Door opening in Las Filipinas in Orihuela Costa

Las Filipinas: residential life beside the golf in Orihuela Costa

Las Filipinas is a residential area located in the south of the province of Alicante, in the Comunidad Valenciana, within the Vega Baja del Segura district. It forms part of Orihuela Costa (municipal area of Orihuela) and is integrated into the Villamartín core, the well-known golf area inland from the coast. It is a quiet and consolidated urbanisation, much appreciated for its closeness both to the golf course and to the beaches. In this guide we go over its most relevant facts: population, economy, festivals, tourism and gastronomy.

General information

Being a residential area —and not an independent municipality— Las Filipinas does not have its own official INE figures. It forms part of Orihuela Costa, which as a whole exceeds 26,000 registered inhabitants. It lies about 4 km inland from the coast and about 12 km from Torrevieja, in a moderately undulating setting, with a Mediterranean microclimate of more than 320 days of sunshine a year and an average annual temperature around 19.8 °C. Together with other urbanisations such as Villacosta, Montegolf, El Presidente or Blue Lagoon, it forms part of the ensemble organised around the Plaza de Villamartín and its golf course.

Demographics and nationalities

The character of Las Filipinas is markedly international: what was once an agricultural area has been transformed into a cosmopolitan setting. The split by sex is balanced, with an approximate percentage of 50% men and 50% women. Among the most present nationalities, the following stand out:

• Britons and Irish, very numerous groups (English-speaking population).
• Residents from northern Europe (Scandinavians, Germans, Belgians).
• Spanish population, both permanent and second-home.

Many of these residents live here all year round, drawn by the climate, the golf and the tranquillity of the area.

Economy

The economy of Las Filipinas revolves around three great pillars:

• Residential tourism: the area's driving force, with apartments, terraced houses and villas, both resale and new-build.
• Golf and leisure: the proximity to the prestigious Villamartín golf course is a great attraction and a driver of services.
• Retail and hospitality: the nearby Plaza de Villamartín concentrates restaurants, bars, shops and services.

Emergency and home security services

Las Filipinas is made up of gated urbanisations —apartments, terraced houses and villas with a communal pool— with a mix of permanent residents and second homes. That is why reliable locksmith services are especially necessary in the area. It is very common for owners who spend periods away to return and find the door jammed, or for incidents to arise with keys inside the house after arriving on holiday.

Our emergency door opening service covers Las Filipinas and the whole of the surroundings of Villamartín, Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja, with on-call locksmiths available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By day or in the early hours, in high season or in winter, there is always a professional ready to act quickly on openings of homes, apartments, terraced houses, villas, storerooms, lock changes and armoured doors, a service greatly valued by the large international community that lives in the area all year round.

Festivals and traditions

Being a young and very international enclave, Las Filipinas combines Spanish traditions with the social life of the community:

• Summer festivals and open-air dances around the Plaza de Villamartín and the urbanisations.
• Events and golf tournaments throughout the year.
• Celebrations from the international calendar, keenly experienced by the British and Irish community.

Tourism: what to visit

Las Filipinas offers tourism tied to golf, leisure and the closeness to the beach:

• The Villamartín Golf Course, 18 holes and par 72, one of the pioneering and most prestigious on the Costa Blanca.
• The Plaza de Villamartín, a social and commercial centre, with restaurants, terraces and shops.
• The blue-flag beaches of La Zenia, Cabo Roig and Playa Flamenca, a few minutes away.
• The large Zenia Boulevard shopping centre and other nearby golf courses (Las Ramblas, Campoamor, Las Colinas).

Gastronomy

The gastronomic offer of Las Filipinas is as varied and international as its population. Here coexist:

• The Mediterranean rice dishes and fish and the arroz con costra of the Vega Baja.
• Traditional Spanish cuisine in the restaurants of the Plaza de Villamartín.
• A wide presence of international cuisine (British, Irish, Italian), a reflection of the diversity of its residents.

Other points of interest

Las Filipinas is one of the urbanisations that make up the consolidated Villamartín core, whose development historically revolved around its golf course, opened in the 1970s. Like the rest of the area, it has gone from being an agricultural setting to a modern cosmopolitan enclave, much sought after for its balance between golf, services and closeness to the sea. Its gated urbanisations with a pool, its green areas and its quiet atmosphere make it an ideal place both to live all year round and to enjoy a second home. A place where having trustworthy 24-hour locksmiths brings the peace of mind that residents and second-home owners deserve all year round.