10 reasons why it's GREAT to live in Orihuela-Costa

Aah, the Costa Blanca! More than 70 paradisiacal white beaches between Dénia and San Pedro del Pinatar. Where the cerveza is always cool and the sun is almost always shining. If you don't unwind here, then perhaps nowhere. Perhaps you have been coming there for decades and have your regular addresses. Or you are a newbie and still searching for the seaside resort where you feel most at home. Choosing is difficult when the selection is of such high quality, but Orihuela-Costa is definitely among our favorites. And here's why:

1. The beaches are world-class

The Costa Blanca without beaches is like a café without beer. Also on the 16-kilometer long coast of Orihuela-Costa, sunbathers and water lovers will find several beautiful ones, all of which have been awarded a blue flag. This is a neutral international quality standard that indicates that the water is clean and the beaches well maintained.

The azure sea invites splashing. Rather feel like laying down with a book or a magazine? Or to take a nap? Then the soft sand is very tempting. That's the beauty of Orihuela-Costa's beaches: they offer something for everyone. Active people can go windsurfing or jet skiing, but you can just as easily plop down in a comfortable beach chair at one of the many cozy beach bars. Have a sangria with it and chances are slim that you will be upright again soon.

Orihuela-Costa has six sandy beaches. Playa Flamenca is named after the initiators of the construction projects in the 1980s, who came from Flanders. But ironically attracts mostly English people. La Zenia and Mil Palmeras (literally, a thousand palm trees) are also enchanting beach resorts. In Cabo Roig and Dehesa de Campoamor you will find beautiful marinas. But equally, you can explore the areas between the beaches, where cliffs and creeks provide a wilder landscape. Something for everyone, we said.

2. It's good for your health

Do you enjoy the better pampering? Then over the years you may have left a small fortune in spas and health resorts, on massages and mud baths. Good news. For the latter, the vicinity of Orihuela-Costa can be used. And for free, on the Mar Menor, an inland sea just across the border from Murcia. The mud baths(baños de lodo) are just a 15-minute drive from Orihuela-Costa. Spaniards and tourists alike rub themselves in with mud, nature's miracle cure that is good for the skin and helps against arthritis and minor ailments and pains.

And if you are near the Mar Menor anyway, why not make a day of it? After all, it's also beautiful hiking and great food there. Or practice your butterfly stroke in what swimming champion Esther Williams called "the greatest pool in the world. A nice bonus: because the Mar Menor is so shallow, the water is always warm.

It's not just the mud that has a beneficial effect on your health. The overall environment makes Orihuela-Costa one of the healthiest places on earth to live. So says the World Health Organization (WHO). Life expectancy in Spain - 83 years - is the highest in Europe, and for good reason. Thanks to the healthy Mediterranean diet, frequent sunshine, healthy sea air and lack of heavy industry, the oldsters in Orihuela-Costa and its surroundings pull it off for a very long time. More so, the high concentrations of iodine in the air, the result of the nearby salt lakes, cause many elderly people and those with cardiovascular disease, rheumatism or skin conditions to move to Orihuela-Costa.

3. There is interesting real estate to be scored

Orihuela-Costa is a great stomping ground to blow out for a week or two. In addition, it is a dream environment to spend longer time . Who doesn't dream of spending the winter under the Spanish sun? And third, Orihuela-Costa is an ideal location for a second home. The level of real estate, like the temperatures in summer, is sky-high. As a specialist in Spanish real estate, Gold Estates always keeps its eyes open for great projects on the Costa's. Have you seen these godsend in Orihuela-Costa yet?

4. History buffs can daytrip there to their hearts' content

The area around the Costa Blanca is more than just sun, sea and beach. There is also a lot of fascinating history to soak up.

Orihuela City, 20 kilometers inland, for example, is a charming historic town at the foot of a mountain. There are ruins of ancient settlements, a Gothic cathedral and the castle of Monteagudo. The latter towers over the surrounding area from a rock. In the Palmeral, the second largest palm grove in Spain, you can take beautiful walks in the shade of the palms.

