Torrevieja

Torrevieja municipality
coat of arms	Map of Spain
Basic data
Autonomous Community :	Valencia
Province :	Alicante
Coordinates	37 ° 59 ′  N , 0 ° 41 ′  W Coordinates: 37 ° 59 ′  N , 0 ° 41 ′  W
Height :	7  msnm
Area :	71.44 km²
Residents :	83,337 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density :	1,166.53 inhabitants / km²
Postal code :	03181 to 03188
Municipality number  ( INE ):	03133
administration
Mayor :	José Manuel Dolón
Website :	www.torrevieja.es

Torrevieja is a city in southeastern Spain on the Costa Blanca . On January 1, 2019, 83,337 residents were registered.

geography

Torrevieja belongs to the Comarca Vega Baja del Segura in the province of Alicante in the Valencian Community . Torrevieja is located in the Spanish- speaking area. Although Torrevieja is outside the traditional Valencian - Catalan language area, the city was ordered to be bilingual in order to stand out as the southernmost language island for tourists (also the southernmost St. John's Fire ).

history

year	Residents
1981	12,314
1991	25,891
1996	35,998
1998	38,336
1999	42,278
2000	50.189
2001	58,828
2002	69,763
2003	77,943
2004	75,530
2005	84,348
2006	92.034
2007	100.125
2008	101,381
2009	101,792
2010	102,648
2011	103,540

The former fishing village emerged when Orihuela split off in 1820. It got its name from an old watchtower ( Spanish torre , "tower" and vieja , "old"), the foundations of which are still preserved today. In 1829 Torrevieja was largely destroyed by a severe earthquake . Rebuilt, it was a minor parish until the early 1970s. The beginning of tourism on the Costa Blanca gave the city, which in 1970 still had around 11,000 inhabitants, a boost in development.

The first small settlements (urbanizations) emerged, and the onset of tourism was countered with a building boom, which within just thirty years allowed Torrevieja to grow into a large city with 100,000 inhabitants (as of 2007), more than half of whom are foreigners from over 100 nations. During the holiday season (July and August) the number of residents increases considerably. During these months, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards, mainly from the greater Madrid area, spend the summer holidays in their holiday apartments and houses on the Costa Blanca.

climate

Last but not least, the pleasant coastal climate (320 days of sunshine) contributed to the rapid growth that made Torrevieja in Spain a boom town. This climate attracts many rheumatism, heart and asthma sufferers as well as people with psoriasis here. The two large salt lakes of Torrevieja and La Mata (a district of Torrevieja) together with the sea air ensure that Torrevieja is one of the climatically healthiest areas in Europe. The temperatures in winter are particularly pleasant. On particularly nice days in December and January, temperatures can exceed 20 ° C.

population

More foreigners than Spaniards live in Torrevieja. On December 31, 2012, the town had 107,009 inhabitants from 121 countries.

The nationalities at a glance (as of December 31, 2012): 1. 49,680 Spaniards (compared to a total of 57,329 foreigners) 2. 13,226 British 3. 4,474 Russians 4. 4,079 Germans 5. 3,196 Swedes 6. 3,076 Moroccans 7. 2,788 Bulgarians 8. 2,623 Romanians 9,2404 Norwegians 10,269 Ukrainians 11 1,591 Belgians 12 1,360 Finns 13 1,312 Colombians 14 1,195 Italians 15 1,035 Irish 16 908 Chinese 17 814 Ecuadorians 18 752 Lithuanians 19 675 Poles 20 652 Dutch 21 629 French 22. 579 Argentines 23. 565 Brazilians

There are also residents from Cuba, India, Switzerland, Algeria, Senegal, Denmark, Paraguay, Israel, Egypt, Nepal, Australia, the USA, Kenya, Vietnam, Sierra Leone, Malaysia, Haiti, Sudan, Mozambique, Mexico, Bangladesh and Cyprus as well as other states.

tourism

Torrevieja: Monument to the Cultures of the Mediterranean

Iglesia Arciprestal de la Inmaculada Concepción

Torrevieja port

Salt lagoons

Torrevieja lies between two lagoons and the Mediterranean Sea in a large plain. The lagoons are a retreat for rare water birds such as the coral gull . Torrevieja is internationally known for its salt production, one of the most important in Europe. The tour of the salt pans was stopped in 2012. The way this works can be seen from the street in the saltworks near Santa Pola. Two large salt lagoons are the landmark of this tourist destination.

beaches

The municipality has wonderful beaches which, in combination with traditional fishing and salt extraction, contribute to the development of tourism. The coastal strip begins in the north with the popular "La Mata" beach, with fine sand. The beautiful rocky bays of "El Mojón" and "Las Zorras" are particularly noteworthy. A promenade runs along the popular and lively beaches, "La Mata", "Los Locos" and "Del Cura".

Fishing tourism

While the Torrevejens fishing fleet was still one of the largest in the province in the middle of the 20th century, more and more fishermen switched to the lucrative construction business from the 1970s onwards. Only half a dozen fishing boats are still in the harbor. The remaining fishermen are devoting themselves more and more to the fishing tourism promoted by the state government and thus keeping traditional fishing methods alive. Sea bass and sea bream are almost exclusively from the breeding sector, and at prices at which conventional small-scale fishermen cannot compete. A "Reserva Marina", a marine reserve, is to be created off the coast of Torrevieja. The Valencian Environment Ministry announced the protected area in 2019. This means that certain species are excluded from commercial use and fishing is restricted to environmentally friendly methods and promoted, which could have a future for the age-old profession. The fishermen of Torrevieja brought a total of 2,379 tons of fish ashore in 2018 and earned a little over five million euros from it. The "blue fish" sardines and boquerones make up the largest share of the catch with 82 percent, followed by pulpo and swordfish. The main customer is the supermarket chain Mercadona, followed by catering wholesalers.

Parque Aromatico

On July 3, 2009, the Parque Aromático was opened between Avenida Torreblanca and Avenida Corinto, not far from the N 332 (adjacent to the Alto Mar and Torremata settlements). The Catalan landscape gardener and architect Carmen Piños has created a park on around 70,000 square meters for around 2 million euros, invested by the city of Torrevieja and the Valencian Ministry of Tourism, which invites you to experience a fragrance. Lavender, rosemary, thyme, jasmine, sage etc. made this park a real "aromatherapy". Pine trees and bougainvillea as well as steel pergolas and winding limestone paths complete this picture. Children's playgrounds have also been built. The park is watered with captured rainwater and drip irrigation using treated water from the sewage treatment plant. The park is completely fenced in to protect against vandalism. The opening times of the Aroma Park in summer are from 9 a.m. to midnight, in winter the park closes at 8 p.m.

Culture

The city awards the Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja literary prize .

In addition, Torrevieja is considered the capital of the Habanera . A Habanera Festival has been held every year since 1955, with choirs from all over the world taking part.

Like many Spanish cities, Torrevieja celebrates Semana Santa at Easter . The “Tomas Valcarcel” Easter museum in Avenida de las Habaneras shows, among other things, traditional carvings that are used in the Easter processions.

Web links

Commons : Torrevieja  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the municipality (Spanish)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
2. ↑ 1996: as of May 1st; from 1998: as of January 1; for 2007: as of July 8th
3. ↑ Tomas Valcarcel Easter Museum. In: de.comunitatvalenciana.com. Retrieved August 8, 2018 .