The Orihuela Costa, Costa Blanca South
The Orihuela Costa is a coastal area located in the south of the Costa Blanca, this area includes Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Vila Martin (Inland), Los Dolses, La Fuente, Dehese de Campoamor, Pinar de Campoverde (inland) and Mil Palmeres.
Find information about other places to visit on the Costa Blanca South HERE
The Orihuela Costa is the perfect place for beautiful sandy beaches, there are 11 beaches, which stretch for over 16 km, it is also well known for its fantastic golf courses such as Campoamor, Las Ramblas and Villa Martin.
The Orihuela Costa is a popular area for ex-pats of many nationalities the main urbanizations being Punta Prima, Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Campoamor and Mil Palmera but there are more than 57 urbanizations in this region.
The Orihuela Costa
Punta Prima
Punta Prima is situated a ten minute drive just south of Torrevieja, until 1969 Punta Prima was nothing more than parched scrub-land bordered by a narrow strip of sand, the first residential developments started to appear in the late sixties and large urbanisations started to be built in the late 80s, it is now a popular area fpr many English speaking and Northern European expatriates.
Punta Prima has a Commercial Centre with plenty of shops including a Eroski supermarket, plenty of restaurants and bars. There are more restaurants to choose from on the N332.
Go-Karting - There are two tracks for different age groups and next to the tracks there is a wide selection of bouncy castles, trampolines, ball pools and other distractions for the younger ones.
Punta Prima beaches
Punta Prima has two beautiful beaches. Cala Piteras lies to the north of the community adjacent to Restaurante Nautilus and provides a small crescent of soft sand 123 metres long.
Playa de Punta Prima is a thin sheltered beach measuring 234 metres of pristine sands. The Paseo Maritimo promenade wraps behind the beach providing a pedestrian and cycle route to neighbouring beaches
The beach is southeast-facing which guarantees sunshine for the majority of the day, unlike most of the surrounding east-facing beaches which offer plenty of sun first thing in the morning, waning as the day progresses.
The cliff that used to make the beach relatively inaccessible have been bypassed by the installation of a lift toward the west end of the beach making it easy for families and people with limited mobility to reach the golden sands below.
Playa de Punta Prima has a Chiringuito (beach bar), first-aid services, and a lifeguard during the summer season.
Just a few metres from this beach is a rocky stretch which is highly recommended for sports fishing.
Playa Flamenca
The main N-332 coastal road runs north to south through Playa Flamenca, separating the beachfront residential area from the many urbanisations further inland. The AP-7 motorway marks Playa Flamenca´s western-most boundary. Playa Flamenca is home to residents from many different countries around the world, with a good mix of British, Irish, German, French, Danish, and Scandinavian expatriates in the community.
Playa Flamenca itself has plenty of shops, bars and restaurants, one of the big draws for this area is the very large street market held every Saturday. The market is open from around 09.30 – 13.30
Playa Flamenca Beaches, Cala Estaca
This beach is 150 metres long with fine white sand and is a blue flag beach, services include a promenade, walkways, showers, car parks, lifeguard stations and a kid's play area.
Cala Mosca (Flamenca beach)
Cala Mosca is 100 metres long . The beach is very clean and offers Golden sand and turquoise waters, it has a walkway, all necessary services, and a wide range of restaurants.
Playa Flamenca´s third beach is unspoiled, secluded, and natural, and only accessible via a rocky un-adopted path and often used by Naturalists.
Los Dolses
Los Dolses is a large urbanisation made up of villas and apartment blocks situated between Villamartin and La Zenia on the Orihuela Cosat. Nearby attractions include many popular golf courses and sandy beaches just fifteen minutes drive away.
In Los Dolses you will find two commercial centres. The Rioja and Los Dolses. In La Rioja you will find shops, bars and restaurants.
In the Los Dolses Plaza there are numerous bars with food which are very popular during the day, other facilities include a bank, large supermarket, opticians etc.
La Fuente
Yet another well know shopping centre which is built on 2 levels and popular with local residents. The centre has an excellent selection of restaurants offering something for everyone.
