Hotel Madrid Torrevieja – Hotel Madrid provides a high quality good service. Enjoys a privileged location in the centre of the city of Torrevieja (Alicante), which allows options to enjoy both business and the leisure, particularly its beaches which are nearby. Both the Poinente Beach, the marina, the Real Club Nautico and the city are just five minutes walk from this hotel. The Hotel Madrid Torrevieja offers newly renovated facilities (year 2009); thinking of maximum comfort for all our customers giving them the best and friendliest service.
April 12, 2012
March 25, 2012
Daya Nueva Alicante
Daya Nueva Alicante: Daya Nueva (in Valencian Daia Nova) is a municipality and town of Valencia, Spain. Located in the province of Alicante and the region of the Vega Baja del Segura (Low Fertile Valley of the River Segura), in the area to the left of the Segura River, east of Almoradi. The main economic activity of Daya Nueva has always been irrigated agriculture, producing citrus fruits, artichokes and potatoes. Currently the town has many shops and other businesses, and is gradually moving towards a more modern economy. Daya Nueva experiences a typical Mediterranean climate with sunny weather all year round. Daya Nueva has a population of 1,988 nearby town and villages include Daya Vieja, San Fulgencio, Almoradi, Dolores and Catral.
Comments Off
March 21, 2012
Valencia Fallas 2012
Valencia Fallas 2012 Effigy of Elvis Presley
Valencia Fallas 2012 – On Monday we took a coach trip to see the final evening of the Fallas celebrations in Valencia. We picked up in various places along the way ending in Gran Alacant which was the final pick-up. We then headed along the Costa Blanca coast passing the airport and going up the A31 past many of the old historic towns with castles such as Novelda, Sax, Petrer and Villena, then cutting through to the Font de la Figuera (Spring of the Fig Picker), and picking up the A35 past Moixent, Montesa, L’Alcudia de Crispins and Xativa before reaching Valencia, for us a journey of 4 hours (we got on at Cabo Roig).
While there are many different celebrations in the Fallas, the star of the show is the building of giant effigies which are burnt on the final night together with a massive firework display. Some of the effigies are huge (up to 20 metres high) and make fun of famous people mostly Spanish, though one of the best this year featured Elvis Presley with a number of other famous pop stars such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Freddie Mercury etc. I must say the giants are amazing an it seems a shame to burn them though they do hand out some smaller sections of the figures to local children.
There was some concern over the weather on the day as rain was expected and in the event the celebrations went on in fine weather (though a bit chilly) and it actually started to rain as we got back on the coach for the journey home (and on through the night, some 6 inches of rain in all!).
We really enjoyed the whole event and the burnings are amazing, if rather smelly and dangerous, with burning pices of polystyrene flying everywhere, the fireworks were excellent, the display of flowers was amazing.
Comments Off
March 14, 2012
Montgo National Park Alicante
Montgo National Park Alicante Spain: The Montgo National Park, declared a Natural Park in 1987, covers an area of 2117.68 hectares and rises to 753 metres. The park which has witnessed the passage of man from ancient times has a high cultural and archaeological value. Noted for its more than 650 species of flora, among which are endemic as Carduncellus dianius . The Montgo National Park reaches the sea at Cape San Antonio, which at its feet is home to the Natural Reserve of the sea that bears its name, declared in 1994 by the importance of biodiversity that it contains. The Montgo National Park has some of the most spectacular scenery of the coast of Valencia.
Comments Off
March 12, 2012
Abdet Alicante Spain
Abdet Alicante Spain – Abdet is a town in the valley of Guadalest, Alicante (Spain), and belongs administratively to the nearby town of Confrides. It is situated at the foot of the Sierra de Serrella, at an altitude of 630 metres. It currently has a population of 100 inhabitants. The name “Abdet” is probably from the Arabic language and the town originates from the Moorish occupation of Spain. After the Reconquest it was given to Vidal de Sarria by King James 1 (1264). Abdet is just inland of the northern Costa Blanca coastline.
