Car hire Torrevieja

Introduction

In the eighteenth century, Torrevieja was a fishing village around one of the watchtowers on the Spanish Costa Blanca. The name means 'old tower'. Nowadays it's a large city, thanks to tourism. Nearby the city lie six long beaches (La Mata, Cabo Cervera, Los Locos, El Cura, Los Náufragos and Ferris), with a total length of approximately 20 kilometers.

Population

The city has approximately 100,000 inhabitants, half of them being Spanish and the rest consisting of other Europeans. Especially British have a second home here or live permanently in Torrevieja.

Location

Torrevieja is located on the Costa Blanca on the eastern coast of Spain, south of Alicante. Two large salt lakes (Las Salinas) nearby the city form a National Park where many species of birds can be found.

Economy

Fishing and salt extraction used to be the main sources of income for Torrevieja. Nowadays it's tourism, thanks to the beautiful beaches in the surroundings. Torrevieja has a healthy microclimate thanks to the salt lakes, which attracts many retirees from Northern European countries. There's also a large marina.

Airports

There are two airports near Torrevieja. Murcia-San Javier Airport is situated 25 kilometers south of the city along the AP-7 (Cartagena - Alicante). This is a toll road. The coastal road N-332 connects all popular seaside resorts and golf resorts on the Mar Menor coast, including Torrevieja. Alicante Airport El Altet is situated approximately 40 kilometers to the north and is also reachable via the AP-7. The way to the airports is clearly signposted.

Public Transport

Public bus transport on the Costa Blanca is good. Company Costa Azul exploits city transport and there are also bus connections with for example Alicante, Murcia and Elche, but strangely enough, there's no direct connection between Torrevieja and Alicante Airport.

Traffic and Parking

In high season (summer months) it gets very busy in Torrevieja. Many streets are one-way streets, making it easy to get lost. In the busy season it's difficult, if not impossible, to find a free parking place in the street for your rental car in the center. It's best to go to the marina: here's the entrance to a large underground parking garage.

Hotels

Torrevieja has a large choice of accommodations: bed & breakfasts, guesthouses, midrange hotels and luxurious holiday resorts. There are also many apartments for rent, especially near the popular beach Los Locos. Foreigners, who only stay in Torrevieja during winter months, also rent out apartments. Because of the crowds, hotels get booked up quickly in summer. We advise booking your hotel room well in advance if you want to stay in Torrevieja during that time.

External Sources

For more information about Torrevieja, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Torrevieja
• Official website Torrevieja
• Tourist Information Torrevieja