First visit to Torrevieja! advice please!

[roxy1960]

Hi we are coming to Torrevieja for the first time in Sept and will be driving from the South of France where we are based. We are staying at an apartment at torreta III in banos de Europa. We are not really beachy people and would like to combine a bit of culture with some memorable scenery - could anybody suggest any surrounding areas to visit - especially those that are off the beaten track so to speak! Also is the town very rowdy at night ? And finally are there any good restaurants/bars, preferably typically Spanish we could try?

Any advice much appreciated thanks!!

[simmy]

Hi we are coming to Torrevieja for the first time in Sept and will be driving from the South of France where we are based. We are staying at an apartment at torreta III in banos de Europa. We are not really beachy people and would like to combine a bit of culture with some memorable scenery - could anybody suggest any surrounding areas to visit - especially those that are off the beaten track so to speak! Also is the town very rowdy at night ? And finally are there any good restaurants/bars, preferably typically Spanish we could try?

Any advice much appreciated thanks!!

The town is bustling at night but not rowdy. There are lots of restaurants/bars around the prom and the streets leading off. After midnight the young ones take over and party in the bars etc. on bar street area back from Keepers. Then on to discos untill dawn. You will be best going to the tourist office in the Church square for local info and maps. There are also lots of sites you can visit just put in Costa Blanca and follow the links.

[Joe]

First visit

Hello Roxy,

I find most cultural and scenic areas are outside Torrevieja itself. As you will have a car with you, a place worth visiting is Guadalest which is about 1 hour and 20 minutes drive north and inland from Benidorm. Take the motorway north passing by Alicante and when you get up to Benidorm watch out for the CV70 which also goes to Terra Mitica (if you have children, Terra Mitica is supposed to be worth a trip). If you google Guadalest, you will find lots of information.

Also google Cartagena which is an old, very historic city south of Torrevieja. There is a boat trip out around the bay here - last year it cost €5.50per person. Check with the tourist inormation in Cartagena when you get there.

The castle in Alicante is worth visiting. You can drive up to the top or get a lift up. We drove up but I could not attempt to give you directions. The owner of an ice cream parlour out at the port gave us diretions but again the tourist information in Alicante will help you.
The views over the enitre countryside are spectacular.

My top five restaurants are (although not Spanish). None of these are in Torrevieja but within 8 miles.
Viloriens - on the road from Rojales to the 332 (Did an excellent Sunday evening candlelight dinner for €20 when we were out in June)
The Vestry- Algorfa
Market St - San Miguel
Fratelli - Benijofar (Italian)
La Perla Rocha, beside the golf club in Quesada

A good source of information is Portal Oficial de Turismo de la Comunitat Valenciana

[Chrisdee]

First visit

Definitely give Market St. San Miguel restaurant a try (closed Mondays and Sunday evening), it's one of my best places to eat. They have a website too that you could look at. Another nice eating place is Rancho Blanco, think it comes under San Miguel too, it is a lovely Al fresco restaurant specializing in grilled meats (Closed on Tues).
When we've had visitors, we've popped into Benidorm, had a cheap English breakfast, visited Guadalest for a few hours, gone onto the water falls (Algar falls) behind Altea, then gone down into Benidorm for the evening. Another place you could sqeeze in on the day would be the Canelobre caves at Busot.
Another nice day out is the Jalon Valley (past,Benidorm) that has lovely scenery, especially if the Almond blossom is out, it's a place for a nice days drive and stop off for drinks and a meal.
Have a lovely holiday.

[Nalle]

La manga mar menor is a good place to visit. You must go over the "laughters bridge" on the north end of la manga. Lorca is also a nice Spanish town worth a visit.
There are also plenty of castles in the area, Cox, Villena, Sax , Elda just to name a few.
Polop in the north is also worth a visit if you are in the area around benidorm

There are several good restaurants in the area, it depends what you are looking for. You can find many restaurants in the middle of nowhere just next to the road, some might look like truckstops. But these are generally very good and not pricey at all.

[GAL]

You can go along the CV95 to Orihuela it has a real old town just follow signs for ayuntamiento and you will find the narrow high streets there is a trail around this part available from the tourist info