Down on the beach there is plenty of free parking just behind the dunes at La Marina beach and also at El Pinet. They are blue flag beaches and have all the amenities to hand along with a restaurant by each car park and a beach bar at the La Marina beach. Alternatively there is a restaurant just behind the La Marina beach called La Pinada that specialises in fish and grilled meats, but also serves snacks and drinks both inside and on its terrace.

The urbanisation starts about a mile back from the beach and is a large residential area. It has four commercial centres, that provide a range of bars and restaurants as well as five large supermarkets and a few smaller ones that cater for the UK and northern European needs. There are two swimming pools open to the public.  The Hillside Pool/Bar & Snooker Hall located between Calle Bilbao and Calle Andalucia which is the smaller of the two and has sunbed hire and a snooker club adjoining it. The Hillside Pool/Bar also have regular entertainment in the evening, Thursday night Quiz, Friday & Saturday regular Live acts and every Sunday Karaoke with Tommy - A night to remember and highly recommended.  The other is by the Satellite roundabout and is part of the La Marina sports complex which incorporates the bowling club. Admission is daily and includes sunbed hire for those of you without access to a private or communal pool, and if you are planning a lazy holiday you can buy a weekly ticket.

The Hillside Pool

Wherever you stay in La Marina you should not be more than a 10 minute stroll to shops, bars and restaurants and in most cases a lot closer than that. There are a number of bars and restaurants that have been recommended to us by past visitors who have enjoyed a meal, drink or the service provided.  Please see below for a selection and directions of where they are located from our House:

 

Urbanisation La Marina - Bars and Restaurants

 

There are 4 Commercial Zones in La Marina as below:

 

The Square

 

This is situated nearest to our house.  Directions: Turn left off the car park, turn second right into Ave. Juan Carlos 1, follow this road to the very end and then turn left. Walk/drive for approx 50 yards and you will come to a Main road where the square is facing you with all bars, small shops etc:

 

The Cavern: English run bar

Rosales: Spanish café bar

White Swan: English run bar, serves food

Bob's Bar: English run bar

Le Bistro De Fabienne: French restaurant/bar

Wild Rover: Irish bar

The Woodstock: English run bar, serves food

Celtic Connection: Spanish bar, serves food including English breakfast and Sunday Roast.

Quincy's Bar: Serves food including English breakfast and Sunday Roast

The Grill House: Restaurant - Tables may need to be booked

Bonnies: Fish Restaurant - Tables may need to be booked

Bar Ramons: Spanish tapas

Route 66: English run bar, serves tapas

Coyote Bar: Spanish bar

 

Check out the blackboards and notices in the bars for Karaoke/Disco's, Live Entertainment etc

 

The Strip

 

Directions: Turn left off the car park, turn second right into Ave. Juan Carlos 1, follow this road to the very end and then turn left. Walk/drive for approx 50 yards and you will come to a Main road where the square is facing you with all bars etc. Turn right onto Main Road and walk/drive for approx half Km and you will come to The Strip containing more Bars, Newsagents, Restaurants, Shops and Banks.

 

Las Camelias: Spanish tapas café/bar/restaurant  

La Bodega: Entertainment bar/restaurant

El Matador : Restaurant 

Big Ben : Bar/restaurant

Hong Kong Restaurant: Chinese

Picassos: Italian/pizza restaurant

Plus many, many more

 

Super Value Commercial Centre

 

At the very top of “The Strip” turn left onto the main road and you will eventually come to Supervalue. Turn left onto this Zone at the Police Station.  Next to the police station you will find the local doctors surgery. The tourist information Centre is located next door to this.  Across the road you will find all banks, bars and restaurants including:

 

Meyer Lensky: German Bar with entertainment 

Boulevard: Bar

Victoria Restaurant: Chinese

Steak House restaurant

Las Cantinas: English run bar/restaurant

Bar Dreams: English run bar/restaurant

Taj Mahal Restaurant: Indian

La Perla: Italian restaurant

 

New Caprabo Commercial Centre

 

This is a the newest of the Commercial Centre's positioned at the site of the new Cabrabo Supermarket. Turn left off the car park, turn second right into Ave. Juan Carlos 1, follow this road then turn second left.  When you get to the next junction walk/drive straight across where you will see the sign for Cabrabo. Walk/drive onto the car park for supermarket, shops and bars upstairs & downstairs including:

 

Palm Tree bar

O'Neills Irish bar

Rojo's bar

The George

La Luz bar

Final Whistle sports bar

Gran China restaurant: Chinese

Victorias II restaurant: Chinese

Thomas Greens british supermarket

British bakery

 

In addition there is ' Casa Jin' on the approach road to La Marina which is good value - try their meal of the day. 

Also, The New Indian Ocean Restaurant and a Mexican restaurant are located on the main road between the square and the strip on the right hand side.  

 

The names of both bars / restaurants are correct as at May 2006 and may change in the future, please use this as a guideline only

 

There are good road links to the Benidorm and Denia area to the north and to the Mar Menor and Cartagena area of the south. Travel by car for 20 minutes inland and you could be in another world were the day to day life in some of the mountain villages has been left untouched by the advent of tourism. In fact much of the area between Alicante and Torrevieja has been left alone by the big tourist companies, and has been left in the main for either residential or holiday home development.

There is still an abundant supply of bars and restaurants to suit every taste and pocket, as well as supermarkets to supply all your needs for a stay here. There is an abundance of wildlife close at hand with the Salinas de Santa Pola having one of the largest flocks of flamingos in Spain and the famous El Hondo nature reserve close by.

With mountains inland and salt lakes to either side the area has its own microclimate with little rain. The World Health Organisation recognises it as the healthiest place to live in Europe.

Average coastline sea temperature
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
19	18	19	23	24	25	26	27	26	24	22	22

Directions to La Marina

On exiting the airport car park you need to be in the right hand lane and follow the sign for Alicante and El Altet, not the overhead sign as this takes you north but the small sign pointing to the right. After merging with the main road take the next exit right signposted to Torrevieja and Cartegena this is the N332 and is the road to La Marina. On entering the road it becomes two lanes so you do not have to filter in at this junction. You will then pass through a tunnel where you must put your lights on; then its past Gran Alicant up the hill and then past Santa Pola and down across the salt lakes.

The first exit after that is La Marina playas, go straight on up the hill you will now see another exit for Elche and La Marina, again go straight on. The road now becomes two lanes for traffic heading south and you need to be in the right hand lane as the next exit is La Marina urbanisations and this is the one to take. Leave the N332 and take the first exit at the roundabout, this will take you up a hill past a garage and then the Casa Jin Chinese Restaurant. You have now arrived in La Marina and details of how to reach your accommodation begin from here.