Hotels in Torrevieja

Torrevieja grew rich on salt, and the twin lagoons that made its fortune, the famously pink Laguna Salada and the greener La Mata, are still the most striking thing about the place, now a protected natural park good for flamingos and floating mud-bath walks. The old fishing-and-salt town has since swelled into a city of around 100,000, with one of Spain's largest foreign-resident populations, heavily British and Northern European, and a calendar anchored by its long-running habaneras music festival.

Be honest: decades of fast building have left sprawling urbanizaciones and a largely residential, retiree feel, so don't expect the historic charm of older Costa Blanca towns, and summer crowds can be intense. The compensation is a lively seafront promenade, easy small urban beaches like Playa del Cura and Los Locos, and the long natural sands of La Mata to the north. Stay near the central paseo and Playa del Cura if you want to walk to restaurants, the marina and the beach without needing a car.