From Alicante airport (El Altet), only 10 minutes away if you continue along the N-332 national road, the last villages in the province of Alicante begin. This territory is also called, the Bajo Segura (la Vega Baja). After passing the Salinas de Santa Pola, characterised above all by the extraction of salt and the flamingos that breed in its waters every summer. The Vega Baja begins, the last region of the province. It is directly adjacent to the province of Murcia. Its greatest wealth is the especially fertile orchard, with its wetlands spread all over the land, also called the European orchard, as well as its 40 kilometres of coast with crystal-clear water and very fine sand.
THE MARINA AND GUARDAMAR DEL SEGURA
From the marina, highlighting its pine forest and Pinet Beach, included in the natural area of the salt flats, which is almost virgin with the dunes in constant movement. Going down a few more minutes we find Guardamar del Segura. At first we can see the mouth of the Segura river, with a large marina passing into the town centre which borders the coast. We highlight its Moors and Christians Festivals in summer and the castle. Its beaches (all with blue flag) are joined with a long promenade where you can find many restaurants and shops to support. In case you want to stop and rest, it also houses 4-5 hotels. In the centre of the town we can find the Reina Sofia Park, with lakes and turtles, loose peacocks and geese.
CENTRE AND WEST OF THE VEGA BAJA
The next step would be to choose whether to go west or continue along the coast. In the western part, we find the traditional orchard with several municipalities in which we could highlight Almoradi. It is also called the city of furniture, because of the numerous factories in the sector. A few minutes away we find the regional capital, which is Orihuela. It is also the municipality with the most square kilometres of the Vega Baja, which stretches from the city to the coast.
The city stands out, among many other things, for its cultural and natural heritage, especially for its historic centre (declared a historic-artistic and monumental site), for its festivities. Among them its Holy Week (declared of international tourist interest). The historic centre of the city was declared a Historic-Artistic and Monumental Site in 1969, being one of the first to be declared in Spain. It conserves a multitude of monuments, many of which have been declared Goods of Cultural Interest.
It also has the Orihuela mountain range, anchored in the Betic system, where you can go hiking as you please. From easy access paths to ravines and more complicated circuits. Included in the city, which acts as a skirt, is the palm grove, a large park with an abundance of palm trees.
TORREVIEJA AND ORIHUELA COSTA
If we continue with our route, we would go to the coast of Orihuela, which is attached to Torrevieja. As soon as we enter the ring road, we will see the salt flats of Torrevieja and La Mata, which is outstanding for its pink colour in summer, also called the Pink Lagoon. Spectacular sunsets with a great variety of fauna and especially pink flamingos. In the park there are several spaces to rest and to make meals, which will be necessary after exploring all that the natural park has to offer.
The city centre stands out for its streets full of shops and restaurants as well as the beach area which ranges from large, smooth beaches to natural swimming pools and coves.
Its beaches are of blue flag and stands out especially the one of the Mata, very wide and with gastronomy for its surroundings, the beach of the Locos, the one of the Cura. Both beaches have a lot of services and easy access and the natural swimming pools are of great interest, as they are located between several breakwaters. They can be accessed from metal stairs with benches inside the sea. Behind them we have the promenade with many high quality restaurants and for the little ones, the big fair located behind the seafront.
5 minutes away we would enter Orihuela Costa, following the national road 332, several urbanisations from La Zenia. It stands out for its coves and beaches and its large shopping centre as far as Cabo Roig, an urbanisation that stands out for having villas and chalets next to the coves, which are for public bathing. Cala Capitan stands out with a small island in front, where you can go snorkelling. This area is very touristic, so it has from local gastronomy to international cuisine.
The next district we find is Dehesa de Campoamor. It has 3 white sand beaches and many green areas suitable for a lot of leisure and free time activities.
This urbanization perfectly mixes simplicity and luxury. We can find buildings from simple one-room studios overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the most exclusive villas. It is an ideal place to invest in a second home designed for holidays.
PILAR DE LA HORADADA, LAST TOWN IN THE PROVINCE OF ALICANTE
The origin of the name Pilar de la Horadada is due to the construction of numerous watchtowers. During the time of the Reconquest they were very common in the municipalities of the coast to sight the maritime approaches and to avoid the pirate incursions.
In the north end of the municipality is located the Sierra Escalona, with its peak Alcores, which is the maximum altitude of Pilar de la Horadada, with 375 m above sea level. Therefore, the municipality has a varied morphology, from beach to mountain. As far as the water courses are concerned, there are two main ones: the Rio Seco and the Rio Nacimiento, both originating from the aforementioned Sierra Escalona.
As a whole, the South of Alicante has many historical monuments such as beautiful beaches to relax and spend a good summer. Finally, the region stands out for its tourism and the different nations that live in the different towns and urbanizations. From the last points of the Betic system to the Costa Blanca, you will find corners to explore and taste its magnificent gastronomy.
HOW TO MOVE AROUND THE VEGA BAJA
Of course the simplest way to move around the Vega Baja area is by car. If you arrive by plane it is probably most practical is to book car hire at Alicante or Valencia Airport.
Victoria Rent a Car has a large fleet that will allow you to choose the ideal rental car for your trip. You can hire from a small rental car, such as a Fiat 500 to a 7 or 9 seat van for those travelling in a group.
If your intention is to drive a high-end car you can always rent a luxury car at Alicante Airport or in Calpe.
For those who love the freedom of movement and the feel of the road they can always opt to rent a scooter in Calpe.
