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A Short Guide to Santa Pola

Published on Thursday 14th of July, 2005

Santa Pola is a coastal town located in the comarca of Baix Vinalopó with a total population of 22,253 inhabitants. Historically an important port and a fishing village, the area, like many in the Costa Blanca, relies heavily on tourism.

History and Archaeology

Historically a fishing village, the industry lives on in Santa Pola. The nets laid out in the photo were either unused on the day or are awaiting repairs.

The town was settled over the ruins of an important Roman city called Portus Ilicitanus, literally "Harbour of Elx", which it was. The remains of the ancient port of 'Lilice' can be observed at the western end of town and in the town's archaeological museum.

Remains of the business quarter of the Roman city can be found at several conservation sites (including at the Casa Romana in the El Palmeral park of Santa Pola). The remains consist of walls of dwellings of two or three rooms and a small patio with a rainwater cistern of the 1st to the 4th century a.d. and the foundations of several store houses.

Off greater interest is an Iberian layer from the 4th century b.c. in which a large quantity of Iberian and Greek ceramics were found.

A Roman factory used for the salting of fish from the 4th century a.d. was found at this site. This technique of salting, which is still in use today, was begun by the Phoenicians and was well established by Roman times.

Things to See and Do in Santa Pola

Beaches of Santa Pola

The blue flag at the Levante Beach in Santa Pola, a Blue Flag holder since 1997 with award winning disabled access.

Santa Pola has an excellent selection of over 11 kilometers of beaches and coves with services ranging from basic to all of the services that you would come to expect from an urban beach. In total there are 6 beaches on the west side of Santa Pola (Pinet Beach, La Gola Beach, Playa Lisa Beach, Gran Playa Beach and Tamarit Beach) and 2 on the east side (Vardero Beach and Levante Beach) in addition to many coves in the area.

Levante Beach and the Gran Playa Beach are both accessible beaches, and are great areas for pedalo and windsurfing. The Levante Beach in Santa Pola has had a blue flag since 1997, and has received awards for it's disabled access.

La Gola Beach is a basic, non-urban beach that has a demarcated area for kite surfing, while Playa Lisa Beach has a windsurfing school. In general, the presence of a modern Yacht club and a protected bay area make Santa Pola an ideal area for water sports such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving, swimming and sailing.

The Fortress - Castle and Cultural Center

Built in 1558 to defend local fisherman from attacks by pirates, this Renaissance style castle is now used as a cultural center and includes the Museum of the Sea, the Museum of Fishing and a small chapel, Virgen de Loreto.

On the left the courtyard of the Castle in Santa Pola and on the right the entrance to the Virgen de Loreto.

Natural Park of Salines de Santa Pola

Artificial salinas (lagoons used to extract salt from seawater) form the Natural Park of Salines de Santa Pola, an area with remarkable birds and vegetation including one of the rare areas used by migratory flamingos. Be sure and check out the salt museum while you are there.

Other Notable Things to See

The auditorium at El Palmeral park in Santa Pola

There is a lighthouse just outside of Santa Pola, accessible via the 332 towards Alicante. Though not open to the public, the bluffs in the area provide a spectacular view of the Mediterranean.

Within the city, it is worth visiting the aquarium, which contains Mediterranean flora and fauna, Portus Illicitanus, the remains of a business area of the old port city, and the Roman Villa in Santa Pola's El Palmeral park (not to be confused with the much larger park of the same name in Elche).

Getting to Santa Pola