A long weekend in Torrevieja, Spain
Sunday 2 October 2016
After an amazing trip to Miami earlier on in the year, we suffered from major holiday blues on our return which resulted in a long weekend booking to Spain.
For a large majority of my childhood my grandparents lived in Torrevieja, which is located in the Costa Blanca in Spain. I grew up visiting most years so have come to know it fairly well. It's also incredible how many people I know have links to Torrevieja - it's a very small world.
For this trip we went from Thursday-Monday which was perfect for a sun top up. We flew to Murcia airport rather than Alicante which was a first for me. Murcia was a lovely airport as it was really small, so you could get in out out pretty quickly avoiding the major trek to passport control that you have to deal with in other airports (I'm looking at you Heathrow).
We stayed in an area, which according to my photos in my phone is called 'Residencia Los Altos', and is also near Punta Prima. It is a short walking distance to what my family and I refer to as 'The Top Road' however it is in fact the N-332 which just doesn't sound as exciting. This road is home to some of my favourite restaurants.
On the first night we dined at Restaurante Patio Andaluz which is a place I visit every time I'm in the area. As our first night was a Thursday we were able to go to Flamenco Night which I personally believe is a must (note: booking is also a must). Throughout the evening there are numerous performances by the flamenco dancers as well as the Spanish guitarists. And as a bonus, the food is delicious. Whilst you wait they give you bread and the yummiest alioli - which if you don't know is kind of like garlic mayonnaise but even better. You can buy it in Morrison's but it really isn't the same when you eat it in England.
On the other side of the road there are plenty of bars - all with football screens for the fans, and as a compromise for the other 90 minute neglected girlfriends like myself, they do some amazing cocktails. I had the biggest Cosmopolitan I had ever seen for €5.
Mixed in with the bars along the road are a great selection of restaurants. Whatever you fancy you can pretty much get. There is Indian, Chinese, German and Italian On a Saturday one of the restaurants - Gelateria Italiana, serves a massive portion of schnitzel (could be described as a breaded pork) and chips for around €6 - booking required. And on a Wednesday they do an extra large night where all the portions are double the size for the same price - and they they are pretty big normally!
Another great restaurant that we visited was Restaurante Giocomo, which is a lovely little Italian that we went to on our final night. We had recommendations from family members to go there and I am so glad we took their advice as the food was lovely and even well presented. We finished the meal with a fabulous Bailey's Banoffee Pie - just writing about it makes me want to go back!
If you go down to the coast you can have a meal with a view at The Nautilus, a brilliant restaurant that looks out over the sea. They do the best pizza's so I was looking forward to going here as soon as the holiday was booked! I think it is possible that I plan my life a little too much around food!
During the trip we also visited La Mata which has a beautiful park that you can walk through to get down to the beach. We went in the morning as it can get really hot there, and it was a lovely walk. Along the beach there is numerous beach cafes, where you can get you can get an ice cream or even a cocktail! The beaches weren't incredibly busy, but we were there in September and the Spanish seem to think it is colder then - they don't even open the water park!
If you like to shop, the best place to go is La Zenia Boulevard, a big shopping centre only a short drive away from where we were staying. You'll find brands you recognise such as Primark, Zara, and Pandora, as well as plenty of new ones you haven't heard of before. There is also a MASSIVE supermarket incorporated in. The upper floor of the centre is a food court, where you will find whatever you fancy. There is a great American Diner called Tommy Mel's which does the best milkshakes - I had chocolate brownie flavour and I'm still thinking about it! The shopping centre also has the water mist sprayers (I really do not know the correct name for them) as you walk around to keep you cool in the Spanish heat, which means more time shopping!
Another local beach that we visited was Punta Prima. Punta Prima is a pretty fancy area, and as you drive through, you pass some pretty expensive looking houses. The beach is pretty small, but here you can hire a four poster sun bed! Punta Prima Restaurant is above the beach and is the venue for some spectacular weddings.
Torrevieja town is home to a large marina and there are boat trips available from here. Along the seafront you will find a fair - which I believe is only there in the summer, and a night market. The night market is where you can get your hair braids, or even a caricature. Last time I went I had a caricature done and the artist drew me in a bikini on the beach, with an old man looking at me sweating, with his wife stood next to him hitting him...awkward.
Every time I visit the town, I walk through the streets and all the shops seem to be closed, so I have no idea when they are actually open. The bars and restaurants are always open though and there is a huge selection. One of my favourite parts of the town is the fountains along the front. They are a landmark photo point for me for every holiday.
