Välkommen till Santa Pola
There’s a reason why the Spanish choose to holiday in this beautiful fishing village, with its stunning scenery, plentiful seafood and an easy-going way of life.
Santa Pola is a charming fishing village, now renowned as an attractive coastal resort. Located on the Costa Blanca, Santa Pola enjoys a glorious Mediterranean climate of mild winters, and hot, dry summers. The climate is ideal for exploring the 11 kilometres of beautiful beaches – many of which have the coveted blue flag status. This stunning coastline has picturesque white coves and breathtaking views of the mountains and nearby salt marshes.
With history dating back to the Roman period, Santa Pola has many historical sites, such as Santa Pola Castle, an old fortress located in the centre of the town. If you want to travel even further back in time, head to the Cueva de las Aranas, a group of caves featuring iron-age paintings.
The fishing port in Santa Pola is one of the largest on the Costa Blanca, which means fresh fish arrive daily, sometimes even being sold straight from the boats they were caught on. At the weekday fish market, you can find a huge variety of fresh fish and seafood. Look out for red prawns – the town’s speciality.
When you’ve finished browsing, go and sample the catch of the day at one of the excellent seafood restaurants in the area.
Plats
Community
Santa Pola is popular with international buyers, who comprise around half of the property market here. There is a large English-speaking expat community in the suburb of Gran Alacant, a large hillside urbanisation close to the sea.
Property
This is a popular area with many of the beautiful beach-front apartments having spectacular sea views. Venture inland and there are a selection of villas, bungalows, and townhouses. Whatever you choose, you’ll get a lot of property for your money.
Amenities
Santa Pola has a market which is open most days of the week; including its fish market, which is one of the most famous in the region. Head to the Polomax shopping centre for a spot of browsing or perhaps watch a film at the Cines Axion cinema. Venture out of the city to the Gran Alacant urbanisation where you can find many supermarkets, shops and plenty of restaurants. There is also a large selection of sports on offer in the area – from watersports such as windsurfing, paragliding, surfing, diving and swimming – to cycling, hiking and fishing.
Transport
There is no train station in Santa Pola but it’s well connected by bus, with services running to Alicante, Bilbao, and Madrid. You are only 15 minutes away from the El Altet Airport in Alicante, the fifth busiest airport in Spain. By car you are well connected to most of the large coastal cities via the AP-7 (toll motorway) and A7 (toll free highway).
Health
You’ll find English-speaking doctors in the Quirónsalud Santa Pola Medical Center and also at the Salvum Clinic in nearby Gran Alacant (both private). For public healthcare, head to the Centro de Salud Santa Pola.
Cost of Living
Its good value for money living in Santa Pola, property is very reasonably priced, public transport is very cheap and eating out is affordable and excellent quality.