Torrevieja, Spain

[turtledovelove]

Has anyone holidayed in this area and could provide a bit of information please.

My family and I are currently staying here, within an urbanisation. Lovey enough holiday let with access to a gorgeous pool. However when I booked it (stupidly some might argue!) I didn't realise that beaches etc were a bus or taxi ride away rather than a walk. I feel just a little out on a limb.

There are large supermarkets a walk away as well as a shopping centre and retail park type thing. It all just feels a bit 'towny' to me rather than a holiday resort which I was kind of hoping for. It's only our second day so still getting our bearings. Again, probably should have done some better research on the area but instead became fixated on the property and what it could offer us as a family.

If anyone has stayed previously and could advise on the best way to get around (there are 6 of us incl a toddler) and better still recommendations on beaches to go to I would be most grateful.

I don't get a sense of authentic Spain yet with nice local restaurants and bars and then wandering along a promenade of an evening.
Thank you

Not much help I am afraid, I know the area a bit since my mum lived there. She was also in urbanization and needed to catch the bus to the town/beach and was not ideal. The beach in the town was nice and safe for children from memory and lots of restaurants. I understand your frustration but hopefully someone will come on who knows more. I think there was a waterpark nearby as well. Can you hire a car maybe the best solution.

Lots of nice beaches, more european than typical Spanish, nice restaurants but busy..can visit places from there eg Alicante and Cartagena and Murcia, all lovely cities and typically Spanish. I live a little inland from there. A hire car would be advisable.

Where abouts are you?

Just get a taxi to the beach, the busses are good too.

Try out the habaneras. There's a nice ice cream place at the very top.

The aqua park is a lot of fun. Definitely do that.

I could spend a whole day in the massive carrefour but I appreciate it's not for everyone!

The hippy market is good, usually on of an evening near the promenade. There's a medium sized fairground behind it too.

Have a look by the salt lakes.

Have a walk down the yellow brick road. That takes you right into town if you fancy a walk. If I can walk it anyone can.

Have a google and see when the local markets are on. There's usually one on a Friday that's localish. We call it the flamenco market but not sure if that's it's real name or not. At the begging there's vans that do the nicest freshly squeezed orange juice and authentic churros... not like the crap ones we get here.

I recommend St James' Gate, it's an Irish bar. One of my favourites.

Beginning*

Oh and go to the dragon park! There's a huge dragon slide, the kids will love it.

Sorry I keep thinking of more. In terms of beach, town beach is lovely but I prefer la zenia, the waves are better.

@annoyedneighbour1 thank you so much for all the suggestions. These are super helpful.

Knowing of places that are walkable are even better! Whereabouts does the yellow brick road start from?!

We are in the Jardin Del Mar area if that's of any meaning to you?
Lovely area but like I said in my OP I need to get a grip of what we can do/where's accessible, where the bus goes from etc!

We will certainly take a taxi further afield too.

Thank you @NotInMyFrontGardenYouDont I appreciate your response. We are surrounded by great areas and I'm sure in a few days we will have found our feet a bit more. It's always tricky when you arrive somewhere new.

Is the town walkable @Humphriescushion? We are in the Jardin Del Mar area if that means anything to you?!

We just got back from Spain where everything was a bus ride away. I found the service very good - on time and regular.
The train was very good too.

Just remember you need your face masks for the bus, taxi’s and train (although I didn’t see many people wearing them on the train).

Spent about 7 years of holidays here when DC were little as my friend's parents lived here near to La Zenia. We would rent an apartment, friend would rent another and spend time with us and her parents.

Wouldn't be my preferred destination but we were skint and managed to do it very cheaply.

You are right though, it's residential and not touristy, full of ex-pats. We always rented the cheapest car possible at Murcia airport which meant we could nip to the beach or shops or main town or even days out to Benidorm.