Moraira
| Teulada municipality: Moraira | |||
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 Moraira Castle
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| coat of arms | Map of Spain | ||
 Help on coat of arms |
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| Basic data | |||
| Autonomous Community : | Valencia | ||
| Province : | Alicante | ||
| Comarca : | Marina Alta | ||
| Coordinates | 38 ° 42 ' N , 0 ° 8' E | ||
| Residents : | 1,850 (2011) INE | ||
| Postal code : | 03724 | ||
| Area code: | 03128000216 | ||
| administration | |||
| Website : | www.teulada-moraira.org | ||
Moraira is a small fishing village on the Costa Blanca , which is characterized by tourism and belongs to the municipality of Teulada , 4 km inland, in the Alicante province . Villas of wealthy residents from all over Europe and Spaniards determine the picture of the area. There is also a small old town. Hotels are rare and there are no high-rise buildings apart from two seven-story apartment buildings. With the exception of the holiday season when the apartments and villas are rented out to holidaymakers, Moraira is a place that is predominantly inhabited by older people.
The former fishing village has developed into a holiday resort in the summer months in recent years. The municipality tries to avoid mass tourism like in Calpe or Benidorm .
Location and climate
Moraira is located directly on the sea on the Costa Blanca. Despite the tourism, the place has managed to maintain its originality. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, the climate here has an annual mean temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. A good 300 days of sunshine and the hills protecting the cool north shape the climate.
beaches
The fishing town of Moraira offers pristine natural beaches. Rocky bays and sandy beaches alternate. The watchtower of Cap d'Or and the castle on the beach are the landmarks of the place. During the 1970s, vacationers discovered this former fishing village for themselves.
The eastern coastal section of Moraira is characterized by the protected bay Platja del Portet ( location → ), whose rocky eastern flank extends 1 km into the sea as far as the Cap d'Or (also: Punta de Moraira ), followed by the Cala Portitxol . Immediately to the east of the marina is the small bay of Cala Portitxol ( location → ). The L'Ampolla -Beach ( position → ) stretches west of the castle. Here the beach is separated from the old town by a palm-lined promenade. Further to the southwest, a beach promenade connects the two beaches of Les Platgetes ( location → ). The last two beaches in the village are Cala Andragó ( location → ) and Cala Cap Blanc ( location → ).
The Marjal del Senillar
The “Senillar wetland” is located directly behind L'Ampolla beach and is drained through a narrow drain to the beach (can be seen in the foreground of the picture on the right). It is a multi-part, elongated lagoon area with an area of about 1 hectare in the middle of Moraira. The area is separated from the sea by the beach's sand barrier. The lagoon was reconstructed by the municipality in 2002 and returned to its original state. The water that feeds them comes from the groundwater that emerges here all year round from the local basin of the Les Sorts brook, one of two drainage channels of which forms the lagoon. The area was declared a nature reserve in 2004 and is accordingly provided with a protective fence. Among other things, the water is populated by the threatened fish species Fartet ( Aphanius iberus , Spanish carp , a type of Mediterranean carp ). The attentive observer may also discover "Florida turtles" : This species, native to the southeastern United States , is one of the dangerous "immigrants" for the native turtle species, which belong to the species of the European pond turtle , Moorish brook turtle or yellow-bellied ring turtle .
Old town
In the past, fishing determined life. The fishermen's huts, which people used to use as tool sheds, were gradually transformed into neat little houses. The fact that people also settled on the coast of Teulada was due to trade. The harvests were brought from land to the coast for shipping . Since people were constantly traveling between Moraira and Teulada, some decided to live on the coast and devoted themselves to fishing in addition to their "shipping work".
Today the fishermen still go out and come back in the morning to loudly auction their fresh goods at the traditional fish market. Every morning locals and tourists can take part in the auctions. The lonja trade has become one of the most picturesque fish markets on the Costa Blanca.
Festivals
The Moros y Cristianos are celebrated in Moraira on the second weekend in June . The past and history are presented. Several filas (ranks) dressed as Moors and Christians march through the city in splendid robes and fight against the old castle. The wet and happy party will be crowned with a final fireworks display.
At its fiestas patronales from July 15, Moraira honors its patron saint, the Virgen de los Desamparados (Virgin of the Defenseless) and Virgen Carmen . Fiestas patronales are celebrated in every town on the coast during the summer.
gastronomy
There is a rich gastronomic offer in Moraira.
Paella or black rice with squid ink , arroz del señoret (men's style paella without herringbones, shells and bones) or an arroz a banda (rice dish made with fish stock) are traditional rice dishes of the Marina Alta .
Teulada-Moraira's cuisine draws its raw materials equally from the sea, the mountains and the surrounding fields. In addition to rice dishes, a variety of fish dishes and seafood, meat and game from local production are offered. There are more than a hundred national and international restaurants, from the typical tapas bars to top international restaurants .
Moraira yacht club
The yacht club has 620 berths. Every year it receives the EU Blue Flag . It includes a community association that is equipped with restaurants and shops. Sailing courses and competitions are also held in summer. The district championships for ocean-going yachts are held at Easter, the high-altitude regatta "Moraira Santa Eulalia" takes place at the end of September.
tourism
The city of Teulada-Moraira has remained largely free from tourism, especially the Teulada district. The Moraira district, on the other hand, has become increasingly popular in recent decades. Meanwhile there are already some urbanizaciónes ( German : Urbanizations; areas that only consist of villas, holiday homes or businesses) in Moraira. Holiday home areas have emerged in the mountains - some with a sea view. Many people in Moraira, including German emigrants, earn their living here. Gastronomy is also more important, but there are fewer hotels in Moraira.
Web links
- Official website of Teulada / Moraira (Spanish)