By Laura Kemp • Updated: 20 Feb 2023 • 17:21
Orihuela Costa. Image - Alex Tihonovs/shutterstock
Known as one of the most beautiful areas near the bustling city of Alicante, Orihuela Costa is made up of several residential areas and stretches from its border with Torrevieja in the north through to its southern extremity at Campoamor. With plenty of things to do and see, a large variety of watersports and golf courses, sandy coves and great restaurants to enjoy, Orihuela Costa has earned its name as one of the best places to live in the south of the Costa Blanca.
So, you’re thinking of moving to Orihuela Costa, but you want to know the best areas to live, the type of properties on offer, the coolest bars and restaurants to visit, the best schools and where to get the best healthcare? Look no further than our ultimate guide on moving to Orihuela Costa!
Contents
Orihuela Costa is a coastal area located in the south of the Costa Blanca, the area includes La Zenia, Playa Flamenca, Villamartin, Cabo Roig and Punta Prima.
Orihuela Costa is just 35 miles from Alicante Airport and is easily accessed via bus, train and taxi. The best option is to take a taxi from the airport, which will cost between €70 – €90 and will take around 35 minutes.
In Orihuela Costa, the summers are hot, humid, and mostly clear. The winters are long, cold, and partly cloudy, and it is dry year-round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 5°C to 32°C and is rarely below 1°C or above 35°C.
This makes it the perfect location if you are looking for somewhere to enjoy a mild climate all year round and with little chance of rain.
Our recommendation ABC Solicitors Since 2003, ABC Solicitors have been looking after their client’s interests and offering the best possible package of legal services in Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja and across Spain – although most of their clients’ are property owners in Costa Blanca and Costa Calida. This English-speaking professional legal firm has extensive experience in all areas of legal matters and property law, using a transparent approach that makes clients feel confident and at ease. A fully insured company covering all aspects of legal advice and issues, your first appointment with any of their lawyers and solicitors is free and the team endeavour to reply to you within 24 hours of your enquiry. ABC Solicitors have the facilities to securely hold all of the original official documents related to your property and receive the postal communications from administrative offices, giving you the peace of mind that your affairs are being well looked after. With your confidentiality at the forefront of everything they do, following strict rules that govern the relationship between client and lawyer, you will only deal with one member of the team for your case. And, because every case is different, your lawyer will be carefully chosen to best suit your requirements. The multilingual team of professionals are specialised in giving legal advice to people from abroad when they arrive in Spain, including: Conveyancing in all property transactions and assistance when signing the deposit contract Mortgage advice and assistance registering the property in the Land Registry Planning permissions and any legal paperwork involved in the purchase of a property Notary appointments and translation services at the notary Fiscal representation Spanish will and inheritance proceedings Car registration Any kind of litigation before a court (criminal , contract & tort, administrative, family law and fiscal). Civil law advice, divorce proceedings, division of joint ownerships Legal advice to set up a business in Spain Personalised contracts under the Spanish Law Personal assistance for NIE number application (within 24 hours) and Spanish Residence applications Fiscal representation registered clients have a 20% discount on all services For a personal, reliable and efficient service, contact ABC Solicitors for all of your legal needs when moving to Orihuela Costa and the surrounding areas. Languages: English, Flemish, Dutch, French, Portuguese and Spanish Website: Click here Opening hours: 9am until 6pm from Monday to Friday except bank holidays Address: ABC Solicitors, Calle Santa Alodia, 2 – 1ª planta. Commercial Centre La Mosca – Playa Flamenca, Orihuela Costa, 03189 Telephone: +34 965 326 221 Email: abc1@abcsolicitors.com and abc2@abcsolicitors.com Facebook: Click here Sponsored
Our recommendation
Since 2003, ABC Solicitors have been looking after their client’s interests and offering the best possible package of legal services in Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja and across Spain – although most of their clients’ are property owners in Costa Blanca and Costa Calida. This English-speaking professional legal firm has extensive experience in all areas of legal matters and property law, using a transparent approach that makes clients feel confident and at ease.
A fully insured company covering all aspects of legal advice and issues, your first appointment with any of their lawyers and solicitors is free and the team endeavour to reply to you within 24 hours of your enquiry.
