Aguilllas, a paradise for diving

Presently, Aguillas is a popular town by the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
This town is located on the Costa Calida.

South of it Costa de Almeria. North of it is Costa Orihuela.
In the past, the town was a fishing port. Later on due to the fertile grounds  of the Murcia region it became also a harbor of export.

Aguillas
Aguillas

Then, the region around Aguillas became in the 19 century a mining area.
In fact, this old mining area begins at Cartagena and goes down to Aguillas.
Now, it is only history.

In the present it is a popular holiday and second home place for many West European.

How to get there

Important is that Aguillas is situated nearby two airports.
From Aguillas to the airport  of Alicante El Altet is approximately 1 hour and half drive.
To the airport of San Javier Murcia you  can count an hour of drive.

Climate

The best, Aguilas has a very nice climate. In fact, it is on the Costa Calida, the warm  coast.
So, in the summer it is hot. In spring and autumn it is very good temperature.
Even in the winter , at noon,  you can enjoy the sun in a t-shirt nipping your sangria.
Specialist call it a typical Mediterranean climate. With the “cool” or refreshing  sea breeze in the summer season. But also in the winter the protection of the surrounding sierras or mountains.
All by all , the region has nearly 3000 hours of sunshine a year.

What to see in Aguillas ?

Again, Aguillas is a popular summer holiday destination.
During the summer season it is even very busy.
In addition, the tourist information center has a nice cultural schedule.
During 2011 the new Auditorio and Palacio de Congresos was opened. So the cultural offers has increased even more since then.

Every day, Aguillas has a fine food market with all products of the region. It is a part of the culture of the town.
It is open from Monday till Saturday . From 9:00 till 14:00.

Every Saturday , there is also a street market. The meeting  place for locals and expats.
Place to be is the Calle de Murcia.
The market offers a large choice of everything you need. To sum up,: fruit , vegetables, plants, clothing, footwear, household items, jewelry…

In summer season, every Sunday you can visit a antiques market.

Beaches

In particular, Aguillas has nearly 30 kilometers of coastline. And 35 beautiful beaches.
Many or known as unspoiled and very natural.

Aguillas beach
Aguillas beach

So is one of the good places on the Calida coast  for snorkeling and scuba diving.
While, the seabed is rocky, the water is crystal clear.
So there is much to explore beneath the water!

Cuisine

in fact, the nearby plains of Murcia are very fertile. So there is a large range of fresh vegetables and fruit.
Nearby is the Mediterranean Sea with fish and seafood.
Rice is also very popular in the kitchen.
Indeed, there is a large choice of restaurants and ( tapa) bars.

Cuisine
Cuisine

Tips for trips ?

Worth a visit : Murcia See our page on Murcia .
Furthermore, Cartagena is a beautiful city to visit. See our page on Cartagena .
We recommend also the baroque city of Lorca. It is a real Spanish town in the countryside. Read more about on our page Lorca.
A lit further away: Almeria . Look on our page Almeria

Final

There are more interesting things to do in Aquillas that you can explore.
I hope this article gives you some ideas and inspiration for your stay.
And i know you will enjoy yourself.

Isla Tabarca or Tabarca Island

First, the beautiful Isla Tabarca is also know as the flat island. It is situated nearby the coast of the Costa Blanca, in the East of Spain.
There fore, this location on the sunny coast is perfect for a day trip, when you are staying at the Costa Blanca.
Then, most of the time the weather is excellent to do a boat trip.
The boat trip to the island of Tabarca offers you a great time at the Mediterranean Sea.

Isla Tabarca or Island of Tabarca
Isla Tabarca or Island of Tabarca

Have a nice day at the Isla Tabarca.

In fact,  the Isla Tabarca is the only inhabited island of the region of Valencia.
Additionally, the  island is also the largest natural island at the Costa Blanca.
This beautiful place is located before the coast of Alicante.
Several  maritime lines are available from the different harbors from the mainland.
You can reach the island from Alicante, Torrevieja, Benidorm and Santa  Pola. You can count an hour to reach the island from Alicante.

