Costa Blanca pool numbers soar as tourism boom brings another busy August

The Costa Blanca has no shortage of places to cool off this summer, with Elche, Orihuela, Rojales and Torrevieja all appearing among the ten municipalities with the most registered outdoor swimming pools in the province.

New 2026 figures show Elche has 8,454 pools, putting it second in the provincial rankings behind Xabia.

Orihuela comes third with 7,375 registered pools, reflecting the municipality’s huge geographical area and the many villas and urbanisations found around Orihuela Costa and inland areas.

Thousands of pools across the Costa Blanca

Rojales also stands out, with 4,991 outdoor pools. That means the town is now just nine short of reaching the 5,000 mark. Its total has risen considerably from 4,671 in 2022.

Close behind is Torrevieja, where 4,931 pools are registered. The city added 79 in the past year, up from 4,852 in 2025, and has gained more than 250 since 2022.

The figures underline just how much the swimming pool has become part of everyday life across many Costa Blanca communities, particularly in areas with large numbers of villas and residential developments.

Across Alicante province as a whole, there are now 132,495 registered outdoor pools. That is 1,682 more than last year, equivalent to around 4.6 new pools being added to the register every day.

In just two years, the provincial total has increased by 3,295, suggesting the Costa Blanca’s love affair with the backyard pool is showing little sign of drying up.

Hotels prepare for busy August

The figures come as the Costa Blanca heads for another busy August, with hotels expecting occupancy levels of almost 89 per cent as visitors continue to arrive for the peak summer season.

Figures from the Valencian regional tourism department forecast average hotel occupancy of 88.9 per cent across the province during August, while Benidorm is expected to reach 92 per cent.

Inland destinations are also performing strongly, with hotels forecasting occupancy of around 86 per cent, showing that demand is not limited to the Costa Blanca’s popular beach resorts.

Tourist apartments are expecting an equally busy month. Occupancy across Alicante province is forecast to reach around 89 per cent, among the highest levels in the Valencian Community.

Strong summer for Alicante tourism

The forecasts follow a strong July for the province. Alicante recorded average hotel occupancy of 90 per cent during the month, the highest of the three Valencian provinces.

Regional tourism minister Marian Cano said the results demonstrated the continued strength of the Valencian Community as a tourist destination, with strong demand across coastal, inland and urban areas.

She also highlighted the variety of tourism available and the work being carried out by businesses across the sector during the busiest period of the year.

With August traditionally one of the Costa Blanca’s busiest months, the latest forecasts point to another strong summer for Alicante’s tourism industry, with hotels, apartments and thousands of private pools all playing their part in another packed holiday season.