La Zenia
This is home to one of the best and largest shopping centers in the Alicante region, La Zenia Boulevard. It is a shopping center designed for visitors to enjoy and have fun, with something for everyone, its beautifully designed with over 90 different species of vegetation and cooling water sprays during the hot summer months, there are plenty of rest areas, a giant LED screen where you can enjoy the best sporting events and the most interesting documentaries, as well as a stage for free concerts and performances. Find lots more information here.
The Orihuela Costa
Cala Bosque Beach (La Zenia)
This is one of the most visited sandy beaches in the area, it is 350 metres in length and is bordered by Cala Cerrada to the north and Cala Capitán in the south.
It has been awarded the sought-after Blue Flag due to the quality of its services. Services include lifeguards, special access paths for people with disabilities, a car park, bus stops, a play area, etc.
Cala Capitán (between La Zenia and Cabo Roig)
Cala Capitán is quite small in size at only 157 metres long and 86 metres wide. It is separated from Cala Bosque to the north and Cabo Roig to the south by a strip of land.
It has fine sand and calm waters, and is once again a Blue Flag beach, here you will find a walkway, parking, wheelchair access, first-aid stations and boat slipways. There are also two small islands opposite the beach, which are great fun for adults and children.
Cabo Roig
Once again an area of large urbanisations, on the main N332 you will find lots of bars (some offering live entertainment) and restaurants, this area is known locally as "The Strip"
Cabo Roig Beach (Caleta)
Cabo Roig beach has soft fine sand and is accessed by steps and ramps, It is 420 metres long and 18 metres wide and is located in a semi-urban area. It offers a wide variety of services for sun and water sport lovers, including sailing and windsurfing.
Cabo Roig Marina
The port of Cabo Roig has excellent facilities: 207 moorings for on sluffs up to 12 meters in the long and large draft, with water and electricity intake. · It has a ramp, boathouse and crane of 3 tons. · Weather information and radiotelephony service. · Social club with restaurant, bar and showers. · Activities: Windsurfing sailing courses.
Villamartin (inland)
Villamartin is without doubt one of the most popular areas on the Orihuela Costa. Villamartin Plaza is located in the heart of this wonderful area and is the prefect place to visit both day and night, relax under the warming sun during the day or enjoy a meal under the stars in one of the many bars or restaurants that surround the plaza. Villamartin Plaza is the place to be.
Residential homes overlook the beautiful palm lined central area, there are two levels to explore with typical Spanish architecture of rought iron balconies, terracotta and ceramic tiles and stunning Spanish style lamps which all add to the atmosphere.
Dehesa de Campoamor
Situated next to the Sierra de Escalona Natural Park. It has 3 white sandy beaches and numerous green areas ideal for various leisure activities.
This urbanization perfectly blends simplicity and luxury, here you will find simple one bedroom studios overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the most upmarket, expensive , massive villas.
Playas de Aguamarina, Dehesa de Campoamor
Aguamarina is a small beach, just 500 metres long, which has the Blue Flag. It has white and golden sand and contains a natural reserve of fossils.
Access to the beach is somewhat limited making it a quiet beach but it still has the necessary toilet facilities, first-aid station, beach bars, foot washing stations and ramps for wheelchair access.
La Glea beach, Dehesa de Campoamor
This beach is one of the largest in the area and has been Awarded the “Q” mark for Tourist Quality, it is 650 metres long and 20 metres wide, situated to the north is Aguamarina cove and to the south by Barranco Rubio beach.
Its fine sand and wide variety of games for children of all ages makes it perfect for enjoying family get-togethers or sports activities. To the north of the beach is the small port of Dehesa de Campoamor, where all kinds of water sports can be found.
This is the best equipped beach in the area and it has numerous services including foot washing stations and showers, a first-aid station, beach bars, car park and restaurants.
Campoamor Marina
348 moorings, especially suitable for motor embarkations by its draft, with water and electricity intake. It has a ramp, boathouse and crane of 10 tons. Weather information service, radioteledefony and fuel supply. Social club with restaurant, bar and showers. Activities: Windsurfing sailing courses.