ABC Solicitors have the facilities to securely hold all of the original official documents related to your property and receive the postal communications from administrative offices, giving you the peace of mind that your affairs are being well looked after. With your confidentiality at the forefront of everything they do, following strict rules that govern the relationship between client and lawyer, you will only deal with one member of the team for your case. And, because every case is different, your lawyer will be carefully chosen to best suit your requirements.
The multilingual team of professionals are specialised in giving legal advice to people from abroad when they arrive in Spain, including:
Fiscal representation registered clients have a 20% discount on all services
For a personal, reliable and efficient service, contact ABC Solicitors for all of your legal needs when moving to Orihuela Costa and the surrounding areas.
Languages: English, Flemish, Dutch, French, Portuguese and Spanish
Website: Click here
Opening hours: 9am until 6pm from Monday to Friday except bank holidays
Address: ABC Solicitors, Calle Santa Alodia, 2 – 1ª planta. Commercial Centre La Mosca – Playa Flamenca, Orihuela Costa, 03189
Telephone: +34 965 326 221
Email: abc1@abcsolicitors.com and abc2@abcsolicitors.com
Facebook: Click here
La Zenia is a lively residential area that is a popular place to live due to its readily available beaches, bars and restaurants, cosmopolitan lifestyle and abundance of culture. With a large Anglo population already, La Zenia is a great location to move to for those who are dying to live in the sunny climate but perhaps feel a bit trepidatious about full immersion into the Spanish language and culture!
Playa Flamenca is a vibrant urbanisation close to amenities such as Blue Flag beaches, shopping areas, bars, and restaurants serving international cuisines. Just a 10-minute drive from Torrevieja and close to other popular areas on the Costa Blanca, Playa Flamenca is perfectly located for exploring the many beautiful towns and villages.
With its warm climate, beautiful countryside, stunning championship golf courses and proximity to the coast, Villamartin has become a popular destination for travellers and people looking at moving to Spain. It’s an authentic Spanish town with colourful patios adorned with flowers and meandering narrow streets leading to large plazas.
Cabo Roig is a popular resort with a beautiful promenade and two Blue Flag beaches to enjoy, Cala Capitan and La Caleta. It is one of the most exclusive areas on the Costa Blanca, where you can purchase luxury villas and modern apartments with incredible sea views. One of the most popular areas to settle on the Costa Blanca, here you will find wonderful restaurants and bars nearby, lots of watersports at the marina, landscaped gardens and tree-lined streets to enjoy the beautiful Mediterranean sun.
Punta Prima is a quiet residential area popular for its seafront promenade and laid-back beaches, in particular Cala Ferris, a small rocky cove of clear waters and palm trees. A typical Spanish seaside resort, Punta Prima is divided between Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja and is close to areas with boutique shopping, restaurants and bars, a waterpark, a casino and wonderful Blue Flag beaches.
Orihuela Costa properties attract more and more attention each year due to their location in such a highly-developed area of the Costa Blanca. It boasts over 10 miles of coast with fine sand beaches surrounded by cliffs, small islands, and charming marinas, as well as a multitude of fine restaurants and festivals to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture.
Properties here usually cost from around €70,000 for a one-bedroom property, €120,000 for a two-bedroom property, between €135,000 and €170,000 for a townhouse and €220,000 to €350,000 for a detached villa.
Orihuela Costa is known for its many beautifully clean beaches, boasting crystal clear waters, sandy coves, plenty of watersports and lots of cool beach bars. The most notable beaches include Playa de la Glea, Playa Barranco Rubio, Playa de la Zenia, Playa Cala Capitán and Playa Flamenca. Another beach to visit between Torrevieja and Orihuela is Playa de la Mosca, a perfect option for nature lovers, a little cove combining rocky areas with sections of fine sand.
The south of the Costa Blanca boasts eight exquisitely designed golf courses for those who wish to tee off under the Mediterranean sun, all suited to players of any golf handicap. Four of the local golf courses appear within Golf World´s current Top 100 list of the best Spanish golf courses, and three courses in Orihuela Costa are located adjacent to each other. Campo de Golf Villamartin, Real Club de Golf Campoamor Resort, and Las Ramblas Golf de Campoamor are just eight minutes away from La Zenia by car.
