Car hire Torrevieja

Car Rental Torrevieja

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If you are looking for a hire car with unlimited mileage for longer road trips or an economy model to explore Torrevieja — Carhirespain.net can put you in the perfect ride. Our modern fleet includes everything from compact and economy cars to the luxury sedan you have always dreamed of driving. 

If you are part of a larger group, hire an SUV or 7-seat van with an additional driver. Carhirespain.net compare the rates and policies of all car hire suppliers in Torrevieja, to tailor your rental to your needs.

By booking early with Carhirespain.net, you can explore Torrevieja in a hire car while saving over 50 per cent.  

Torrevieja

Torrevieja is another popular tourist destination along Spain’s famed Costa Blanca on the Mediterranean sea. It sits along the same coast as its slightly more northern sister city Benidorm.  Like Benidorm, Torrevieja is served by Alicante Airport which is less than 45km away.  It is around 40 minutes in your hire car.  

Torrevieja is almost the same distance away from the city of Murcia as it is from Alicante.  However, the new Región de Murcia International Airport is farther away than Alicante airport. Expect the drive to take over an hour and a half if you choose to fly into the newer terminal.

Torrevieja is Benidorms quieter sister, with a larger sprawl of accommodation. Torrevieja is more geared to private homes and holiday lettings than Benidorm’s concentrated high-rise urban feel.  

That’s not to say Torrevieja is undeveloped — it has just developed a little more sedately and horizontally than Benidorm. The buildings that line the waterfront in Torrevieja squat rather than soar.

The main town is on a wide coastal plain between two salt lagoons. Torrevieja is very much a resort town and is popular with longer-term British and Russian ex-pats. It has been cheekily dubbed the Costa del Yorkshire.

When the sun sets over the Med, Torrevieja offers plenty of nighttime entertainment. The city is home to hundreds of bars, cafes, tapas places, and nightclubs — you certainly won’t be lacking for choice.

Because it is a working town, Torrevieja can offer great value for money. Once you move away from the beach, the local bars and eateries offer specials and promotions. Most offer free tapas with every drink.

Nightlife in Torrevieja

If you are into the club scene, head to the Avenida Delfine Viudes. Because it is a more industrial area, the clubs can pump their sound systems late into the night without disturbing the neighbours.

If clubbing is not for you, Torrevieja also has a rich selection of cinemas, theatres and street performances throughout the summer. There is also the Sports City where you can play pretty much any sport imaginable until 11 pm.

If you like sun, sea and lots of sand, Torrevieja offers plenty of choices. This is because two salt lagoons protected by natural parks fix Torrevieja.

Five of Torrevieja’s beaches regularly win Blue Flag Status. You have your pick of everything from busy urban bays to wide open secluded stretches of sand.  

What to see in Torrevieja with a hire car

Torrevieja’s location on the Costa Blanca and its sprawling suburbs make it an excellent place to explore in a hire car. This is especially true if your holiday letting is on the edge of town. Here are some of the things you can do in the immediate area to get to know the city better. 

La Mata Beach

La Mata is the centre of Torrevija’s beach community. It is located in the centre of the two lagoons in the most popular area of the resort. It is a roomy belt of light sand with a gentle rolling surf. You should have no trouble finding somewhere to park the hire car nearby.

La Mata has a boardwalk that traverses its 2.3k of beachfront. This Blue Flag beach is a great place to spend the day. The beach has plenty of restaurants along the length. In the evenings, there are 14 beach bars to help you drown the sun.

La Mata gets quieter the farther north you head. As you walk its length, there is a 14th-century watchtower marking its north-most edge. The tower is a remnant of the city’s past and a hint at its beginnings. Torrevieja means the old tower, and the city began its life as a lonely defensive outpost against pirate attacks on the Spanish coast.

Playa del Cura

Playa del Cura is on the other side of the bay on Torrevija’s seafront.  Compared to its neighbour it beach boasts a slightly more urban vibe. It is a gentle sandy curve sheltered by the towns two long breakwaters. Consequently, its calm waters make it a great family beach and an excellent place for small children to learn to love the ocean.

Playa del Cura runs along the newly refurbished Avenida de Los Marineros. Since the renovation, it is now a lovely old esplanade replete with palm trees. There are plenty of restaurants, ice cream shops and places to get a cold drink. 

Las Salinas de Torrevieja

No stay in Torrevieja would be complete without a trip in the hire car to visiting its signature salt Lagoons, the Salinas de Torrevieja. The city preserved the lagoons as natural parkland when it began its tourist expansion.

The Laguna de Torrevieja, the southernmost lagoon is famous worldwide for its pink tint. Of the two lagoons, it is the one the city still actively mines for salt.

As a result of the lagoon’s high salinity, it is a favourite place for people to bathe and experience the increased buoyancy of the water. It is an incredible feeling, but keep some water on hand in the hire car to rinse off. There are no facilities on the lagoon that you can use.

Laguna de la Mata, behind La Mata Beach, is the inactive lagoon. It is more of an emerald green colour and surrounded by vineyards. Displays and demonstrations inside the Interpretation Centre provide a greater understanding of the area and how it has changed over the years.

Vía Verde Torrevieja

If you are looking for more active pursuits, head the hire car towards the Via Verde (green route) Torrevieja. The Via Verda takes advantage of an abandoned railway route. Its gentle grade forges a 7km path through the lagoons. Because of this, it is a great way to get some exercise and escape the city for both locals and tourists.

The town built Via Verde on an old tram line that served the salt mining industry until the 1970s. It is an excellent and imaginative example of the green repurposing of old industrial infrastructure.

