Rojales

Rojales Town Centre

This spacious apartment is located in Rojales, which is situated in southern Spain, ‘Costa Blanca’ just a 25 minute car drive from Alicante airport.

Rojales is a typically Spanish village with a variety of shops and amenities. On Thursdays Rojales plays host to the local market where you can buy local produce and gifts can be bought at a fraction of shop prices.

Rojales is not located right on the beach, but about 4 miles inland. Combining the historical with the modern, Rojales, in Alicante province, is an interesting town to explore and it will offer the tourist a uniquely Spanish holiday. Although Rojales is full of amenities to please both tourists and locals, the town is incredibly relaxing. There are wide areas of open space untouched by development and the rustic, sandstone buildings make the town beautiful and unique. The town square especially is perfect to relax in.

For those who are seeking traditional Spanish architecture and a spot steeped in history, Rojales is most definitely the place to visit. You will find that the town is actually a mix of Spanish and Moorish styles; the Moors being responsible for building the irrigation system which surrounds the town and constructed during their occupation.

Rojales is worth taking the time to explore and you can still see the cave houses which were once used as dwellings and now form part of a museum. The old water wheel (La Noria) is situated in the centre of Rojales where an ancient bridge crosses the Segura River. The 'Shell House' in Rojales is not to be missed and is a welcome retreat in the heat of the midday sun. The ‘Shell House’ is a testament to the patience and perseverance of one man - Manuel Fulleda Alcazar and you can still find him working on his house, adding more shells daily.

Rojales Shell House

The Natural Park of the Lagoons is another reason to come to Rojales, and those who enjoy nature will have the opportunity to explore this region on the footpaths that wander throughout the preserve. The Lagoons gives you the chance to see many migratory birds, such as flamingos, and observe the reed beds, lagoons and tidal marshes that make this park so special.

The Segura River plays a really important part in the area’s history and modern day irrigation. Some of the more famous areas in the town are the cave houses at Cuevas del Rodeo. These cave houses have been carved into the side of a sandstone mountain during the 19th century.

The nightlife in Rojales is lively and the complex a mere ten-minute walk away, playing host to an array of beautiful restaurants.

There are also some very good festivals to enjoy while in Rojales, such as the festival of Saint Peter in June, which is a favourite among the local Spanish inhabitants, as well as that of Romeria de San Isidro, which is held in May, and the October festival of the Virgen del Rosario. Rojales can offer you a combination of the quiet and the exciting, in a jewel of a setting.

Formentera del Segura is located a slight distance inland from Guardamar (about 10-15 minutes drive), it is a town still relatively untouched by recent tourist activity and so can provide you with a more traditional stay.

La Marina

La Marina

La Marina is a small coastal village on the Costa Blanca located between Santa Pola and Alicante to the north and Guardamar and Torrevieja to the south. La Marina is approximately a 30 minute drive from Alicante airport. The village has a range of shops, bars, banks etc. as well as a regular bus service north and south along the coast.

The area boasts an exceptionally attractive coastal landscape for tourists. The bathing season starts in spring and lasts until autumn. The natural environment combines great expanses of beach with spectacular rolling dunes.

There is also a large urbanisation, ‘La Marina’, which is situated a few kilometres from the coast where you can enjoy a spot of retail therapy and be spoilt for choice for places to eat and drink. The beautiful Blue Flag golden sandy beach at La Marina stretches for about 17 kilometres from Santa Pola to Torrevieja.

If you want to get away from the beach for a day, take the coastal road N-332 into the beautiful rural countryside, or up into the mountains, where you can enjoy wonderful natural landscapes and great views. A short car journey will also take you to the nearby cities of Torrevieja, Alicante and Murcia and the villages of San Fulgencio, La Marina-Pueblo, Rojales, Almoradí, Crevillente, Dolores and Catral which are all worth a visit. You can take a stroll in these historical and charming old towns, drive along rural roads, past orange and lemon groves and call into a local artisan store where you will be able to pick up a traditional souvenirs including hand-made jewellery, fans, wine, ham and olive oil.

