ("The Leprous Bishop").

There are many sights to see in Orihuela from the Cathedral and museum to the Colegio de Santo Domingo (an old convent and university) to the underground Museo de la Murailla. The town possesses five national monuments including 'The temptation of Saint Thomas Aquinas' by Velázquez, the statutes of the Sacred Family by Salzillo, and the 'Diablesa' by Bussy.

The Segura River provides boundaries to the city and is the source of the rich 'huerta' (irrigated land) of the Bajo Segura. Today the river marks the border between the old city and the newer commercial centre, which originated in 1884 with the construction of a railway station linking Orihuela with Murcia, the city with which Orihuela is closely joined via its economy and the Segura River.

Orihuela includes the second largest palm forest of the Alicante region as well as three golf courses, 16 km of town beaches including La Zenia and Dehesa de Campoamor. A walk through Orihuela should not be hurried. Most of Orihuela's glorious architecture can be traced back to either the late gothic, the Renaissance or the Baroque periods. The Cathedral of San Salvador whose museum contains the Velázquez painting is worth a visit.

Also take the time to visit the two most typical churches of Orihuela, the gothic Santas Justa and Rufina with gargoyles and a tower and Santiago (St James). The latter contains the status of the Sacred Family by Salzillo and is the place where the Catholic Monarchs convened a general parliament (Cortes) in 1488 for the purpose of gathering funds to finance a military sortie that would culminate in the seizing of Granada in 1492.

Torrevieja

Torrevieja quite literally means old tower, at the beginning of the last century there was only the old watchtower and a few houses. The watchtowers that are dotted up and down the coast existed to watch for Moroccan pirates that roamed the seas in the Mediterranean for centuries.

Torrevieja is known for it's salt lakes however these were originally royal hunting grounds, and belonged to the crown. Hunting licenses were granted to allies of the king. In the middle of the 13th century warrants were issued granting residents of nearby Orihuela permission to harvest salt, an expensive commodity in the middle ages, the town began to take shape at la Mata or Torrelamata as it was known. Torrelamata and Ibiza became the most important centres for salt production in the kingdom of Aragon.

In 1802 when the La Mata salt lake offices moved to their present site it brought about the rapid urbanisation of Torrevieja. Because of the proximity of the salt lakes and the use of the port for exporting salt and the horticultural produce of La Vega Baja the port and town grew and in 1820 it gained it's independence from Orihuela.

Today Torrevieja produces about a million tonnes of salt yearly, mainly for export, making it one of the the leading European salt producers. Occasionally the salt flats (or salterns as they are known) dry up to form a dry salt crust. The salterns also account for the high level of iodine in the air leading the area to be called one of the healthiest areas in the world (according to World Health Organisation), people with arthritis etc do claim to lead a healthier life here because of it.

Torrevieja has grown significantly since the 1980's when thousands of Europeans moved here and the town's economy changed to encompass tourism as well as the income from salt export. The salt lakes are now also a thriving bird reserve and natural park. There are walks around the salt lakes which if you are a bird watcher or nature lover are well worth a visit.

Villajoyosa

Villajoyosa means "joyful or happy town", this popular Costa Blanca city is situated at the mouth of the River Sella and is the main town of the La Marina region. The town is much older than Benidorm and the locals say that it is close enough to Benidorm whilst being far enough away!  In the area you will find olive, carob and almond trees, as well as a number of palms, pines and prickly pears. The area once had a considerable number of vines, but these have largely been replaced by tomato plantations.

As with many of the east coast towns, villajoyosa suffered from attacks by the Barbary Coast Pirates. According to legend and possibly a little history, on the 29th of July 1538 36 boats carrying Algerians arrived to ransack the town but the inhabitants were able to fight them off thanks to the intercession of Saint Martha. Since that day, she has been the towns Patron Saint a fact which is commemorated with the regular re-enactment of the landing of the Moors.

As well as tourism, Villajoyosa is the home of fishermen and chocolate-makers, a strange combination but both of which are deeply rooted in the City's history. The original and older part of town has been declared an historic monument. There are still various bridges remaining from the time of the Romans.  The church of Villajoyosa is a Gothic building with renaissance doorways, although these have been somewhat changed by Neo-classical alterations carried out in the 18th century.

If history does not interest you then the beaches certainly will, they are typical of the sort of beaches you would expect from the Costa Blanca. Villajoyosa has a vivid daily fish market that is worth a visit especially during summerstarting at about 5pm. In addition to the sometimes crowded fish market, Villajoyosa's old town centre and it's promenade invite visitors to relax and have a nice coffee or a meal in one of the restaurants and bars around.

Cartagena

The ancient city of Cartagena was founded in the year 227BC by the Carthaginians and at that time was called Cartago Nova (new Carthage). It rapidly became their main trading port, and at one time was widely recognised as being one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world.

Cartagena was made truly famous by the 2nd Punic war (218-201BC) which led to the landing of Hannibal and his elephants who came with the intention of defeating the Romans. In fact he got silver from the mines there to carry on the war effort. Cartagena has through it's history been controlled by the Romans, the Visigoths and in 711 the Moors took control of Cartagena and much of the peninsula.  Under Muslim rule it lost some of it's status as the Moors chose the newly founded city of Mursiya (Murcia) as the regions capital.

Cartagena continued it's strategic importance during the time of Philip II of Spain when it was made Spain's official naval headquarters. It also remained the principal trading port for the country until the 20th century, when it suffered by competition brought on by the rival ports of Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga.

These days Cartagena is still sustained by its role as a seaport. Industrial development is clearly evident, but the city still remains an attractive destination, with much to offer in its old quarter, and the newer parts alike. Cartagena is well worth a visit if you are interested in Maritime history, or ancient history. It has a beautiful harbour with plush gardens overlooking this and many ancient monuments such as an amphitheatre.

Most of the sights in Cartagena can be seen on foot. There are museums to visit, and several parks and squares to stop and rest in. Stop in one of the many restaurants or cafes and sample the local cuisine. If you enjoy shopping then it may be worth visiting Cartagena which now boasts an array of fashion boutiques as well as large department stores such as El Corte Ingles.

Elche

Elche is well-known for its palm grove, the largest in Europe. To date there are more than 200,000 of the trees over a surface of 430 hectares. The palm grove was created by the Phoenicians in the 6th century BC taking advantage of a warm climate and an ingenious irrigation system. The female palms produce dates in the winter, and the bleached palms of the male trees are used for handicrafts and in festivals all over the region

The palm trees can be as tall as 30 meters and their pruning and upkeep requires very skilful hands. Specialists are required to climb to the tops of the trees and cut off the damaged palms. The specialists used for this task are in great demand all over the region.

When visiting Elche you must visit the Priest's garden, a magnificently cool haven of peace and tranquillity, with it's great variety of cacti, including the infamous "mother-in-law's cushion" and especially the imperial palm tree with it's seven branches. Other places of interest in the town are the municipal park, the archaeological museum and the basilica Santa Maria.

On August 4th, 1987 during an archaeological dig for roman artefacts, the bust of a woman was uncovered (The Lady of Elche). The sculpture donned a very elegant hairstyle indeed.  Suspected to be a priestess or a noble woman, the original bust is now on display in the archaeological museum in Madrid, but replicas are placed strategically around the town.

There are many other interesting places to visit both in the immediate area of Guardamar del Segura on the Costa Blanca and by car. The Costa Blanca is a fascinating part of Spain steeped with history, fantastic cuisine and friendly people.