Door opening in Playa Flamenca in Orihuela Costa

Playa Flamenca: one of the most beloved urbanisations of Orihuela Costa

Playa Flamenca is a coastal 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 lies just a few kilometres south of Torrevieja. It is one of the oldest, most central and most consolidated urbanisations of the coast, much appreciated both for a first home and for a second home. 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— Playa Flamenca does not have its own official INE figures. It forms part of Orihuela Costa, which as a whole exceeds 26,000 registered inhabitants, with a real population much higher in the summer season. The urbanisation occupies an approximate area of 2.4 km², practically fully developed, and lies about 4 km south of Torrevieja, with good connections to Alicante-Elche and Corvera (Murcia) airports. It borders La Zenia to the south and Villamartín to the west.

Demographics and nationalities

The character of Playa Flamenca is deeply international: it is home to citizens from more than 100 countries. 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.
• Germans, French and Belgians.
• Danes and Scandinavians, alongside the Spanish population.

This diversity coexists all year round, since Playa Flamenca is not only a holiday destination, but also a place of permanent residence for many residents.

Economy

The economy of Playa Flamenca revolves around three great pillars:

• Residential tourism: the area's driving force, with a very active property market and excellent value for money.
• Retail and hospitality: supermarkets, restaurants, bars and its famous weekly market, one of the largest in the district.
• Local services: clinics, schools, sports facilities and the seat of the Orihuela Town Council office on the coast.

Emergency and home security services

Playa Flamenca is made up of numerous homes —seafront villas, detached houses, terraced houses and apartments with a pool— with a very high proportion of foreign residents and second homes. That is why it is one of the areas where reliable locksmith services are most needed on the whole coast. 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 Playa Flamenca and the whole of the surroundings of 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, 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, Playa Flamenca combines Spanish traditions with celebrations typical of its foreign community:

• Summer festivals and open-air dances around the urbanisations and the seafront promenade.
• Cultural activities with international artists: exhibitions, music and theatre.
• The popular Saturday market, a real weekly meeting point for residents and tourists.

Tourism: what to visit

Playa Flamenca offers tourism of sun, beach and leisure all year round:

• Its white-sand beaches and coves, among them Cala La Mosca and Cala La Estaca (Playa Flamenca), both with a blue flag, and the undeveloped beach of Cala Cabo Peñas.
• The seafront promenade and the large Plaza del Oriol (Plaza de la U), a link between the coves.
• The Saturday market on Calle Nicolás de Bussy, one of the most extensive in the Vega Baja.
• Its closeness to the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre —one of the largest in Spain— and to the golf courses of Villamartín.

Gastronomy

The gastronomic offer of Playa Flamenca 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.
• The fresh produce of its weekly market (fruit, vegetables, pickles, roast chicken).
• A wide presence of international cuisine (British, Irish, Italian), a reflection of the diversity of its residents.

Other points of interest

A curiosity of Playa Flamenca is the origin of its name: its first developers were of Flemish origin (from Flanders, Belgium), hence the name. Its development began in the early 1970s, transforming an arid coastal area into a thriving residential hub with blue-flag beaches. Today it is one of the most consolidated and beloved urbanisations of Orihuela Costa, with all services and a strong sense of community. A place where having trustworthy 24-hour locksmiths brings the peace of mind that residents and second-home owners deserve all year round.