Novelda

Novelda Mary Magdalena Church

This village is about 35 minutes away heading up country and slightly inland but the drive is certainly worth it for the beautiful modernist design Sanctuary or Church of Mary Magdalena with its beautiful exterior and huge paintings of Mary Magdalene and Christ inside. In July they have a fiesta in honour of Mary Magdalene and her image is carried all the way down the winding sanctuary road to the village of Novelda with thousands of people attending.

Places of tourist interest include the monastery of Santa Maria Magdalena (dated from 19th century), which has a church which was designed by a disciple of Antoni Gaudí, the Moorish castle of the Mola, with its unique triangular tower, and the Museum of Modernism. This is a well preserved art nouveau house with original artefacts from the 1920s. The house itself is a work of art. The House-Museum is located in a modernista building designed by Pedro Cerdan Martinez and is now a centre for modernista research and promotion.

There is also two castle ruins called Mola castle on the same spot that you can enter and view. The warden of the church will supply you with a beautiful booklet and map of Novelda written in English. The church has a convent in the grounds and the nuns serve drinks and sell small souvenirs.

The village of Novelda is a very typical Spanish village with beautiful architecture, museums and large parks. It is worth taking a day to visit and explore the area.

Almoradi

Almoradi

Almoradi's beautiful town hall square merits a mention where every Saturday in the surrounding streets the market sells fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, and plenty of other bargains. The market holds around 600 stalls and is situated on Avenida de la Constitución. It is lovely to do your shopping then sit in the open air having a coffee listening to the music. Almoradi is only a 10-minute drive away from the apartments in Los Palacios, Formentera Del Segura, and Rojales.

Almoradi was destroyed in an earthquake in 1829 and unfortunately little architecture survived. There is plenty to see in the area including the salt lakes of Torrevieja, one of which is a national park and bird sanctuary with numerous species including the pink flamingo. The Moors and Christians festival is normally held in Almoradi around the last week of July. If you like to drive the odd shot up the fairway, you will find Almoradi offering many local golf courses. Overall, Almoradi is a quiet town in comparison to others in the surrounding area.

Guardamar

Guardamar Beach

The delightful town of Guardamar with several kilometres of beautiful blue-flagged beaches is only a ten minute drive away. From the Queen Sofa Park there are pleasant walks through extensive protected areas planted with a superb variety of tropical plants and flowers. The beach at Guardamar is one of the most stunning – crystal clear waters, clean sand and beach bars galore. The beach bars and ice cream parlours offer a good variety of snacks.

Guardamar is surrounded by a nature reserve consisting of two natural salt water lakes, Las Salinas de Guardamar. This nature reserve is a paradise for birdwatchers because the salt flats are home to wonderful pink flamingoes and many different species of birds. The reserve is also a great place for hiking and rambling. The concentration of salt and warm temperatures combine to endow Guardamar and nearby areas with a particularly healthy micro-climate, recommended by doctors for its beneficial properties. Bathing in the salt lagoons is also becoming popular for many medicinal reasons.

Guardamar is known for its 800 hectares of sand dunes, Las Dunas de Guardamar, which were created by easterly winds blowing sand inland from both the Mediterranean Sea and the River Segura. Guardamar overlooks a long beach bordered by a large expanse of sand dunes covered with pines and eucalyptus. The setting is one of the most unique scenes in the land of Valencia, with an original combination of extensive coastal dunes protected by a verdant forest, fertile fields and orchards and the beautiful beach and Mediterranean Sea.

Of course, no holiday would be complete without some shopping and there are some amazing jewellery and accessory stores in Guardamar which are perfect for a browse after a long day of sunbathing at the beach.

Benijofar

Benijofar

This is a very nice town about a 10 minute walk away from the property. Benijofar has all the everyday amenities with quite a few new pubs and restaurants springing up on the urbanisation of Benijofar. You can enjoy Indian, Chinese, Spanish or just fast take-away food all within a few yards of one another. There are also 2 supermarkets and 2 large Chinese shops where you can buy a wide range of items anddelicious ingredients.