Nice to know is that there are average 100 inhabitants during the year. But the island is crowdy in the summer season, because it is very popular with tourists for a day.
Because of this,  the locals are mainly engaged in activities related to the tourism and the fisheries.  Good to known  : the prices at the bars and restaurants are 15 % higher.
While the tourist are fascinated of the island background of pirates.
In the past the pirates used the island of Tabarca as a base to attack the coast and the fisher boats of the Costa Blanca.

Local cuisine of the Isla

Of course , this local cuisine is based on the local products coming directly from the sea.
So the small fishing village is very nice to strolling along.
At the  Isla Tabarca, there are  still remains of its defensive wall from the 18th century. The wall is now restored.

The Isla Tabarca got a Blue Flag for his clear water and the clean beaches.So it is very popular and it is ideal for water sports like snorkeling and scuba diving.

While you are snorkeling  at the Isla Tabarca you can observe the various sorts of fish like sardines, octopus, sea bass or red mullet .The water is very clear and unpolluted, you can enjoy the biodiversity of the sea.

Important to known: Tabarca is a marine reserve “ Reserva Marina de la Isla de Tabarca”.

Indeed, it is the natural home of several protected species and the  Isla de Tabarca is formed of volcanic origin.
As a result , the island of Tabarca has sandy beaches, as also coves and cliffs. As you can see, you can go on discovery with the children  and tell hem about the pirates. Fun assured!

Isla Tabarca : one of the smallest islands of the Spanish Coast.

In december, the regional  environment department of Alicante hosted a conference with  the regional governments of , Andalusian, Cataluna, Murcia and the Balearic.
In fact, this meeting has been held to preserve the small islands of the Spanish coast.
Specifically, researchers collect information  on these islands. In other words, more about the  flora and the fauna, the nature and the culture, the land and the sea.

Additionally, the islands feel the pressure of the tourist and the many possibilities of the islands for activities. In sum, the want to find a  balance between the demands of the tourist and the protection  of the islands.
As, Tabarca is the islands with an extensive nature  and cultural heritage it has been chosen for the meeting.
Therefore  the first marine reserve had been set up around the Island of Tabarca.

Access to the Isla Tabarca.

The island is easily accessible from different ports in the province of Alicante, Torrevieja  and Santa Pola .

First, the port of Alicante.
Second, the port of Santa Pola.
Third, the port of Torrevieja.
Then, the port of Benidorm.

Below you will find the schedule for the months of July, August and September.

If you want to spend a day on a boat than you can make a trip with one of the sea excursions in the  Mediterranean Sea to discover the Isle of Tabarca , the old Berber pirate island .
If you chose the glass bottomed catamaran, you can already see different fishes and underwater plant species.

Getting to the Isla de Tabarca

The port of Torrevieja Marina
Duration : takes you about 50 min. approx.Price : 24 € return ticket
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
Departure to the Island of Tabarca : 11.00 h .
Return from the Island : 18.00 h.

The port of Alicante:
Duration of the trip between 40 and 45 minutes
Price: 24, return ticket
Going back: 10:15, 11:15 and 12:30
Going back: 17:00, 18:00 and 19:30

 The port of Santa Pola.
Duration of the trip about 30 minutes
Adult price: 15,   Return
Price children (4 to 8 years): 11, Return
Going back: 10:30, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00
Going back: 11:30, 12:45, 13:45, 14:45, 16:45, 17:45, 18:45, 19:30

The port of Benidorm.

Duration of the trip: about 1 hour and 15 minutes
Adult price: 25, Return
Child Price: 15, Return

June, July and September Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Going back: 11:00
Going back: 17:00

August Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Going back: 11:00
Going back: 17:00

Snorkling at Isla Tabarca
Isla Tabarca Isle Island of Tabarca Snorkeling

Restored

Visitors will be able to visit  the wall of Island of Tabarca declared a Spain heritage site .
In the past, in 2009 a part of the wall was already done. Now the regional government is investing in restoring the wall which looks over sea.

To end

Don’t mis a family trip to island by catamaran with a submarine vision. The children will  love it !
So everyone can enjoy the marvelous underwater flora and fauna of the marine reserve.