Santa Pola lies to the south of Alicante less than ten kilometres from the airport. Its economy was once totally reliant on fishing but now tourism is the major industry. Santa Pola has had a long and turbulent history, evidence of which is seen in the Roman remains and the medieval fortress. It is a popular resort with wonderful sandy beaches and a wide range of recreational facilities. A Santa Pola holiday offers good accommodation, a large number of restaurants as well as shops and markets. Nature lovers will enjoy the Santa Pola Salt Marshes with its diverse flora and fauna and its large bird population including many flamingos.
A Santa Pola holiday offers guaranteed summer sun, fine sandy beaches, water sports, good restaurants with an interesting historical town waiting to be explored.
Santa Pola attracts a wide range of visitors every year many of them travelling from Britain. Families with young children, sporting enthusiasts, couples of all ages and young adults will find what they are looking for in Santa Pola.
The most popular time to holiday in Santa Pola is from April to October when the temperature ranges from a very pleasant twenty five degrees rising to the early thirties in the height of summer.
Santa Pola is a fishing town lying a short distance from the airport on the Costa Blanca. It has an area of national park, Salines de Santa Pola, which incorporates salt marshes and salt evaporation ponds. The resort is very popular with Spanish holidaymakers as well as Northern European tourists and therefore retains a more traditional atmosphere than is found elsewhere. Santa Pola lies on a wide calm bay edged with thick, soft sand making it an ideal spot for lovers of beach holidays. With a total of six beaches and a sports marina offering a wide variety of water sports, Santa Pola has something for everyone.
Santa Pola has a large variety of accommodation from all-inclusive hotels to self-catering apartments and studios. Its many restaurants serve a diverse cuisine thus accommodating even the most cautious palate. There are supermarkets and hypermarkets providing all your holiday essentials as well as a large number of gift and souvenir shops. The bustling town has markets every day with a street market and a flea market at the weekend.
There is much to see in Santa Pola with its many historic sites and old churches. The castle, built in the sixteenth century as protection against the marauding pirates is well preserved. There are also many Roman remains scattered around the town. The archaeological museum is worth visiting as it shows the development of the town has artefacts from the different ages. Santa Pola has beautiful squares where you can sit and relax in the shade of palm trees and enjoy refreshments in the pavement cafes.
A ferry runs to the Isla de Tabarco across the bay from Santa Pola. Many scuba divers go here as the rocky coast and clear waters make ideal conditions for this sport.
Land sports include tennis, golf and horse riding.
Apart from its wonderful climate and leisure facilities, a Santa Pola holiday offers visitors a warm and friendly welcome, ensuring that they leave with happy memories.
Santa Pola nightlife is fairly vibrant although not on the same scale as Alicante or Benidorm. There are many lively bars where you can while away the hours with music and dance. Those wishing for more sedate evenings will find an abundance of restaurants where evenings can be spent relaxing in the company of friends. Alicante, with dusk till dawn entertainment, is only a short drive away.
Santa Pola has a wide variety of shops supplying all your holiday needs. There are also the usual numbers of gift and souvenir shops selling holiday mementoes. There are markets every day in Santa Pola with a street market on Sunday and a flea market on Saturday. Wickerwork, ceramics, jewellery, embroidered linens and leather goods are popular purchases.
Santa Pola has a wide variety of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets. Traditional Spanish restaurants and tapas bars rub shoulders with those providing fast food and international cuisine. Fish features prominently on menus and is never disappointing. A popular fish stew is caldero santapoler. An ideal way of sampling Spanish food is to order a plate of tapas which consists of a medley of bite-sized dishes. Tapas are also ideal for filling the sometimes long gap between lunch and dinner, which is served later in Spain than at home.
Children are always made very welcome in Spanish restaurants and their tastes and portion sizes are usually accommodated.
Local wines are pleasant and inexpensive.