Or how about Cartagena, barely farther? This town is little known to the general public, so the big hordes stayed away from the cobblestone streets of this hidden treasure. You can breathe in history in the narrow alleys. That history goes back to Roman times, as evidenced by the Roman amphitheater.

5. ...and shopaholics can store until they drop

Those who like to throw money at fancy clothes, technological gadgets or fine dining should definitely visit La Zenia Boulevard. As one of the largest shopping centers in the country, it is a wet dream for anyone who steps through life with credit card in hand. Among the cozy earthy colors and flower pots with olive trees, you will find all the stores your heart desires. Both branches of all your favorite brands and charming local specialty stores.

And the best news: all stores stay open until 10 pm. Welcome to Spain. So you should not rush in any way if you spend the afternoon at the beach (see 1.) before then. Afterwards there is always a tasty bite to score in one of the restaurants and bars. Those don't close their doors until two o'clock. Learn in advance the phrase "Can I pay by card?" in Spanish.

6. Orihuela-Costa is easily accessible from Belgium

Fleming loves the Costa Blanca. Where once whole loads of sunbathers got on the bus to Benidorm and its environs, there are now other, easier options. From just about all Belgian airports there are daily flights to Valencia, Alicante and Murcia. Those who still get a Belgian rain shower in the morning can be on the beach at Orihuela-Costa by noon.

7. Divers, golfers and other action lovers get their money's worth here

Not only is the setting above water guaranteed to generate hearts on Instagram. The underwater life is also worthy of note. The Costa Blanca is known as a paradise for divers. Don't you know the difference between "everything is fine" and "help, I'm drowning" in diver sign language? No problem! The diving schools in Orihuela-Costa, such as Dive! Dive Dive!, teach you the tricks of the trade in no time.

No desire to buckle one of those oxygen tanks on your back? Then go play golf and have a caddie lug your equipment. Orihuela-Costa's four golf courses are among the finest in Spain. On the courses of Villamartin Golf, Real Club de Golf Campoamor, Golf Las Ramblas or Golf Club Las Collinas you will hit your balls in style.

But just as well you can walk in the beautiful nature. For example, in citrus orchards, Mediterranean pine forests and the mountains of the hinterland. Or cycling along the Mediterranean Sea. Something for everyone, again.

8. The sun always shines there

The main motivation for the majority of Flemings emigrating to Orihuela-Costa: the sun. Especially when compared to our latitudes. Those four seasons in one day, those freezing rainstorms that creep into the bones, those weeks without a glimmer of sunshine. Many are so fed up with the Belgian weather that they would even sign the contract of their second home in Spain with their own blood. The weather on the Costa Blanca is so beautiful that it makes any stubborn knucklehead spontaneously dance the Macarena. Say for yourself, 320 days of sunshine a year, warm summers and mild winters: a person would spontaneously start whistling for less.

9. Even flamingos feel at home there

Not only sun-loving Flemings know to like Orihuela-Costa. Migratory birds also like to make a pit stop there. Near the aforementioned Mar Menor (2/) you can spot thousands of flamingos. Admit it: unless you are the janitor of the Antwerp Zoo, you have never seen one in your own backyard.

10. You can eat Belgian fries there!

With its knack for languages and ease of handling, the average Belgian easily adapts to any situation. The only thing we sometimes miss, outside of friends and family, is a cone bag of golden fries. Preferably with a blob of mayonnaise that would give any dietitian a stroke. We would even be happy to live in Ulaanbaatar, should there be a good French fry shop there.

Well then, in Orihuela-Costa you are never far from your favorite Belgian fare. More to the point, a Belgian eatery can also make you eat your way around vol-au-vent, tomato with gray shrimp and stew. Flush the whole thing down with a Belgian specialty beer. In neighboring Torrevieja, there is also a Belgian chip shop.

In other words, you have no reason to delay your dream any longer. What are you waiting for? Contact Gold Estates without obligation for any assistance in the search for your dream home under the Spanish sun.

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