Other local towns
Alguena is only 15 minutes drive and the local Sunday market is well worth the visit as is the Marble Mountain that can be seen from the road into the village and is quite amazing.
Almoradi market is held on a Saturday morning around the town square. Here you will find one of the largest and most popular markets in the area with anything from home-grown produce to clothes and electrical items. Here you will find a market in its own dedicated area. The market offers not only stalls full of things to buy, but also an extensive food court, where you can sample every thing from a traditional English fry up to traditional Spanish meals. Well worth making a day trip here.
Aspe is a larger town and is approximately 15 minutes drive away with all main amenities available, a large supermarket and market days here are Tuesday and Thursday. This is a very busy place with quite a lot of buildings with character, a central park, a lovely church square and an indoor food market.
Elche is approximately 20 minutes drive and is known as the City of the Palms. It has lovely parks and as the name suggests palm trees almost everywhere! This is also the area where the shoe factories are in abundance… so if shoes are your thing you are sure to get some here. There is a large modern shopping centre with designer shops, children’s shops, jewellers and accessory shops, household shops, pet shops and of course more shoe shops! The centre houses a large food, electrical, clothes and fancy goods supermarket selling almost anything! If you are in need of a drink or a bite to eat then visit the food mall upstairs where there are with many choices of restaurants, bars and fast food bars a cinema and bowling alley.
Algorfa is in the middle of citrus farming country, is a small villagewith warm friendly people but it is growing all the time. Located close to the larger village of Almoradi, Algorfa is most noted for its La Finca Golf Club, with its 72 par golf course designed by Jose Gancedo. Just outside the village is an unusual nineteenth century neo-gothic church. Algorfa’s traditional market is held every Sunday and is a great place to spend an hour or two hunting for bargains and locally grown fresh produce.
Orihuelais the capital of the Vega Baja region of the Alicante province, Orihuela is an ancient town and a large one at that with a long history. Though there were settlements in the area during the Bronze Age, Orihuela came into its own during the Roman occupation when it was known as Auraiola, later an important headquarters for the Moors under Teodomiro it was re-conquered for the Christians in 1296. Recognised for its large number of beautiful churches, palaces and monasteries, Orihuela also has several museums in the town.
Callosa de Segurais overlooked by the surrounding Sierra de Callosa mountains, which feel like they tower over Albatera almost.The medium-sized town of Callosa de Segura features some of the oldest buildings in the Alicante province. The land around Callosa de Segura, irrigated by the Segura river is rich and fertile, and perfect for the growing of vegetables and citrus fruits. One of its most interesting buildings is the Saint Roque Hermitage which took over 200 years to construct (1579-1798) and was built on the exact spot where the Patron Saint Roque is said to have appeared. Also noted for hemp and hemp products Callosa de Segura has a Hemp Museum which describes the production of hemp from seed to final product.
Redovan is a busy little town located in the Vega Baja region of the southern Costa Blanca, Redovan was founded by the Moors during the Arab occupation (8th to 13th Centuries). Situated just 7 km from the main town of Orihuela, Redovan sits at the foot of the Sierra Segura, a beautiful mountain area covered in pine trees. Over the centuries Redovan has been an important area for the production of ceramics and is also known for its hemp and hemp products. Redovan has an old city hall with its hand-crafted clock tower dating from the 18th Century.
Vega Baja is the most southerly district of the Alicante province, the Vega Baja has a name which means ‘Low Fertile Valley’. An important area for the growing of fresh produce, citrus fruits in particular, it also has a beautiful coastline with some fine beaches and popular resorts. The capital of the district is the town of Orihuela and the largest of its coastal towns are Torrevieja and Guardamar del Segura, where superb white, sandy beaches are lapped by the sparkling, tranquil waters of the azure blue Mediterranean Sea.
Benferri is a lovely little village and is ideally located in a triangle between Alicante, Murcia and Orihuela, it is one of the Vega Baja (Low Fertile Valley) villages situated in rich citrus farming country. The land around Benferri was irrigated first by the Romans and later by the Arabs during the Muslim occupation (eighth to thirteenth centuries) making the soil perfect for the growing of fruit and vegetables. The original village was set up by James Rocamora in 1494, he built 29 dwellings for 29 families to live and work in the village – his work was carried on by his son Jeronimo de Rocamora, the church of San Jeronimo still stands today.
Formentera del Segura was originally a Moorish village and was conquered by the Christian king Jaime I (‘The Conquistador’) in 1242. The village changed hands a number of times over the prevailing centuries until 1730 when it came under the control of Nicolas Pérez de Sarrio (The Lord of Formentera), who gave the village its current name. Largely destroyed by the great earthquake of 1829, Formentera del Segura was re-built by 1840 culminating in the building of the parish church. Relying mostly on agriculture and citrus farming for its survival Formentera del Segura benefits from an irrigation system put into place by the Moors centuries ago.They hold a verypopular fiesta called‘The Day of the Bicycle’ featuring a race involving many of its inhabitants.
Dolores was founded in 1715 and has a population of around 11,000. Many of them now who are Brits and other Northern Europeanswho have chosen to make this their home it is only 15 minutes from the coast andhas a good selection of shops, restaurants, and medical centre. The local economy is agricultural mainly, with fruit and vegetables grown in the region being exported worldwide and this includes olives, oranges, lemons, artichokes, beans, pepper, grapes and herbs which are all local cropsand can be found at the weekly market held on a Friday.
In August, the whole of Dolores grinds to a halt for the August Fair or Feria de Agosto. There are two National Parks nearby:the Parque Natural Lagunas (the salt lakes at Torrevieja) is recognised as beingone of the healthiest places to live in the world and even closer is Parque Natural el Fondo, home to many birds and palms and is designated an area of outstanding conservational importance.
Catral was relatively unheard of until recently when the bad publicity about the main area hit the English press and news headlines. Located in the country side and farming areas of the Costa Blanca Region of Spain it is within close proximity of two other towns Dolores and Almoradi. Largely unspoiled by the British invasion of the Costa Blanca region Of Spain, it still has a thriving British community. The town offers a peaceful, tranquil area to live. Well away from the hustle and bustle of what you would find in an equal village in England many people are now looking at moving to the area (or similar areas) to avoid the sprawling coastal towns that are becoming little Britain's. Unlike the coastal towns that rely on the tourist seasons and become ghost towns during the winter months Catral remains vibrant all year round.