Santa Pola

Santa Pola is situated some 12 kilometres from Alicante and very close to Alicante airport (15 minutes by car) and has 15 kilometres of fine sandy beaches. In ancient times Santa Pola was Elche's port and managed to build up one of the biggest fishing fleets of the entire Mediterranean. The Salinas (salt-flats) are another interesting aspect of Santa Pola with exploitation of the salt-flats begining at the end of the 19th century and they extended over an 880 hectare area that produced 100,000 tons of salt per year. The area is now a Nature Reserve where many migratory birds pass through in the winter months.

Inside Santa Pola at the old city centre there are various leisure areas including the Palm Grove Park and the Glorieta. There are also grand buildings such as the renaissance castle/fortress and the former Ayuntamiento, located close to the area of Santa Pola which is known for its nightlife. Santa Pola has always been intimately linked to the sea and you can try the delicious 'caldereta de langosta', the town's famous lobster stew, and also make a trip to the island of Tabarca to enjoy the magnificent marine scenery.