The Guide 3-16,2004
Torrevieja As seen Through A Visitor's Eyes 30 Years Ago
Some of us who have lived here a few years think that we 've seen Torrevieja go through substantial changes. There are very few however, that can remember it thirty years ago. Here we take a look at an article from June 1973 that featured in the English edition of the 'Ciudad' (forerunner of the 'Costa Blanca News').
TORREVIEJA
Southern Pearl of the Costa Blanca
Few visitors to the Costa Bianca know very much about the countryside south of Alicante airport. We decided to investigate and chose Torrevieja as our target. After the slow crawl to Alicante we passed the airport and followed the signs for Cartagena, finding good long stretches of fast roads with very little traffic. After a couple of miles the countryside started to change, barren rocks were replaced by lush orange groves, fresh vineyards, trees and shade. We passed fields of artichokes, orchards and even cotton fields!
About halfway to Torrevieja lies Santa Pola, a small fishing port and popular resort of the Madrid tourists. There is a good beach and just out of town miles of salt-flats, a bird lovers' paradise.
The surrounding countryside was now quite flat with just a glimpse of the Sierra de Carrascoy mountains on the horizon. At Guardamar de Segura we pulled in for an aperitif and tapas and from the barman learned that only three kilometres away were some very good beaches. It was a rough ride and the road deteriorated rapidly. We passed many palm trees and then, suddenly, we were on this wild deserted beach. A local Guardia Civil officer told us that the government laid plans for a big marina/hotel development there in fact. After leaving the town we saw a 500 room hotel being built right on the beach.
Passing a few more villages we started picking up signs for Torrevieja and chose the one marked Playa: We were not disappointed, lovely long sandy beaches and then, suddenly, a rocky headland on the right and an attractive Swedish estate perched on a hillside. We drove past another good, sandy beach on our way into town and stopped in front of the marina, near the Yacht club which is called Club Nautico. The steward there kindly let us look round and we found it had a very comfortable lounge, two bars, and two restaurants amid a very big terrace overlooking the marina. We understand that membership fees are very much reduced for tourists.
Outside there is a small but pretty boulevard and, just across the way, the Casino. This looked an interesting place so we investigated. The uniformed porter saluted us at the door and we looked around in astonishment, great, chandeliers hung from the most beautifully ornate ceiling I have seen since Windsor Castle. Huge oil paintings decorated the walls. Another room was fantastically worked in Moorish carvings. To our surprise there was also small modern bar and, over a beer, we enquired from the barman if it were the local town hall or the art gallery? He told us that actually it was a private club! Suddenly we felt distinctly uncomfortable, but the barman smiled and told us that tourists were always allowed in anyway!
Feeling peckish we decided to eat at the 'Restaurant on Stilts' not a very fashionable looking place but it looked clean with scrubbed white wooden floors and a sea views. We had made a good choice, the staff were charming, the Sopa de Mariscos (sea food soup) very good and the merluza (hake) was very fresh, we drank local white wine and finished off with coffee and brandy. The bill came to just a pound each.
The town centre proved bigger than we had expected, with plenty of decent size shops. Prices seemed very low and we heard that there is a very big market on Fridays. People come from as far as Elche and Murcia to visit it.
Quite a lot of developments are planned for this area and the town obviously has a great future. Mr. Justo Quesada, an Elche builder, has already established an English colony at the edge of town. This is the 'Mi Sol Caravan Village' and consists of four hundred plots with bar/restaurant, swimming pools, etc. He also has a bungalow project now under construction and other big projects on the drawing board.
Only 25 miles from Alicante Airport, Torrevieja with its beaches, sea fishing, golf and horse riding through the fresh green countryside certainly has a lot to offer to any sun starved migrant.
W. Needham
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