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The inland town of Orihuela is a settlement marked by several civilisations. Surrounded by lands made fruitful by the River Segura, this flows through the town offering rich pickings for any food lover. The centre is full of truly beautiful works of architecture with churches and public buildings and houses of past nobility. It is a wonderful Spanish town in which to buy a property. The city has its own historical sense and unforgettable legends re-enacted by the flamboyant annual processions of the Moors and Christians and the richness of other fiestas.
The surrounding fertile lands and the closeness of the sea mean that the gastronomy of Orihuela offers the pleasures of the healthy Mediterranean diet. Many fiestas here provide traditional pastries and sweets adding a special flavour to Spanish life. Orihuela is located 22 km from Murcia and 59 Km from Alicante.
The Costa Blanca has a reputation for being a Mediterranean paradise and is a prime location boasting a superb climate with very mild winter temperatures and the supply of plentiful days of sunshine each year. This climate draws thousands of tourists and encourages participation in a wide range of sporting activities.
In the Southern Costa Blanca, Torrevieja is the main town where the vast majority of beaches have been awarded the EEC Blue Flag Award. The Blue Flag Award denotes cleanliness making it an ideal place to settle down for a relaxing retirement or for that superb holiday home. With extensive beaches typically with sand dunes, this privileged corner of Spain offers everything that has made this country so highly favoured amongst property purchasers.
For those of you interested in a broader variety of activities, the Costa Blanca has a lot to offer with a wide range of health spas, leisure facilities, numerous excellent golf courses to a championship standard and the crystal clear waters which allow you to enjoy every water sport imaginable.
The clear blue waters and stunning underwater scenery make it a diver's paradise. You can also watch the setting of the sun whilst having a dip in the cool blue waters which is an experience not easily forgotten.
Further south, the cliffs have a creamy white tint from which the Costa Blanca (white coast) derives its name. Covered with Mediterranean flora scrub and coastal pine, this is an area whose romantic lighthouses and ancient ruins encapsulate the history and soul of the Mediterranean. The coast boasts excellent transport links via motorways, railways, ferry ports and three international airports. The Costa Blanca is one of the most stunning and unspoilt areas in Europe. With excellent average temperatures the climate is rated by the World Health Organisation as one of the healthiest in the world.
Vega Baja is the southern most district of Alicante spreading as far as Elche - Europe's largest palm forest to the north and to the historic city of Orihuela in the South. The Vega Baja is divided by the River Segura which flows into the Mediterranean Sea at Guardamar. This untouched, traditional rural area is rich in agriculture with local villages providing Alicante with the majority of their fresh fruit and vegetables.