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WHERE YOU ARE GOING
There is a map SZ showing the location of most of the big cities and towns in the Costa Blanca. Our villa is 4km in land from Santa Pola on the Santa Pola - Elche road.
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BUYING EVERYTHING THAT YOU WILL NEED FOR EACH DAY
There is a small, local supermarket with just about everything you could need, for an ordinary day, some five minutes away by car or ten minutes by cycle in Valverde. It sells fresh bread and croissant, fresh vegetables and fruit, wine etc and it has a small butcher at the back.
The nearest large supermarket is the Caprabo, on the northern outskirts of Santa Pola and this stocks everything a Tesco would, but if you want real hypermarket shopping you can go to the Carrefour in Alicante or Elche.
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EATING OUT
Five minutes away in Valverde there is a lovely little square where Spanish workers gather in the café to drink coffee or eat great tapas in the mid morning break - you know, your breakfast time. In the evening the restaurant in the square opens for delightful Spanish meals.
There are great seafood restaurants right on the Playa Lissa beach in Santa Pola and plenty of good restaurants in Alicante and Elche.
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THE PHARMACY AND DOCTOR
A kilometre beyond the local supermarket in Valverde there is a pharmacy and a doctor practices in Valverde village itself.
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NEARBY BEACHES AND GOOD PLACES TO VISIT
There is a Safari Park in walking distance to the Villa in Valverde which has a children's park, playing area and a go-kart track.
If you can bear to tear yourselves away from the pool, there are some very nice town beaches at Santa Pola at about five kilometres to the East and the beach at Playa Lissa has some great bars and restaurants where you can eat and watch the young guns windsurf and kitesurf. At the far end of Playa Lissa (to the right as you look at the sea) is a place to hire and learn windsurfing and kitesurfing but park before you leave the tarmaced road.
There are really lovely beaches set in pine forests if you go south to La Marina and Guardamar and beyond. Here are the beaches of El Pinet, Les Pesqueres, La Marina and El Rebollo, where clear waters and fine sand provide excellent swimming, which can be combined with pleasant strolls among the pine groves flanking the beach. (As you make your way across the salt water lakes, notice the beautiful pink flamingos to the right.)
Guardamar harbour also does boat trips and has a Sunday market.
The Nature Reserves - The villa is within ten minutes drive of two nature reserves - the salt lake nature reserve and the palm tree reserve. This area offers a marvellous landscape with a very special ecosystem at the lagoon of El Fondo. You can see more about by linking here...
It is possible to drive into the mountains from here to imbibe rural Spain and this only takes about an hour.
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SANTA POLA
A visit to the fishing port of Santa Pola comes as a welcome contrast to the more party-focused towns in the region. There are plenty of hotels here, but you'll find the beaches are less congested than in other parts of the coast. Spread yourself on the white sands of the central Gran Playa, Playa Lissa west of the harbour, or Playa de Lavante to the east. Santa Pola also has some fine churches and museums, and, like most towns on the Costa Blanca, its own festivals - including a local version of the Muslims and Christians Festival, with a procession, fireworks and a ceremonial reenactment, with scimitars, of the Moorish invasion from the sea. You will find many restaurants and bars as well as the usual shops and Spanish markets.
See more information about Santa Pola by linking here...
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ALICANTE
Its exceptional location between the mountains and the sea gives the city a special kind of enrapturing beauty. Wherever you roam, you feel the connection to the sea, with the city playing its deeply-felt role as a seaport, as it has always done. It has a wonderful castle, old town and city beaches and is a must for a late afternoon trip.
You can read more about Alicante by linking here...
As Juan Gil-Albert said, "Alicante looks uninterruptedly to the Mediterranean", or in the words of Gabriel Miró "My city is pierced through and through by the Mediterranean". Another native author, Joan Fuster, wrote that Alicante "is without a doubt, the friendliest of all Valencian cities, a city one would choose to live in if one were to exchange a village for a city".
This love, care and affection shown to Alicante stems from two premises, the first of which is its privileged location and the second the mildness of its climate, with an average year round temperature of 18° C.
What to do in Alicante
- For abstract art, pay a visit to the Eusebio Sempere Museum in the Casa de la Asegurada, where you'll find an art collection donated to the city by this local sculptor and painter.
- Panoramic views of the city and sea from 166m high, surrounded by castle walls? Go up the Benacantil Mountain and visit the Castillo de Santa Bárbara. By road or using the lift from the Postiguet beach.
- Music lovers can attend a concert next to the sea in the afternoons, on the Paseo de la Explanada. In summertime, the concerts are given on Sunday mornings.
- Don't miss the magic and charm of Les Fogueres de Sant Joan. On the night of 24 June, the flames from blazing bonfires illuminate the Alicante sky.
- Try any of the delicious varieties of rice dishes, combined with shellfish, fish or meat. To complete your meal, taste the local wines, and don't forget the famous ice creams, turrones and dates.
- Get a good tan at practically any time of year on the fine sandy beaches of Postiguet, la Albufereta or San Juan. If you prefer rocky coves and seclusion, try the Cabo de las Huertas.
- You shouldn't miss the Island of Tabarca. Trips can be made from Alicante.
back to top ELCHE (ELX)
The nearest big town is Elx (sometimes spelt Elche). Set in the heart of the Costa Blanca, it offers a variety of pleasant surprises for the visitor - in particular the old town with its medieval cathedral is worth an evening visit and is the main city of the Baix Vinalopó district.
You can read more by linking here...
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The most important event of the year in Elche is the medieval Misteri d'Elx. Represented in 7th-century Basilica of Santa María, the Misteri is a lyrical drama from the late Middle Ages and represents the Assumption of the Virgin. The actual score is interpreted by non-professional singers from Elche or Elx as it’s known in the language of Valencia. Declared as a National Monument in 1931, this is one of Spain's most curious festivities of International Tourist interest. There are two acts: The Vespra and the Festa, held on August 14th and 15th, respectively. The local Tourist Information Office also provides information on the general rehearsals held on August 11th, 12th and 13th.
Legend tells that the origins of the festival can be traced to an apparition of the Virgin Mary off the coast of Elx to a soldier Francesc Cantó, who was on watch for pirate ships. A casket was recovered which contained the text and music for the play. What is certain is that the death of the Virgin is not recounted by the evangelists in the bible, and the story may have its origins in an apocryphal text that was in wide circulation in Europe in the medieval period. Tickets for the performances are hard to come by, but dress rehearsals takes place from the 11th to the 13th of August. The final rehearsal is followed by the Nit de Alba celebration, a spectacular fireworks display in the town square.
back to top GUARDAMAR DEL SEGURA
Further south, the town of Guardamar, with a population of just over 11,000, has historically played the role of guardian of the river Segura. After the earthquake of 1829 which devastated the old walled town close to the castle, it is now located nearer the coast and its constructions have been built to withstand future earth movements. The damage sustained by the Vega Baja river plain and the coastline brought tragedy to the town, as did the plague which ravaged its population during the 17th century.
You can read more by linking here...
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