Door opening in Torrevieja

Torrevieja: salt, sea and a city of 120 nationalities

Torrevieja is a coastal city in the south of the province of Alicante, in the Comunidad Valenciana, belonging to the Vega Baja del Segura district. Set between the Mediterranean and the famous La Mata and Torrevieja lagoons, it is today the third most populous city in the province and one of the most international municipalities in Spain. In this guide we go over its most relevant facts: population, economy, festivals, tourism and gastronomy.

General information

According to the official figures of the INE (register as of 1 January 2024), Torrevieja has a population of 94,803 inhabitants, although the most recent municipal register data raise the figure above 113,000 registered residents, a reflection of accelerated demographic growth. The population density is very high, at around 1,320 inhabitants per km², over an approximate area of 71 km². The municipality has 14 km of coastline, an average annual temperature of about 18 °C and the peculiarity that more than half of its territory is a Natural Park.

Demographics and nationalities

Torrevieja is a genuine cultural mosaic: around 57% of its population is of foreign origin, with residents coming from as many as 120 different nationalities. The split by sex is very balanced, with an approximate percentage of 49% men and 51% women. Among the most numerous nationalities, the following stand out:

• Ukrainians, the largest foreign community.
• Colombians and Russians.
• Britons and Moroccans.
• A notable presence of Swedes, Romanians, Belgians, Bulgarians, Italians, Germans and Poles.

Economy

Torrevieja's economy rests on several pillars:

• Tourism: the city's great driving force, with beaches, leisure and an intense summer season.
• Construction and residential tourism: one of the most active property markets in Spain, geared towards international buyers.
• Salt industry: the working of its salt flats, a historic hallmark, remains active and is one of the most productive in Europe.
• Retail, hospitality and services, with an enormous offer all year round.

Emergency and home security services

With more than 113,000 registered residents and an enormous housing stock —thousands of apartments, villas and second homes that fill up in high season— Torrevieja is the municipality where reliable locksmith services are most needed in the whole district. They are everyday situations: leaving the keys inside the house, the breakage of a cylinder, or arriving from holiday to find the door jammed after months without using it.

Our emergency door opening service covers the whole of Torrevieja —the centre, Playa de los Locos, La Mata, Punta Prima, Los Balcones, Aguas Nuevas and the rest of the urbanisations— with on-call locksmiths available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. By day or in the early hours, in the height of August or the depths of winter, there is always a professional ready to act quickly on openings of homes, apartments, storerooms, garages, lock changes and armoured doors. A service especially valued by the city's enormous international community, which needs an immediate and trustworthy response at any time.

Festivals and traditions

Torrevieja lives its festive calendar intensely. Among its most notable celebrations are:

• The patron saint festivals in honour of the Purísima Concepción, patron of the city, in December.
• The International Habaneras and Polyphony Competition, held every summer and declared of International Tourist Interest, Torrevieja's great cultural hallmark.
• The festivals of the Virgen del Carmen, patron of seafarers, in July.
• Holy Week and Carnival, with wide participation.

Tourism: what to visit

Torrevieja is one of the great tourist destinations of the Costa Blanca:

• The Natural Park of the La Mata and Torrevieja Lagoons, with its famous pink lagoon and its colony of flamingos, a unique natural spectacle.
• Its beaches and coves: Playa del Cura, Los Locos, La Mata, Los Náufragos or the coves of the Juan Aparicio promenade.
• The Eras de la Sal, a restored former salt loading dock, and the Museum of the Sea and Salt.
• The S-61 Delfín submarine museum and the seafront promenade and marina.

Gastronomy

Torrevieja cuisine combines the produce of the sea with the market-garden tradition of the Vega Baja. Among its typical dishes and products, the following stand out:

• The caldero torrevejense, its most emblematic dish, made with rockfish and rice.
• Seafood rice dishes and fresh fish from the market.
• Salted fish and mojama, a direct legacy of its salt tradition.
• Arroz con costra and the traditional stews of the district.

Other points of interest

The origin of Torrevieja is tied to salt: the city was born as a settlement around the salt works and around an old watchtower —the «old tower»— that gave the coast its name and defended it against pirate attacks. Its urban development was consolidated from the 19th century, when the salt works moved from La Mata. Devastated by the 1829 earthquake, it was rebuilt following a grid layout that still defines its town centre today. Between the sea, the salt and a cosmopolitan atmosphere unique in Spain, Torrevieja brings together all the attractions of the Costa Blanca. A place where having trustworthy 24-hour locksmiths brings the peace of mind that residents, tourists and second-home owners deserve all year round.