Barranco Rubio beach, Dehesa de Campoamor
Located at the mouth of Barranco Rubio ravine.
This beach, with golden sand and calm waters, measuring 655 metres in length and 47 metres in width, is located in an urban area. The beach has all necessary facilities, including restaurants, first-aid stations, car parks, shopping area, nightlife area, cafés and bars.
Pinar de Campoverde
Pinar is a small village located at the foot of the Sierra de Escalona mountain range, ten kilometres from the coast.
The town has only developed since the mid-1980s when many British, German, French and Scandinavian expatriates settled here. Originally, the area had been a large pine forest, hence the name.
Every street and avenue in the village takes its name from a plant, herb or horticultural zone. Examples include Calle Bosque (Forest Street), Calle Lavanda (Lavander Street), Calle Meloncotonero (Peach Tree Street), Calle Abedul (Birch Street) and Calle Cerezo (Cherry Tree Street) and the footpaths in the village are block paved in Verde (green).
Mil Palmeras
The village and resort of Mil Palmeras is located on the banks of the River Seco and is the most southern resort on the Costa Blanca it is easily accessed by the N-332 dual carriageway. This is a quiet peaceful place with no skyscrapers, no partying until the early hours and no shopping centers.
During the Roman days Mil Palmeras was strategical placed on the old trade route. In fact, this route is called the ” Via Augusta “. On the coast you can find watchtowers which were built in the 16th century.
Mil Palmeras beach (thousand Palms Beach)
Situated to the very south of Orihuela Costa, this beach is joined to the municipality, of Pilar de la Horadada,. Its conservation and services have earned it the “Q” mark for Tourist Quality as well as the prestigious Blue Flag.
It offers 346 metres of golden sand, nearby is a children’s park and a water sports facility. It also has a lifeguard service, special wheelchair access, showers, foot washing stations, public telephones, car park, bus stops and taxi rank.
A popular area nearby to visit is Lo Monte Natural Park
Covering an area of 10.3 hectares, Lo Monte Natural Park is a protected wetland with two large lakes. Around the lakes are picturesque nature trails and 5 observation points where visitors can view about 36 different bird species. Visitors can explore at their leisure or arrange a guided tour. Signs throughout the park have interesting information on the various flora & fauna of the area.
The Rio Seco Natural trail walk.
The Rio Seco is the start of a long walk along the usually dry riverbed, this walks heads inland to Pinar de Campoverde, a little town 10 kilometers inland. On this walk you will see gorges carved from yellow sandstone, which have beautiful formations caused by years of erosion.
GOLF COURSES ON THE ORIHUELA COSTA
More information on other local Golf Courses can be found here.
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club
This 18 hole golf course is surrounded by hills and winds through a valley. It makes excellent use of the natural landscape. The wide fairways, large greens and the holes' numerous tees provide greater flexibility and allow it to be suitable for professional competitions, while offering an enjoyable round, which is fun and affordable, other facilities include Driving Range, Putting Green and Chipping Green
Club de Golf Las Ramblas
The greens of Las Ramblas are spacious, generous, fast and with soft slopes. the 18 hole par 72 course is beautiful landscape with Mediterranean pines. Liam Neeson shoot part of his film, the third part of "Taken on this course.
Real Club de Golf Campoamor
With 18 holes this course is 6,277 meters and par 72. The golf course was inaugurated in 1998 under the name Real Club de Golf Campoamor by S.A.R.D. Juan de Borbón (Count of Barcelona). During the month of August, a championship is held every year in his honour. There are also two football pitches which are frequented by teams such as the Spanish national team (under 21) and Real Murcia CF
Golf Club Villamartin
Villamartin Golf Course was designed by Paul Putman and is situated within a mile from the coast The par for the course is 72 and it measures 6005 metres.
It is built on hilly ground with the front nine holes being at the highest point of the course offering some spectacular sea views. The second nine are situated more in valleys with ravines coming into play on several holes, so its an interesting course.
FIND OTHER PLACES TO VISIT ON THE COSTA BLANCA SOUTH