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| Click here for an interactive road map, or here for a satalite image of the area | ||
The local area
This wonderful region is known as ‘The Market Garden of Spain’ – because of the lush fertile soil many fruits and vegetables are grown here, and orchards, orange, lemon and olive groves sprawl across the landscape. The area benefits from at least 300 days of sunshine each year, and offers endless km’s of sun drenched beaches, mountains, natural parks and lakes, historical towns, bustling markets, pavement bars, clubs and restaurants, and plenty of championship golf courses.
The apartment is the perfect base for golfing parties as it is within a 20 minute drive from seven 18 hole championship golf courses:- Las Ramblas, Villamartin, La Finca, La Marquesa, Campoamar, Alenda and El Plantio. There is also Greenlands Golf and Leisure complex nearby with a 9 hole course, driving range and family swimming facilities and restaurant.
As well as golfing there are endless activities to enjoy in the area including cycling, hiking, diving, sailing, fishing, bird watching, quad biking, go karting etc… Golfing equipment and bikes can be hired locally. Among the countless attractions to visit there is Rio Safari Park at Elche, Aqua Parks – one at Quesada and a larger one at Torrevieja, museums and much more. There are wonderful historic towns and villages to explore with their regular fiestas and processions, bars, restaurants, markets and shops etc.
Las Heredades
The village is friendly, traditional and typically Spanish with a mixture of nationalities. A number of Brits own and live on the San Roque development and you will find everyone friendly and helpful. Just around the corner you will find the local bakery or you can catch them delivering freshly baked bread around the village on an evening. A couple of streets down is the butchers shop and other locally owned shops selling groceries, dairy products, toiletries, gifts, clothes, shoes and household good etc, there are also three local hairdressing salons.
There are a number of Spanish bars in Las Heredades - 3 serve delicious freshly cooked food including tasty Tapas and traditional Mediterranean and Continental food. At Bar Saez you can relax under the shade of the grapevines and enjoy the ‘Menu del Dia’ , a 4 course meal for 8 euros including drinks, freshly cooked by the owners Manolo and Angelita. As well as delicious dishes of shell fish, meats, fish and vegetables they will happily cook you egg and chips. The Café Bar Q3 provides snacks like donuts, pastries and crisps. Bar Quinos and Rincon de la Huerta both have restaurants serving many tasty dishes. They all have a laid back, friendly atmosphere where you can sit, relax and enjoy the Spanish way of life. Restaurant Casa Antonio is a little more expensive but delicious.
The village has its own community pool (in season) that can be used, free of charge, by anyone living or staying in the village along with a basketball court and there is a Pétanque pitch near to the communal pool.
The village is on a bus route to all the neighbouring towns and villages and local coastal towns. Although you can catch a bus from outside the school the buses run more frequently along the main Formentera to Almoradi road.
Local towns and villages
Formentera del Segura is a pleasant walk away through the orange groves and along the banks of the River Segura. Here you will find all amenities and services including banks, shops, a supermarket, bars, medical centre, sports facilities and hairdressers.
Benijofar is a 5 minute drive away and has a few more amenities including chemists, a post office, shops, bars and restaurants, supermarkets, police station and a good tobacconists etc…
The neighbouring market towns of Almoradi and Rojales are a few minutes away and offer a wide selection of shops and attractions, bars and restaurants, theatre and a weekly market.
Guardamar del Segura
The lovely Blue Flag award winning beaches of Guardamar are only a 10-15 minute drive away, a typically Spanish seaside town located at the mouth of the River Segura with 11km of wonderful beaches. Guardamar is famous for its sand dunes, which border the beaches. This is now an environmentally protected area planted with a forest of pine, eucalyptus and palm trees to hold back the sand. The nature reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including red squirrels, herons and black swans. Guardamar also has a wide range of sports facilities and you can find every possible sea sport such as sailing, windsurfing, waterskiing, diving, canoeing, jet skiing etc… You can enjoy wandering around the many shops or through the market. During the summer months enjoy an evening stroll around the nightly market stalls and then finishing off your evening with a relaxing drink at one of the many bars along the wonderful promenade.
