Free walking tours in Torrevieja and what to see

Must-sees

Torrevieja, in the south of Alicante province, owes its history to salt. The lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja form a nature park where salt is still extracted, and the Torrevieja lagoon turns pink at certain times of year. You can explore them on trails and watch birds. The Museum of the Sea and Salt explains the town’s salt-making and seafaring traditions.

At the port you can visit the Delfín submarine, now a floating museum, next to an old patrol boat. The promenade, with the Juan Aparicio and Vista Alegre walks, links the centre with El Cura and Los Locos beaches and with rocky coves. To the north stretches La Mata beach, long and open. The town is known for its habanera song festival.

Free tours and guided visits

Torrevieja has a few pay-what-you-like free walking tours of the centre, covering the salt-making history, the port and the habanera tradition. Even so, guided visits and trips leaving from the town are more common. Check what is on when you arrive, because the offer varies a lot between high and low season.

Among the paid options, the most popular is the boat trip to Tabarca island, with its walled village and protected waters, in season. Guided walks around the salt lagoons, visits to the Elche palm grove and day trips to Cartagena, with its Roman theatre, or Murcia, with its cathedral, are also worthwhile.

How long to spend

You need one day to see the essentials of Torrevieja: the morning for the port, the submarine and the Museum of the Sea and Salt, and the afternoon for the promenade and the lagoons. With four or five days you can combine the beach with trips to Tabarca, Elche and Cartagena, leaving a free day to rest.

Where to stay

The centre, near El Cura beach and the promenade, is the best area if you want to get around on foot and have restaurants and atmosphere close by. La Mata, to the north, is quieter and has a long beach, good for families. The developments inland are usually cheaper, but you will need a car for almost everything there.