Torrevieja is a city in Spain’s south-eastern Alicante province, on the Costa Blanca. It’s known for its Mediterranean climate and coastline, promenades that run along sandy, resort-backed beaches and the quality and freshness of the seafood are unmatched.
This coastal town has access to the best fish and seafood that the Mediterranean Sea has to offer. Here, the sea is not only part of the landscape, but also the source of the deepest and most authentic flavours of its cuisine, which combines flavours and influences from the gastronomy of Murcia, Valencia and Andalusia.
Traditional recipes have been handed down from generation to generation; with rice dishes being their forte with many varieties: with vegetables “arroz y bancal”, with anchovies, tuna, a banda and more. However, the rice dish par excellence is the “caldero” made with the broth of rock fish, chicken, monkfish, and of course grilled squid.
Another of the regional specialities is “Paloma”, a local drink of water and aniseed, paired whenever possible with a good dried octopus. Many people dry octopus on their terraces when the wind blows from the land to then be cleaned with water and salt, opened with pieces of cane so that it dries properly and ready to eat after about two weeks.
The city of Torrevieja has consolidated its position as the third most populated city in the province of Alicante and the fifth in the Valencian Community, having 100,000 registered inhabitants. Almost half of the residents, registered on the town census, i.e. 49,74 %, are foreigners, originating from 122 different countries.
Although now a major city, 52% of Torrevieja is completely occupied by a natural park. You really have to visit the Lagunas de la Mata – Torrevieja Nature Park and see the two salt lakes, one pink due to the pigments of a series of very peculiar bacteria that live in very extreme environments and the other green. The park’s vegetation is unique as a consequence of the high salinity of its soils and the low level of rainfall and the bird life outstanding with almost a hundred species. There are some really lovely trails to help you explore!
For those who also like to snorkel, the city’s seabed hosts the most important marine ecosystem in the Mediterranean.
The tiny “Museo del Mar y de la Sal” houses exhibits exploring the town’s fishing and salt-mining history, helping us further appreciate the origins of this city that offers far more than one might have expected!
Join us in Episode 29 and a visit to Torrevieja.
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