Orihuela Costa Areas

Hi we bought an appartment in La Cinuelica, Punta Prima for ecactly those reasons and love it so much we have now sold the appartment and bought a house a few yards up the road. We visited several areas before purchasing but found Punta Prima was best for us. Its a flat area plenty of bars and restaurants,  consum supermarket, 2 pharmacies, a few shops and Carrefour and Lidl within walking distance. . We love it but best advise is to do what you are doing, look around diffetent areas and style of properties and you will know when uou find the right one for you. Good luck

Thank you so much for the tip, I'll add that area to the list.

Thanks again, it really is appreciated,

Lindsay

I chose Torrevieja (seaside of 332) for the following reasons: Short/walking distance to everything one needs in daily life, including  activities for all age groups ,restaurants and bars of all kinds, and easy access to both big supermarkets and specialised shops. Less than an hour bus drive to both airport and big cities. Possible public transport to almost everywhere, all year round.Lively also during winter. Most neighbouring cities are rather "dead" off season. Reliable Electricity, water and internet. Reasonably clean and well maintained streets, comparative. Decent health facilities and access. Public services that don't make things unecessary difficult for people who are not fluent in Spanish. Possible to get by without knowing Spanish (although easier with of course).Decent living costs. Good quality housing for less money than most along  this coast (be aware of crocked property agents). Close to sea. Enough beachline to find a place to stretch by the sea also in July. Acceptable temperatures all year round, albeit a bit hot during summer for people used to viking climate. Possible to sunbade most of winter as well for northeners, buildings usually have roofs that are perfect for sunbading. Easy to socialise, also without being drunk, all year. Hardly ever violent crimes. Lot's of culture, whether one like conserts, cinema, theatre or art exhibitions, at fair prices. More than 17 different nationalities, so we northeners don't stand out. Downsides: Torrevieja does not have that Spanish holiday or cosy Spanish town feeling, very little green areas in the center of town and hard to find free/street parking, especially during summer. 

We bought in Playa Flamenca as we wanted to be walking distance to the beach, supermarket and choice of cafes/restaurants.  Playa Flamenca has a large weekly street market.  Also a bus service going both ways along the coast.  We bought before Zenia Boulevard was built so the fact that that is also only 15 minutes walk from the house is a great bonus.  When we are sitting out on the terrace we cannot hear cars or general urban noise so it doesn't feel like we are in the heart of everything, but we are.

My biggest piece of advice is buy a property where everything in the immediate vicinity is finished  as any open ground is likely to be a future building plot.

You can’t beat looking at places in real life, areas you have seen on the internet look so different, when you come out to visit. So keep a very open mind, as no doubt the areas you thought you’d like you probably won’t like them at all. For instance we had two areas in mind when we first came house hunting- one we hated on sight, yet it looked so nice on tv/internet. But by driving round , within three days we found our perfect location. I must have wasted so much time looking at “ideal” locations on line. 

Just bear in mind that if you are visiting in August the whole area looks very different to what it does October to June. The sheer volume of tourists in those months means the roads are gridlocked, you can’t park anywhere near the beach and everywhere is so so busy. Plus it’s extremely hot, so most workers in Spain take  the whole of August as a holiday, even Spanish bureaucracy has a month off, which can be infuriating if you are wanting to look at properties etc etc. so if red tape isn’t completed  in Spain by the end of July don’t expect any further movement till September. 

You already have a list of places, just drive around and find the area (s) you really like, call in at the local bars and try and find some locals to chat to - everyone is more than willing to tell you the pros and cons of the  area. Unfortunately when it’s hot the bars are much quieter during the day as locals tend to hide away from the heat, so you may have a better chance of doing that on your next visit.

Good Luck! 

Lynn

Wow, yes one to consider. Thanks so much for taking time to provide so much information. It really is appreciated. 

Thank you. We’ve a few sets of flights booked so we’ll definitely take your advice. I do think I’ll change my mind when we have a drive around! 

Thanks again, really appreciated. 

Great advice. I never thought about that with the open space! I’ve seen a few properties that we’ve liken in Playa Flamenca so I can’t wait to see it in real life. 

Thanks for providing the information. It’s much appreciated! 

I am a retired elderly male looking to rent in Villamartin area for 90 days during winter possibly early November to end January . I enjoy lawn bowling and would appreciate info on clubs which are open daily and which allow holiday members access to playing facilities to practice or take part in daily competition.  Some bowling clubs issue keys to Members to gain access and practice individually. That would be ideal since it allows one with disability to select practice times to suit. Perhaps bowlers in area could offer advice. Greatly appreciated. Aitch.