In no particular order, this area of the Costa Blanca is special to me because of:
1) The Weather – okay, at times there are rare rainy days, but almost every other day of the year we enjoy the very unusual and pleasant micro climate as a result of the salt lakes of Torrevieja. The air is as clear and sparkling as pure cava, the sky a bright turquoise, the sea the stunning deep blue and the sun is always gloriously warm!
2) The People – of all the places I have lived (north and south of England), the people here, of all nationalities, are as a rule; down to earth, honest and looking to work hard and enjoy life to the full. There are always exceptions but I just steer clear of them. Their “joie de vivre” and love of fiestas is infectious and makes it a very happy place to live or holiday.
3) The Lack of Perfection – it isn´t perfect – no one would say there have not been mistakes made here; unfinished buildings along the coast, empty units for let, the unintelligible cogs of Spanish bureaucracy (actually I am struggling to think of other bad things) but I quite like that it isn´t posh and perfect!
4) The Food and drink – this has to be one of the cheapest places to eat a wide variety of food and drink in Europe. Yes, there are cities with cafes and restaurants of every persuasion, but this variety and this cheap, I don´t think so. And who can resist the Spanish favourites, squid, tortilla, sangria, or a selection of delicious tapas and a Cerveza…
5) The lack of traffic – yes, I love it! I can drive where I want with barely a queue to be seen and a lack of stress on the road.
6) Zenia Boulevard, who someone described as like Disneyland (she meant it in a good way). I would say it was paradise…. A huge, decent shopping centre with a variety of options for spending, eating and entertainment – heaven. We also have gained a beautiful new concert hall/theatre in Torrevieja in recent years and lots of improvements to sports facilities and public places.
7) The Outdoor Living: I just love the fact that it is the middle of October, my son has been in the pool this past week, we are off to the beach this afternoon with friends, probably this week we will enjoy a walk along the coastal path or at the beautiful salt lakes, followed by a barbecue. This way of living with fresh air and the sunshine has to be one of the best things about this area of Spain.
8) The fresh fish: visit most supermarkets and they have a fresh fish counter which even can put some fishmongers in England to shame. The variety is outstanding. My local supermarket had a massive swordfish yesterday perched in the middle of the display, pointy tip carefully shielded by a Spanish orange. I bought fresh squid, washed it and stuffed it with a spicy pork mixture. Delicious and probably fresh that morning!
9) The beach. I grew up for a time on the north east coast of England. The beaches were good for England and won many awards, but I don’t remember us ever going there. Why? Because the sea was dirty and mostly grey and there were very few days warm enough to enjoy the beach. Here some people even swim in the aquamarine sea in winter (although I think they are slightly mad!), the sand is golden and clean, and even in the hottest days of August, the beach can be enjoyed at some point of the day.
10) The fruits and vegetables: many years ago this area was purely agricultural and now there are still many fields of fruits and vegetables. The oranges here are possibly the best in the world. I remember when I first came to Spain how I could not believe how good the tomatoes tasted and I still see this reaction often from my visitors as they taste the local produce.
All in all, you can see why I live on the Orihuela Costa in the Southern Costa Blanca and I would encourage anyone else to come and sample it here, for a short or long stay…