Eighteen kilometres south of Alicante, Santa Pola combines several
features, which make it the summer resort par excellence. It is
surrounded by lovely beaches of fine sand, has a port and a castle,
good communications with the interior and the coast, and its inhabitants
are friendly, open and hospitable people.
Formerly, Santa Pola belonged to Elche, and had been its port and
dynamic trading centre since Roman times. Due to the many attacks
of the Barbary Coast pirates, in the 15th century the Duke of Cardenas
ordered the building of a castle, along with some watchtowers, many
of which still remain, dotted along the coast.
On the shores of a large bay, Santa Pola has always been the home
of fishermen. In the warm waters of the area, there are red mullet,
prawns, and many other species of fish and seafood generally, all
absolutely delicious. It is because of this that the Santa Pola
fishermen supply the best restaurants of the coast and inland with
their fish. There are delightful beaches nearby, such as Santa Pola, Lissa,
Pinet and La Marina. North of the town, from Cape Santa Pola, there
are splendid panoramic views of the lovely coastline of the Alicante
Region.
Off the coast, there is the Isla de Tabarca, Isle of Tabarka. The
origin of its name is curious. During the attack by the Spanish
against Tunisian pirates in the 18th century, 600 Genoans held
prisoner by the pirates were found, on the Isle of Tabarka, 300
metres off the coast of Africa. The Spaniards set them free, and
brought them to this island of the Costa Blanca, which then received
the name of New Tabarka. It is flat, arid strip of land, barely
above sea level, which attracts many tourists. The coasts of the
island are dotted with grottoes with names evoking mysterious legends,
such as Roca del Emperador, Cueva del Lobo Marino, Roca Pobre,
Cabeza de Moro, and which have been used on more than one occasion
as a hideout for smugglers. There are many islets around Tabarca,
such as La Nao, La Cantera and La Galera.
Eighteen kilometres south of Alicante, Santa Pola combines several
features, which make it the summer resort par excellence. It is
surrounded by lovely beaches of fine sand, has a port and a castle,
good communications with the interior and the coast, and its inhabitants
are friendly, open and hospitable people.
There are delightful beaches nearby, such as Santa Pola, Lissa,
Pinet and La Marina. North of the town, from Cape Santa Pola, there
are splendid panoramic views of the lovely coastline of the Alicante
Region.
The coasts of the
island are dotted with grottoes with names evoking mysterious legends,
such as Roca del Emperador, Cueva del Lobo Marino, Roca Pobre,
Cabeza de Moro, and which have been used on more than one occasion
as a hideout for smugglers. There are many islets around Tabarca,
such as La Nao, La Cantera and La Galera.