Considered the second largest palm grove in Europe, of Islamic origin and located near the Sierra de Orihuela mountain range, this forest has great scenic value and is unique on the continent.
Located close to Orihuela Costa, you’ll find plenty to get your adrenaline going! Spend a day at Aquópolis in Torrevieja, Pola Park in Santa Pola or Aqua Park in Quesada de Rojales. The perfect place for all of the family, what better way to cool down during the very hot days of the Spanish summer?
The Spanish love their weekly markets, where you can find wonderful fresh produce, typical foods of the region, ceramics and handmade goods, gifts, clothes, bags and lots of other fantastic stalls. Try your hand at haggling for a bargain at the Flamenca street market – one of the largest in the region – and the smaller Aguamarina beach market.
GONG serves modern Asian-inspired cuisine, where tradition meets contemporary. Try something different with their innovative dishes including their little bites filled with cilantro,coconut, prawns, ginger and lemongrass, homemade BrewDog Punk IPA ice cream, slow-cooked curry or Korean-fried cauliflower.
For local, Mediterranean cuisine, Fish Bowl serves amazing street food, seafood and wonderful starters to share. Their Menu del Dia is amazing value for money and includes dishes such as truffle croquettes, goat’s cheese, beetroot and candied walnut salad, salmon curry, sticky toffee pudding and cheese boards.
Fancy something Italian? Restaurante Pizzeria Manuela is an Argentinian-Italian fusion restaurant that is highly recommended for its authentic spaghetti and meatballs, empanadas, pizzas (including gluten free!) and a great selection of wines and beers to accompany your meal.
This Mediterranean restaurant is know for its relaxed atmosphere, wonderful meat dishes and decadent desserts. Their sharing menus are particularly popular, to enjoy in the restaurant or in their outdoor seating area, as well as their salmon tartar and Wagyu tataki.
This bar and grill uses the best seasonal produce in their modern, yet traditional, Mediterranean dishes. Located at the prestigious yacht club, enjoy beautiful sea views while tasting their appetisers, starters, tender meats, fresh salads and seafood, rice dishes and amazing desserts.
When moving to a new location with a family, one of the most important things to consider is education and schools. Luckily, Orihuela Costa has some impressive schools and educational centres to choose from.
El Limonar International School Villamartín is an international, British curriculum school for boys and girls with more than 500 pupils aged 3 – 18 of more than 35 different nationalities on roll. The facilities are located in Villamartín (San Miguel de Salinas – Alicante), only 7.5 miles away from Torrevieja and 16 miles from Orihuela.
The school follows the National Curriculum for England and Wales and prepares its pupils for further education both in Spain and abroad.
Website and fees: Click here
Telephone: +34 966 722 821
Email: admissions.villamartin@ellimonar.es
Phoenix International School is a unique British school which aims to inspire all of its students to achieve their fullest potential regardless of age or ability. They teach from reception age all the way through to college. The school uses the British National Curriculum and is accredited by NABSS (The National Association of British Schools in Spain). It is also registered with the Pearson/Edexcel exam board.
Telephone: +34 965 720 785
Email: office@phoenixschool.es
Centro De Salut, De Orihuela Costa
This public health centre deals with a range of medical issues for those who are on the Spanish health system.
Address: C. del Mar, 1, 03189 Dehesa de Campoamor, Alicante
Telephone: +34 966 74 83 43
Clínica Dental Family Bushin en Campoamor
This family dental clinic offers a range of dental services including check-ups, prosthetics and surgery, teeth restoration, whitening and emergency help. The team speak Spanish, English and Russian.
Address: Avenida Adelfas, s/n., Centro Comercial Consum, 03189 Orihuela
Telephone: +34 664 028 443
Hospital Quirón Torrevieja
This general hospital treats international patients of all ages and can communicate in English, as well as having a translation service. They have a 24-hour emergency services, an intensive care unit, and they also collaborate with other specialties such as gynecology, traumatology, general surgery and dentistry.
Address: Partida de la Loma, s/n, 03184 Torrevieja
Telephone: +34 966 92 13 13
Although it’s not something we like to think aboout, it’s important to know who to call when moving to Orihuela Costa should there be an emergency. That’s why we have listed the contact details for emergency services.
Emergency services, including health, fire and police: 112
National police: 091
Local police: 092
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Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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