About La Marina

La Marina is a cosmopolitan urbanisation just a 20 minute drive from Alicante airport and 40 minutes from Murcia airport, it is close to the towns of Torrevieja, Elche and Guardamar del Segura and is nestled in the heart of the Costa Blanca. The area is famous for its protected pine forests and long, golden, sandy beaches, many of which have been awarded blue flag status and is an ideal place to live the dream.

In Spanish, the word urbanisation just means development and La Marina offers everything you could need, whether you are here to live or just holidaying. As it is mainly a residential development the facilities on the urbanisation stay open all year round, unlike the local areas of Santa Pola and Gran Alacant which become ghost towns during the winter. The population demographic does change with holidaymakers throughout the summer months and escapee of cold winters during the later months but it does mean that the area is lively and vibrant whenever you visit.

The urbanisation is about twenty years old and is broken down into three areas, La Marina, La Escuera and El Oasis and is part of San Fulgencio which is still a small peaceful and charming farming village. The design of the urbanisation has been well thought out and there are many green and recreational areas many with football, bowls and barbecue areas and seating to sit and watch the world go by.

Amenities on the urbanisation include:

La Marina Market

   

Every Thursday and Sunday La Marina’s market square comes alive with the hustle and bustle of market traders from across the area setting up their stalls.

From across the Vega Baja they come, bringing locally grown fruit and vegetables, fresh breads and meats, ceramics, gifts, bedding, clothes, shoes and hand-bags along with anything else you can think of.

The market starts at 9am and finishes around 2pm and this is a fantastic opportunity to experience the real Spanish way of life. On the fruit and veg stalls you’ll find produce that you’ve never even seen before, each one worth a try just for the experience and the colours and varieties laid out before you will overload your senses.

If you like olives you’ll be in heaven standing before containers laid out with olives and pickles in every shape, colour and texture you can imagine – try out your Spanish and pick out a selection to take home with some jamón Serrano, queso manchego and pan all available at the different stalls in the market place.

If it’s a bargain you’re after, have a go at haggling with the locals – it’s a little scary at first but as soon as you get into the swing of it you can have some real fun.

For the girls, what could be better than a wardrobe full of well priced clothes that no-one else in the UK will have, and as for shoes, boots and handbags – Spanish leather is famous for it’s quality, style and price, so feel free to out-do Imelda Marcus!

Even if you don’t need to buy anything, why not just have a walk round and enjoy the sounds, colours and continental way of life. Sit at a bar, partake of a coffee and brandy and just watch the world go by like a true local.

Sports Centres

A lot of the properties on the urbanisation have access to community swimming pools and some have private pools. For those who do not have these facilities, there are two sports centres on the urbanisation and one in the village, all offering swimming pools, lounging facilities and snack bars to keep you fed and watered throughout the day.

Hillside:

 

For an enjoyable family day out visit the “Hillside”, a mini aqua park with water fountains, children’s play floats, jacuzzi and two large swimming pools which provide a fun day out for all. A pool side bar / restaurant offers a great selection from a traditional sandwich to a three course meal and a snooker hall and bar above the swimming pool complex offers night time entertainment throughout the year.

Sports Complex:

 

The sports complex has a children's pool area adjacent to a full sized family pool. Set in a relaxing area, the children can enjoy trampolines, arcade games and pool tables and the pool side bar / restaurant caters for all. In the evening entertainment ranges from live music, karaoke, flamenco shows, quizzes, bingo, etc…

La Marina International:

 

Down in the village, the La Marina International swimming pool offers a children’s swimming pool with elephants and slides and an adults pool with pool bar. Popular with the tourists this is a fantastic complex which has a large restaurant with all types of food available at reasonable prices.

Banks

 

 

La Marina offers a wide range of international banks and building societies all of which speak some English and are readily available to offer advice and  information about opening bank accounts, changing travellers cheques (passports required), mortgages and personal loans. We work closely with several banks on the urbanisation so are always on hand to help you decide who to use and liaise on your behalf where necessary.

Shops and Supermarkets

     

The urbanization boasts three large continental supermarkets offering daily baked bread, pastries, fresh fruit & veg along with Spanish, English, French and German delicacies. There are also several English supermarkets offering a wide selections of goodies from home along with two butchers and a freezer shop.

