The coastal town of Torrevieja is only 15 minutes drive from Villamartin, and is located 45km south of Alicante airport and 25km north of Murcia (San Javier) airport. Torrevieja is an old fishing town, but has grown significantly in recent years, and has now become a first-class tourist location.
Nestling
between two large salt lakes and the Mediterranean it has its
own micro climate , considered by the world health organization to be
one of the healthiest in the world
It boasts over 320 days of sun a year and an average temperature of over 18°C. There are many beautiful beaches, squares, walks, parks, gardens and other natural beauty spots in the area, as well as a number of historical monuments and buildings.
Cabo Roig is renowned as being an exclusive coastal area, and is less than a 5 minutes drive from Villamartin.
Cabo Roig has two secluded sandy beaches, which are linked by a delightfully scenic cliff walk. Cabo Roig also has an excellent restaurant with superb sea views, tennis courts and its own picturesque marina.
Along with the beautiful white sandy beaches and the stunning mountain scenery, the area also contains the spectacular salt lagoons of Torrevieja and La Mata; these are now national parks because of their ecological interest, and are home to over 250 species of birds and other wildlife.
These are also widely known for health reasons, ie bathing in the salt lakes is known to be effective against rheumatism, arthritis, dermatological and heart diseases.
The salt lakes (Salinas) also have a major impact on the climate around Torrevieja, and the atmosphere in the area is good with clean fresh air.
These salt lakes are used for the production of salt, which is exported from Torrevieja harbor to countries all over the world.
The impressive caves of Canelobre are situated near the village of Alicante on the northern side of Cabeço d'Or.
The interior of the caves are high, and portray incredible shapes.
On some occasions in Busot which is located in a mountainous area some 24 kms north ,concerts are held in the caves; due to the atmospheric conditions within the caves, the quality of sound generated at these musical events is quite unique.
Fiestas
Fiestas are held somewhere every week , every town no matter how small has a fiesta programme designed for the entertainment of its citizens and visitors.
The May fair has become an annual event in Torrevieja with a miniature town of tents set up with typical Sevillanas costumes ,dancing and singing till the early morning plus horse events.
Carnival is widely celebrated in February ,Easter is celebrated by nightly processions.
June brings the fires of Saint John the Baptist which are larger than life Papier -Mache figures and form the centre of attraction for a number of days before they are set alight in a bonfire !
15th August is a national holiday and in Elche is the time of the medieval plays in the Basilica .Many other fiestas occur all through the year so you could catch one on your visit.
Shopping
Tourist statistics say that after sunbathing on the beach ,the second most popular activity for visitors is shopping. There is a large growth on the Costa Blanca of malls with international brand names prominent among the hundreds of shops that really offer everything under the sun!
Elche which is only half an hour away is home of Spain's large shoe industry and you will find fashionable shoes in many shops and markets.
Street markets are one of the attractions for visitors and every day there is at least one large market in every town.