There are many bars here frequented by the local ex pats and a good old English evening can be enjoyed with all the benefits of the Spanish climate. There is entertainment in most of these bars with karaoke, live artists and of course, bingo, on most nights or afternoons. Market day is Tuesday morning. There is a golf accessory shop located here where you can book your games of golf at a discount price.

Ciudad Quesada

Ciudad Quesada

Ciudad Quesada is a small, beautiful town in the Southern Costa Blanca close to the older town of Rojales. It has a quite remarkable history for it was founded between 1972 and 1999 on a hillside by a man who realized his childhood dream, Justo Quesada Samper. He envisioned building a city named after himself where people could enjoy life together in peace and harmony. The first inhabitants of Ciudad Quesada were from Switzerland and now people from twenty different nations live here year round which certainly makes it a bustling town.

Living in this modern town offers many advantages. Due to the agreeable climate of the Costa Blanca the location is suitable for retirement as well as for holidays. In recent years much has been built in and around Ciudad Quesada. However, instead of becoming an over-developed resort it has retained its cozy character with white villas and houses. Here you can really live the relaxed, easy life Samper dreamt of. All in all, Ciudad Quesada is a lofty vantage point providing splendid views over beautiful surroundings with the nearby salt lakes and the distant, azure blue Mediterranean Sea.

Beyond that Quesada has a good infrastructure. You will find banks, a Medical Centre, a Social Club, a marvellous Aqua Splash water park on the top of the hill and a commercial centre with a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants. Lovers of good cooking will be spoilt for choice since Spanish and international cuisine is offered in many places. The town of Quesada is also the proud owner of La Marquesa Golf Club, a 18 hole course created by Justo Quesada Samper.

Torrevieja

Torrevieja

For those who prefer things more lively the buzzing town of Torrevieja is only eight kilometres away and is popular with both foreign and Spanish holiday makers.

Torrevieja is situated on the southern end of the Costa Blanca coastline on Spain’s Eastern coast. This location makes it perfect for touring both the Costa Blanca attractions and for exploring nearby Murcia and the Costa Calida. A traditional holiday destination, especially for British visitors, this area offers many attractions for the whole family. You can get to Torrevieja from Alicante via the N332 road. There are fantastic views as you go through Santa Pola, La Marina and Guardamar all the way to Torrevieja.

Torrevieja lies between the Sea and two massive salt lakes (Las Salinas). The town has its own wonderfully healthy micro-climate which is especially good for allergy sufferers and those with rheumatism and arthritis. These rejuvenating conditions are largely due to the surrounding salt water lagoons.

Torrevieja has a wide range of shops, bars and restaurants that line the promenade. The funfair and late-night market all help to make it a great day and night out for all the family.

Santa Pola

Santa Pola Beach

Santa Pola is a former fishing village now known as a popular tourist beach resort on Spain's southern Costa Blanca. Santa Pola's attraction as a tourist resort lies in its closeness to Alicante airport and its miles of golden sandy beaches combined with the tremendous climate of the Costa Blanca. To the south of the town lies a large area of salt lakes where the production of salt has taken place since Roman times. Between the salt lakes and the sea are miles of wonderful sandy beaches and this is a particularly popular area for kite flying and dozens can be seen on a breezy day.

Santa Pola has 15 kilometres of coastline mostly consisting of fine sandy beaches and is very safe to enjoy swimming, diving and other water sports. From north to south, the Santa Pola coastline begins with two peaceful, natural beaches and continues with two wide, sandy beaches. Secluded and pretty coves are also nearby which are ideal for diving – these are a paradise for windsurfers. Between the cape and the port you will find Varadero and Levante beaches backed by a promenade. Boats sail between the port and Tabarca Island which is about 3 km away.

Further to the south there are four urban beaches of a more lively nature, particularly the popular Gran Playa beach. Santa Pola has two diving centres, a dinghy school in the yacht club and windsurf and catamaran rental facilities on Levante, Gran Playa and Tamarit beaches.