Comments Off
February 9, 2012
Zeniamar Spain
Zeniamar Spain: An attractive residential complex which is surrounded by all kinds of services, Zeniamar is within the Orihuela Costa area and is a well established and mature residential area, with many shopping centres nearby. Zeniamar is also close to the beaches of Punta Prima, La Zenia and Playa Flamenca with lots of sandy beaches to choose from. Zeniamar has lots of landscaped green areas with lovely community pools and Jacuzzis so you will not even need the beach. Golfers will also enjoy Zeniamar with at least 4 courses close by. Beautifully designed apartments and bungalows are available to buy or rent, so staying here is easy, and you will not want to go home, because the area is so beautiful.
Comments Off
December 13, 2011
Den Engel Playa Flamenca
Den Engel Restaurant Playa Flamenca – During the family holiday in the summer myself and my stepson David took a trip down to Playa Flamenca where we wanted to try out the well known lobster restaurant Den Engel. The restaurant itself is in a great spot on the seafront between Playa Flamenca’s 2 beaches and you an sit and watch the sea while enjoying a fine lobster meal. Believe it or not I have never had lobster before and was long overdue for this renowned delicacy. I must say however that though I enjoyed it for the experience, it is not something that I would worry about having again. Its all a bit too much of an effort for me, give me a decent prawn any day, and I’m not sure it was worth the money really although Dave treated me for my birthday, so it was free for me! The apartments above the commercial centre must enjoy some pretty fabulous views, well worth considering if you are planning a trip to Playa Flamenca.
Comments Off
November 14, 2011
Novelda Spain
Novelda Spain: A town situated between Elda and Aspe in the Alicante province of Valencia, Spain, Novelda is an important area for the production of marble, with many factories on the approaches to the town. Novelda is also renowned for its spices (condimentos) particularly saffron (azafran). A historic town, Novelda was settled by Greeks and Romans long before the Moors arrived to control the area. Its best known monument is the Santa Maria Magdalena monastery (which may remind you of the famous Sagrada Familia in Barcelona), it was designed by a protégé of Gaudi during the 19th century. Also worth a look in Novelda is the Arabic castle of Mola and the Museum of Modernista. Today Novelda has a population of over 27,000 and is a mostly industrial town. Novelda Map.
Comments Off
November 1, 2011
Monforte del Cid Alicante
Monforte del Cid Alicante – Originally called Nompot in the 13th century, the town of Monforte del Cid is situated in the Alicante province of Spain. The town was awarded to his son by King Alfonso in 1328 along with a number of other villages, and by 1355 it was already being referred to as Monfort, later being changed to Monforte in 1708, the Del Cid part of the name was added in 1916 by Royal Decree. Monforte del Cid is well known for its grapes, especially dessert grapes and its economy has depended on grapes for many centuries. If you visit Monforte del Cid be sure to look at the 15th century Gothic parish church.
Comments Off
August 26, 2011
La Mata Costa Blanca
La Mata Costa Blanca – A small town and coastal resort located between Torrevieja and Guardamar del Segura, La Mata has become increasingly popular in recent years, as a holiday destination. Long popular with the Spanish themselves, La Mata has now been discovered by International tourists, and has also attracted those seeking to buy holiday homes in the sun. Backed by a large salt lake and natural park (The Parque Natural de La Mata y Torrevieja), La Mata has some fine sandy beaches and an attractive coastline, in the town are a good range of shops, together with cafes, bars and restaurants. La Mata enjoys sunny weather conditions most of the year making it a truly all year round resort, it is easily reached from the N-332 and is just a couple of miles from the town of Torrevieja.