Starting at the Old Railway Station, you finish 7km away at the small village of Los Montesinos. The whole route provides beautiful views of the lagoons and, consequently, the landscape along the shoreline.

Torrevieja’s Parks

Within the old town, Torrevieja has a surprising amount of green space where you can take a break from urban life. The area is littered with lovely little parks and squares where you can grab some fresh air — especially on cooler summer mornings.

La Plaza de la Constitución, with the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción and Torrevieja’s town hall is perhaps the most photogenic square in the city..

It is full of lushly planted beds and gently swaying palm trees. As a result, it is the perfect place to watch the city begin its day.

A few minutes to the west in your hire car is the Jardín de las Naciones. This park is a larger space with a 6000 square meter lake at its centrepiece. The lake contains a peninsula in the shape of Europe with flags representing each different county.

Day trips from Torrevieja with a hire car

If Torrevieja gets a bit too hot or you want a change of scene, there are plenty of destinations around town you can escape to your hire car. Here are some of the best ways you can cool off within an hour or two of Torrevieja. 

Algar Waterfalls

About  1h 45m (133 km) out of Torrevieja in your hire car, the Algar river passes the town of Callosa. It forms a series of beautiful waterfalls that meander down the rocks into natural pools. These are Les Fonts de Algar, a protected natural reserve and one of the best ways in the region to beat the summer sun.

Half the appeal of this day trip is the scenery you pass on the way from Torrevieja.  The mountain roads can be quite twisty and narrow though, so only attempt the drive if you are comfortable behind the wheel.

Visit historical Callosa on the way

You may want to stop on the way in medieval Callosa itself — it is a town with two main points of interest — the ruins of the Fortaleza de Bernia and the El Poador de la Font Mayor, a laundry trough completed in 1786. It has room for 70 people to scrub their clothes at once.

Once you have reached the Fonts dé l`Algar, you will find a 1.5km wooden boardwalk that wends its way up the river past rock pools, and gushing falls. Along the way, you are free to leave the path and take a soak wherever you want.

There are numerous pools here but be forewarned, even in the height of summer the water can be incredibly cold.

There is a restaurant on-site if you get hungry and life-guards are present to watch over you as you swim.

Although it is quite a drive to the Fonts of Algar, it is well worth the trouble. If you want to break up the trip, there are plenty of things you can do and see on the way. The drive takes you past both Alicante and Benidorm so if you want you can turn it into an extended hire car tour of the region.

Isla Tabarca

This day trip from Benidorm is a little closer home, and it puts a lot less wear and tear on your hire car. This is because once you get to the Marina in Torrevieja, you park the car and get onto a boat bound for the Isla Tabarca. 

The Isla Tabarca is 9km offshore to the south of Santa Pola. It is the smallest permanently inhabited island in Spain. It has a population of no more than 80 for most of the year, but that increase significantly in the summer months.

History of Tabarca

Tabarca is an island with plenty of history packed into its 2km by 300 metres.  This is because It was a favourite hiding spot for barbary coast pirates up until the 1800s. In the 1760s, it was a military outpost. It wasn’t settled until until a shipwreck full of sailors from Tunisia washed up on shore there and never left.

King Charles III ordered the fortification of the island to offer protection against the pirates that used to call it home. As a result of his order, the lighthouse, wall, fortress and church were built.

Visiting Tabarca involves taking a deep breath and letting yourself slow down. Take a walk to the lighthouse past the sparse dry vegetation. The plant life is more desert than deserted island. Cacti and thorns make up a large portion of the plant life, many of them rare species not found anywhere else.

Activities on Tabarca

Once you have taken a stroll, take a swim and go snorkelling. The water is crystal clear. If you don’t want to get wet, there is a glass-bottom boat you can hop aboard to see the rich marine life.

Tabarca is a part of the Reserva Marina de la Isla de Tabarca and is a sanctuary for birds as well as fish.

The town, following military tradition, is laid out in a square and has few streets bordered by old fishing shacks. The one nod to modernity is the upscale hotel that once housed the  Governer´s residence. 

If you get either hungry or thirsty, there are a few pirate-themed bars (as a nod to the islands past) or restaurants. It is highly recommended you try the caldero, which is a delicious local fish stew.

You have about six hours to wait for the boat back, but there is a good chance you won’t want to leave when it comes.

Altea

Sitting between the busy resort of Benidorm and Calpe, and 125 km from Torrevieja in the hire car, Altea is a beautiful town. It takes little more than an hour and 20 minutes to drive in the hire car — the road leads you past Elche, Benidorm, Alicante and Benidorm, so there are plenty of places to stop on the way.

The Old Town in Altea

It is a world apart from the developed resorts of the coast — it is much quieter and perfect for a tranquil day out. The Old Town is charmingly old-world with its narrow cobbled streets. White houses lead on to the old central square. The whitewashed houses are the perfect backdrop for the colourful Mediterranean flowerbeds throughout the old town.

It’s a steep climb up to the old town. Take your time and enjoy the views of the beach and sea below. In Altea, you can wander through the tiny streets to find family-run shops and restaurants amidst the historic buildings that define the town.

The upper part of the 16th-century old town was constructed to protect against the pirate attacks so common in the region.  A castle occupied the Plaza de la Iglesia and just two the original three gates survived – Portal Vell and Portal Nou.

Altea is for artists

Altea has always been a haven for artists. As a result of this, the Fine Arts Department from the Miguel Hernandez University in Elche set up in town to continue the tradition. Altea is an unspoiled piece of the Costa Blanca and a lovely place to spend the day. You can eat, stroll swim and relax bathed in its old-world charm.