I could live just about anywhere in the world, as long as it ´s warm and by the sea. Mountains, snow, countryside- no so much my thing. In fact, I have done my fair share of continent hopping and I don´t mean just on holidays, but actually living there. To boot: South Africa, Turkey, Lebanon, Caymans, Florida and Spain. The UK was at least by the sea, I´ll skip talking about the weather. Some stays were longer, some shorter and now it´s Spain for the second time, Torrevieja to be precise.
Naturally, the first days of my stay were dedicated to exploring the waterfront. To my delight, I found that there are plenty of beaches. They are not very big, but of a great variety. You find white sand (we are after all on the Costa Blanca) as well as rocks and some pretty steep cliffs. Something for every taste.
The initial delight disappeared a bit during the summer months, because the beaches get so crowded you can´t see the water. I took to walks along the promenade and doing a spot of sunbathing on the roof terrace of my building. Nobody else came up there, bliss!
Paya del Cura is the most popular beach with powdery sand and shallow water which makes it ideal for kids. And that´s also why it is so full in the season that you can´t step. I like Playa de los Locos better, because the beach alternates between sandy and rocky which makes it a bit more interesting. Also full in the summer but a little less so. I´ll write about other beaches in a separate post, this one is only meant to give an overview.
What is really, really bad though is the lack of public toilets. For thousands and thousands of people, there are just TWO. Maybe the people in Torrevieja´s administration read this and start doing something about it.
Back to the crowds on the beach during the summer month and how I found an alternative for swimming. Torrevieja does have a huge public pool, but if, like me, you don´t have a car, it´s very time-consuming to get there and back. Torrevieja´s public transport is another subject for a later post because it´s a science.
Having looked at the Casino, I crossed the street and entered the Real Club Nautico. They have a pool, although not very big, but you can only use it, if you are a member. You can eat and drink there, but you can´t use their gym and other amenities unless you fork over €4000 membership fees, reduced to a mere €2000 if another member sponsors you. No way, Jose!
And on I walked along the Marina and found my solution. Several very pretty bar/restaurants line the waterfront, right next to the boats. One is called Jaima which does not only sound Arabic but also looks the picture. These places thrive as nightclubs, but during the day hardly anybody is there. They have a pool and for just €5 you can enjoy one of the daybeds, swim as much and as long as you want and get a drink thrown in.
So, three times a week, I spent half a day there in peace and quiet, looking with pity at the crowded Playa del Cura on my way home.