Torrevieja
The apartment is just a 25 minute drive from the lively tourist centre of Torrevieja, which has a good night life with cosmopolitan restaurants and bars. The town is located at the southern end of the Costa Blanca and is famous for its two huge salt water lagoons that surround it. This designated National Park attracts more than 250 bird species including flamingos. The flats have been used for salt production since Roman times and still provide salt for export worldwide. Torrevieja used to be the home port of the largest fleets of sailing boats in the Mediterranean and still boasts one of Spain’s best yacht clubs. The harbour gives home to 300 fishing ships and over 900 private sports boats, and by sunset is a particularly wonderful view. The town also has a bullring, water park, fairground, a theatre and several cinemas. Torrevieja has a mouth watering selection of restaurants catering for all tastes. Without doubt you can shop until you drop in this bustling cosmopolitan resort.
Alicante
Alicante, and it's wonderful boulevard with palm trees and shopping streets, is one of the most well-known towns along the Costa Blanca. Known for its miles of s andy beaches, Alicante is a starting point for thousands of tourists every year. If variety is the spice of life, Alicante takes the cake, whichever way you look at it. The city combines modern and classic, business and pleasure, entertainment and educational opportunity, with a population of over 300,000, it still manages to have golden beaches and glorious mountains. There is even an Island just off the coast, which incidentally is the only inhabited island in Valencia. Along the Alicante harbor you find beautiful long alleys for nice relaxing walks, enjoying the palm trees and the mild climate. With many historical buildings around the entire city, Alicante offers countless sightseeing attractions, from cathedrals to churches and of course a wonderful harbor area. As well as sightseeing you can enjoy the long sandy beach that leads its way up to San Juan. Just drop your towel on the sand and enjoy a wonderful day in the sun.
Alicante history stretches back as far as the prehistoric times, since the third millennium BC, archeological remains have surfaced. In 1490, Ferdinand the Catholic granted charter to the area, making it a city, and it has thrived ever since. Its title includes the praiseworthy epithets of “eminent, loyal, noble, illustrious and always faithful ”, it now bears, since 1524, a golden fleece on the coat of arms with the permission of Carlos V. Now, thanks to the fantastic Alicante beaches and the excellent climate, Spanish charm and tradition, Alicante museums as well as tourist attractions, make it a first rate tourist location. Alicante provides a variety of fiestas and many cultural events like street concerts and festivals, choirs, theatre groups, conferences, exhibitions and seminars of every kind. Alicante is dedicated to giving its patrons a good time, people are never left wanting for a bar. At any time of the day or night, people can be seen drinking socialising and having a good time. Not many cities can claim to possess such a wide collection of the most beautiful, golden beaches and magical coves within the city boundaries, almost all of which have been awarded blue flags by the European Union for the high quality of the water and the beaches. Stroll along the palm-fringed Paseo de la Explanada - the impressive seafront promenade lined with street cafes and inlaid with red, cream and black marble. Spread out in front of the main part of the city, this impressive boulevard, stretches around the harbour. Stop at the music pavilion and enjoy a free al fresco concert by the sea. Concerts are held in the afternoons, on feast days and on Sunday mornings during the summer months. In the midst of the Mediteranean Xanadu there is, sadly one note of warning: be especially wary here of pickpockets and bag-snatchers. Northwest of the Explanada, towards the center of the city, you'll see the imposing Catedral de San Nicolas, and around it, the narrow streets of the El Barro, or old quarter, which has most of the cheaper accommodation and the best nightlife. To the southwest, near the Calle de Italia, you'll find the main tourist office, post office, and the city's central bus and train stations. Alicante is a hive of activity throughout the year, not just in the summer months. It's a city where the sand seems to go on forever…and so does the entertainment. It's a city steeped in history, rich in culture, awash with every kind of shop and restaurant imaginable and literally bursting with beach life.