Hotels in Torrevieja

Torrevieja

Torrevieja is a Mediterranean seaside city on the southern Costa Blanca, about 50 km south of Alicante, with more than 80,000 inhabitants. It lies in one of the few Spanish-speaking parts of the Valencian Community, between the sea and two large pink salt lakes, Las Salinas de Torrevieja. The name means "old tower", after the guard tower that stood among a few scattered cottages until the 1800s. In 1803, Charles IV moved the salt production and offices here from La Mata, and the town grew around them. An earthquake levelled it in 1829, but the salt basins soon recovered, and in the 19th century Swedish and Dutch ships carried the salt away. The Archpriest's Parish Church of the Immaculate Conception dates from 1789 and was rebuilt after the earthquake. Town beaches such as Playa del Cura and Los Locos lie close to the centre, and the long Playa de La Mata runs to the north. So many Madrid residents have settled here that the town is known as "the beach of Madrid", and its population is highly international. It suits families, long-stay winter visitors and anyone who wants a real town with a beach. Alicante-Elche airport is the nearest, and a car helps for the salt lakes and the golf courses further south.