Comments Off
August 22, 2011
Ciudad Quesada Spain
Entrance to Ciudad Quesada
Ciudad Quesada Spain – A unique and interesting place located inland of Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca, Spain is the new city of Ciudad Quesada, built since the 1970’s and the product of a dream by a man named Justo Quesada Samper. As a child this extraordinary man dreamt of a city where people could live together in peace and harmony and enjoy life to the full, with everything to hand and available. As the city started to grow it developed around the holiday home plan and many International citizens began buying properties in the city making it a truly Cosmopolitan area. Now the city of Quesada (as it is more commonly known) is fully complete and has its own Town Hall, medical centre, shops, bars, restaurants, social club, eighteen hole golf course and aqua water park, plus much more. Mostly built upon a hillside, Ciudad Quesada offers some spectacular views over Rojales, the nearby salt lakes and on to the azure blue Mediterranean Sea. Quesada benefits from sunny weather all year round, so has became a popular holiday resort, with hundreds of detached villas with pools available for rent. You can reach Ciudad Quesada using the CV-905 from Torrevieja or the handy AP-7 motorway which connects the city with both Murcia and Alicante airports.
Comments Off
August 9, 2011
Campoverde Spain
El Pinar de Campoverde
Campoverde Spain – An attractive little village located inland of Pilar de la Horadada on the Costa Blanca, El Pinar de Campoverde (normally just referred to as “Campoverde”) has mostly developed due to the demand for holiday homes in the sun. Campoverde is especially renowned for its detached villas many of which stand on good sized plots and despite their inland position, still have sea views due to their being build on a hillside. This sizeable development of villas attracted the building of a new golf course for the area, and this has now taken shape in the form of the Lo Romero golf course, fast becoming one of the most popular courses in the area. Due to its inland position the villas of Campoverde were generally a little more affordable than similar properties built on the coast, this and its situation close to golf have added to its attractiveness. While inland, Campoverde is still within easy reach of the beaches of the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida, with also plenty of other golf courses nearby.
Comments Off
August 3, 2011
Orihuela Costa Resorts Cabo Roig and Playa Flamenca
Orihuela Costa Coastline Near Playa Flamenca
Orihuela Costa Resorts Cabo Roig and Playa Flamenca – There are many of you who probably never have heard of the Orihuela Costa, while there are other who take their holidays there every year. For those of you who don’t know where it is, I will explain. In the southern area of the Costa Blanca region, within the province of Alicante, the Orihuela Costa is a section of coast which belongs to the inland town of Orihuela (as is the habit in Spain of providing inland towns with a section of coast that they administer). Now this developed later than other better known areas of the Costa Blanca, such as Benidorm, which started much earlier, in fact the Orihuela Costa has mostly developed over the last 20 years or so, Playa Flamenca was begun in the early 1970’s by Dutch property developers, and is a recent resort with little history. On the reverse of this, Cabo Roig has some history, and its ancient watchtower displays evidence of this in the most powerful way, as it has existed for many centuries, in fact way back when pirates sailed these seas. Both resorts have become popular as holiday home locations and many Brits and Irish have settled permanently there (together with Germans and Scandinavians among others). I will be writing more about these resorts shortly.
Comments Off
August 1, 2011
Elche Huerto del Cura
The Imperial Palm - Huerto del Cura Elche
Elche Huerto del Cura: One of my favourite places to visit in the Costa Blanca city of Elche, is the Hurto del Cura or Priest’s Garden, this hidden gem is especially attractive on a hot summers day as the hundreds of palm trees there provide some welcome shade from the scorching sun.
Surrounded by busy city streets, this is a strangely tranquil place, the stone walls encircling it, blocking out much of the city noise. Inside you will find hundreds of species of palm trees of varying sizes, culminating in the huge eight armed Imperial Palm, the pride of the garden, which is some 170 years old and is supported by metal straps which prevent it from collapsing under its huge eight tons of weight. Pretty little lily padded ponds trickle with water and an amazing cactus garden with some immense specimens adds to the pleasure.
Pop into the little shop an you can purchase your own date palm to take home, maybe one day you will get some dates of your own, in the mean time purchase some dates which have been cultivated on-site, delicious. From the Huerto del Cura you can easily walk to many of the other attractions of Elche, so it is a great place to break up a days visit, cool down and chill out for a while, before continuing your visit. This fine garden of course celebrates the history of the palm tree in Elche, and surrounding the city you will certainly not miss the huge palm forest which dates back to the times of the ancient Phoenicians who settled here over two thousand years ago.
Comments Off