For non food items there are also newsagents offering daily newspapers, magazines, cards and gifts, a card and book shop, craft shop, gift shops, shoe shop, florist, bike hire, furniture shops, electrical shop, hairdressers, internet cafés, travel agent, tourist office and everything else you can imagine – if you want to spend that holiday money I’m sure you’ll find something to suit.

Restaurants

The urbanization offers a growing selection of restaurants to suit every taste, at night the streets come alive with the sound of friendly chatter and cutlery clinking against plates as happy holidaymakers and residents alike sample the fine cuisine on offer.

There are four main eating areas, on the “strip” you will find a selection of restaurants offering an extensive range of meals from home or away many offering nightly entertainment ranging from bingo and karaoke to live acts and groups.

Moving along the road you will come to Fase IV where restaurants surround a square in which tables are laid out nightly ready for the hungry masses. Street buskers playing accordions and guitars serenade the diners and good or bad it all adds to the atmosphere of the evening.

In the square by Consum you will find a selection of bars and restaurants offering drinks, meals and takeaways, here you can wander un-disturbed from bar to bar enjoying the holiday atmosphere.

Finally you get to Supervalu and another extensive selection of eateries offering a range of meals to suit all taste buds.

Whatever you’re looking for I’m positive that you’ll find it on the urbanisation, the growing selection of menus on offer includes two Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, and German restaurants, along with Pizzerias, Steak houses and a host of bars offering everything from door-step sandwiches to wraps and bakes. For the more traditionalist amongst you the urbanization also offers numerous English bars and restaurants serving everything from a Roast dinner to fish & chips many of which offer a take away service.

Medical Services

 

 

Along with the medical centre where you can register to see a local doctor (if you have the correct paperwork) the urbanization has a private clinic available to everyone with fees charged per visit or on a yearly basis. In the private clinic English is spoken but you will need a translator if you see the local doctor.

Also located on the urbanization is a pharmacy where you will be able to get help and advice along with a wide range of medications without prescription, an opticians with hearing aid centre and an English dentist.

Emergency Centre

Although we never want to think about these things there is an ambulance centre and police station on the urbanisation ready to deal with any local emergencies.

 

Post Office

Although not what we are used to in the UK, there is a local post office, located at Fase IV which opens from 10:45 to 1:00 each day. Here you can collect recorded mail, post letters and parcels but not much else. For more specialised services the main post office is located in San Fulgencio and from here you will be able to all other transactions.

Tourist Office

The tourist office is located opposite the medical centre and you will be able to find a range of brochures about the area along with bus timetables and information about local fiestas.

Bus Service

Details of bus timetable

La Marina Village

   

The village of La Marina is just a 5 minute drive, or for the more energetic about an hours walk. The village of La Marina is part of Elche and has a population of about 3000 people. It is framed by a pine forest and long, golden, sandy beaches (one of the longest on the Costa Blanca being 17 kilometres long and stretching from Santa Pola to Torrevieja, comprising of El Pinet, La Marina and El Rebollo) along which are scattered beach bars where you can enjoy delicious plates of fresh calamari or feast on the menu of the day whilst sipping cool jugs of sangria.

During local holidays and fiestas you will find families picnicking in the shade of the forest with long tables laden with  a host of delicacies.

The village consists of a main road flanked on either side by numerous eateries, bars serving local products, ceramic and gift shops and has a regular bus service both north and south.

San Fulgencio

Cardinal Belluga obtained 40,000 tahúllas of poor and marshy land in the area around the delta of the Segura River from Orihuela and Guardamar del Segura, and founded San Fulgencio in 1729. The purpose of the donation was to drain the wetlands and make them fertile and productive and then use rents obtained from the land for good works, i.e. orphanages and hospitals in Murcia.

In fact, San Fulgencio owes its name to the patron saint of Murcia, the town which was Cardinal Belluga's diocesan seat. In common with other villages located close to the coast, San Fulgencio has diversified its economic activity from traditional farming to the service sector and the growth of tourism has brought additional infrastructure to the town.

In the middle of the town you will find the town hall, police station, church and square where all the fiestas start and finish along with a selection of shops and local market every Tuesday.