Spanish
Cities and Towns
Once you have selected your preferred
region of Spain read up on some of the towns and cities to
narrow your choice for a property purchase. The most popular
of these are described in the following pages.
Alicante,
Almeria,
Altea,
Andalusia,
Aspe,
Barcelona,
Baza,
Benalmadena,
Benidorm,
Benitachell,
Blanes,
Calpe,
Cartegena,
Castilla la Macha,
Catalonia,
Crevillent,
Denia,
Elche,
Estepona,
Fuengirola,
Granada,
Guadix,
La Romana,
La Vega Baja,
Lorca,
Malaga,
Mar Menor,
Marbella,
Mazarron,
Mijas,
Murcia,
Nerja,
Orihuela,
Puerto Banus,
Quesada,
Salinas,
Salou,
Sitges,
Sotogrande,
Spanish regions,
Tabarca,
Taberno,
Tarragona,
Torremolinos,
Torrevieja,
Tossa del Mar,
Valencia,
Valencian Community,
Zurgena
La Vega Baja
The city of Orihuela Spain lies about 50 km
south west of Alicante, just between Elche and Murcia.
With about 50 000 habitants Orihuela is a
major city of the area. You can best reach Orihuela using
the national road N 340 from Alicante.
Orihuela is the capital of what is called
“La Vega Baja” (or the low fertile lowlands),
one of the largest regions in the province of Alicante which
pertains to the Valencian Community. It is about 57 kilometres
south-west of Alicante heading inland although the region’s
land reaches until the Costa Blanca.
If you want to find property
in this area then click
here
If you want to know what the weather
is like in this area then try
this link.
It has one of the largest cultural heritages
in this area and was home to the famous Spanish poet Miguel
Hernandez. It reached its peak of importance in the VIII century
because it was the main headquarters of the Dukedom of Teodomiro.
This nobleman converted Orihuela into the capital of the Christian
kingdom. Later on, during the Muslim overtake, the city was
able to conserve its independence until the IX century.It
was reconquered by Jaime I in 1265 and given to Castilla although
it was repopulated by people from Catalunya and Aragon. In
the XVI century, it was graced with being the Episcopal Headquarters.
Up until now, it has taken great pride in maintaining all
its monuments.
There are especially two monuments to see; The Cathedral and
the Palace of Rubalcalva. The Cathedral was built on grounds
where a mosque had once been in the XII century and shows
a Gothic style. Through the entrance called Door of Loreto
added on in the XV, you can lay your eyes on a beautiful Baroque
organ. Through another entrance, the Renaissance style is
evident. The Palace of Rubalcava was inhabited by members
of this family up until 1933 and in 1976 it became property
of the town. It has a sweeping marble staircase that takes
you up to the noble main salons – the red salon with
family portraits, the yellow salon used nowadays for weddings,
the dance hall or hall of mirrors with a French air.
Bask In over 16 Kilometres of Coast
Orihuela has 16 kilometres of beach which lie about 20 kilometres
from the main city but are neighboured by Torrevieja to the
north. So, if you are to visit this city, look for good accommodations
along one of the following beaches; Mil Palmeras, Campoamor,
Zenia, Cabo Roig, Punta Prima or Playa Flamenca.
• In the Zenia beach area you can find La Zenia three
star hotel which is in a very select area, right on the waterfront.
There, you can find excellent rooms which are fully equipped
for all the family
• In the Campoamor beach area you will see the Montepiedra
three star hotel which is also right near the beach front
and very well organized for family activities within the hotel
area. There is also a nautical club where you can do all kinds
of water sports.
• In the Cabo Roig area there is another nautical club
and an excellent restaurant called Cabo Roig where I ate an
excellently prepared swordfish with a bottle of wine from
their own wine cellar situated in a tower which is also a
museum. All this while taking in the view of the Mediterranean
Sea.
If you are to be staying longer or in a large group, there
are many neighbourhoods surrounding these beaches where you
can rent hotel-apartment type lodgings or chalets. All the
beaches are well indicated and have been awarded the blue
flag ( approved by an official government organization) for
the well-kept conditions they always maintain.
All of this and other coastal cities like Calpe, Denia, and
Torrevieja are so easy to reach. If flying in, you should
go to either the Altet Airport in Alicante city or to San
Javier Airport in Murcia. If you are coming from the north
on the Mediterranean coast, then take the pay highway AP-7
or the freeway A-7, getting off at exits 80 and 81. Or if
coming down from Madrid, the freeway called Alicante-Madrid.There
is a train station in Orihuela called Intermodal Train Station
from where you can get other public transport to the beach
area ( buses called Costa Azul) or other cities around.
Famous for the palmeral a huge palm tree forest and the river
Seguria, Orihuela has been the base of the bishop which contributes
to large parts of its important architecture. Considering
that many of these palaces and churches have been recognized
as national monuments, for those of you who like to get a
dive into history and culture of the area, the city is perfect.
Churches and palaces in Orihuela
North of the river Segura which cuts through Orihuela you
will find the Palace of Rubalcava, where the tourist office
found its place as well. The palace gives you a perfect inspiration
and impression into historic live. It is open to the public
from Mondays to Fridays.
Just at the back of the palace you will find the church of
Santiago which was built in the 15th century. At the inside
of the church an impressive sculpture of the family of Francisco
Salzillo dominates part of a chapel.
Around the entire area of Orihuela, you will find many many
more churches and palaces such as the church of Santas Justa
and Rufina or the palace of Conde de Granja or the cathedral
de San Salvador. With a further handful of interesting museums
and buildings, Orihuela is one of the most impressive towns
if you want to get a cultural break from your sunbathing Costa
Blanca holiday.
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