Something I always worry about when I go abroad is the language barrier. I know a small amount of Spanish as I have been there so many times, but I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with someone. My limits are ordering a drink and asking for the bill. Luckily as it is a popular tourist destination, people speak English everywhere you go. I still like to try and talk in Spanish, as I am in Spain, however it's relaxing to know it's not a problem if you get stuck.
For a large majority of my childhood my grandparents lived in Torrevieja, which is located in the Costa Blanca in Spain. I grew up visiting most years so have come to know it fairly well. It's also incredible how many people I know have links to Torrevieja - it's a very small world.
For this trip we went from Thursday-Monday which was perfect for a sun top up. We flew to Murcia airport rather than Alicante which was a first for me. Murcia was a lovely airport as it was really small, so you could get in out out pretty quickly avoiding the major trek to passport control that you have to deal with in other airports (I'm looking at you Heathrow).
We stayed in an area, which according to my photos in my phone is called 'Residencia Los Altos', and is also near Punta Prima. It is a short walking distance to what my family and I refer to as 'The Top Road' however it is in fact the N-332 which just doesn't sound as exciting. This road is home to some of my favourite restaurants.
On the first night we dined at Restaurante Patio Andaluz which is a place I visit every time I'm in the area. As our first night was a Thursday we were able to go to Flamenco Night which I personally believe is a must (note: booking is also a must). Throughout the evening there are numerous performances by the flamenco dancers as well as the Spanish guitarists. And as a bonus, the food is delicious. Whilst you wait they give you bread and the yummiest alioli - which if you don't know is kind of like garlic mayonnaise but even better. You can buy it in Morrison's but it really isn't the same when you eat it in England.
Mixed in with the bars along the road are a great selection of restaurants. Whatever you fancy you can pretty much get. There is Indian, Chinese, German and Italian On a Saturday one of the restaurants - Gelateria Italiana, serves a massive portion of schnitzel (could be described as a breaded pork) and chips for around €6 - booking required. And on a Wednesday they do an extra large night where all the portions are double the size for the same price - and they they are pretty big normally!
Another great restaurant that we visited was Restaurante Giocomo, which is a lovely little Italian that we went to on our final night. We had recommendations from family members to go there and I am so glad we took their advice as the food was lovely and even well presented. We finished the meal with a fabulous Bailey's Banoffee Pie - just writing about it makes me want to go back!
If you go down to the coast you can have a meal with a view at The Nautilus, a brilliant restaurant that looks out over the sea. They do the best pizza's so I was looking forward to going here as soon as the holiday was booked! I think it is possible that I plan my life a little too much around food!
During the trip we also visited La Mata which has a beautiful park that you can walk through to get down to the beach. We went in the morning as it can get really hot there, and it was a lovely walk. Along the beach there is numerous beach cafes, where you can get you can get an ice cream or even a cocktail! The beaches weren't incredibly busy, but we were there in September and the Spanish seem to think it is colder then - they don't even open the water park!
If you like to shop, the best place to go is La Zenia Boulevard, a big shopping centre only a short drive away from where we were staying. You'll find brands you recognise such as Primark, Zara, and Pandora, as well as plenty of new ones you haven't heard of before. There is also a MASSIVE supermarket incorporated in. The upper floor of the centre is a food court, where you will find whatever you fancy. There is a great American Diner called Tommy Mel's which does the best milkshakes - I had chocolate brownie flavour and I'm still thinking about it! The shopping centre also has the water mist sprayers (I really do not know the correct name for them) as you walk around to keep you cool in the Spanish heat, which means more time shopping!
Another local beach that we visited was Punta Prima. Punta Prima is a pretty fancy area, and as you drive through, you pass some pretty expensive looking houses. The beach is pretty small, but here you can hire a four poster sun bed! Punta Prima Restaurant is above the beach and is the venue for some spectacular weddings.
Torrevieja town is home to a large marina and there are boat trips available from here. Along the seafront you will find a fair - which I believe is only there in the summer, and a night market. The night market is where you can get your hair braids, or even a caricature. Last time I went I had a caricature done and the artist drew me in a bikini on the beach, with an old man looking at me sweating, with his wife stood next to him hitting him...awkward.
Every time I visit the town, I walk through the streets and all the shops seem to be closed, so I have no idea when they are actually open. The bars and restaurants are always open though and there is a huge selection. One of my favourite parts of the town is the fountains along the front. They are a landmark photo point for me for every holiday.
Something I always worry about when I go abroad is the language barrier. I know a small amount of Spanish as I have been there so many times, but I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with someone. My limits are ordering a drink and asking for the bill. Luckily as it is a popular tourist destination, people speak English everywhere you go. I still like to try and talk in Spanish, as I am in Spain, however it's relaxing to know it's not a problem if you get stuck.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
