Santa Pola & Salt Lakes

Santa Pola is the nearest proper town to Vista del Sol — just 10 minutes south by car — and one of the most genuinely characterful places on the lower Costa Blanca. It has resisted the full transformation into a tourist resort and retains a strongly local identity built around its working fishing harbour, medieval castle and traditional way of life.

The harbour is the heart of the town. Santa Pola’s fishing fleet is one of the most active on the Alicante coast, and the daily catch auction at the fish market (lonja) is a fascinating spectacle for anyone who turns up early enough. The restaurants around the harbour are as good as any on the Costa Blanca for fresh fish — particularly the dorada a la sal (sea bass baked in salt) and the various rice dishes cooked in fresh fish stock.

Just outside the town to the south lie the Salinas de Santa Pola — a vast expanse of working saltpans that form part of a protected natural park. The shallow lagoons turn a vivid shade of pink during summer due to the algae and brine shrimp that colour the water, and large flocks of greater flamingos feed along the edges year-round. The combination of the pink water, the flamingos, and the flat coastal light makes this one of the most photogenic locations in the entire province.

Back in town, the 16th-century Castillo-Fortaleza houses a small museum of local history and archaeology. The Aquarium Municipal is excellent for families with children. A Saturday morning market in the town centre sells fresh local produce, flowers, clothing and household goods.