Things to do

Sports and free time...the Guardamar coast of the Costa Blanca offers endless opportunities to practice water sports, from sailing to surfing, from SCUBA diving to fishing.

A great deal of the water sports in the area are organised by local Guardamar nautical clubs and marinas, most of them very efficiently organised competitions, initiation and advanced courses to improve competence.

We cannot mention sports without mentioning the Spanish love for their horses, and many stables abound for pony trekking and .more arduous rides.

Tourist development in Guardamar del Segura has been slow and sympathetic to the environment and the construction of a marina near the mouth of the Segura River has added a new attraction to this already select area of the Costa Blanca.

Bicycle Hire...Guardamar del Segura Cycle shop which offers a delivery and collection service. The shop is located inside the Plaza Porticada Square in Guardamar. Bike hire is approximately 10 Euros per day - you need proof of identity. For further details about the cycle shop please telephone (0034) 653 161 389.

Fishing...sea fishing is a keen pastime in Guardamar del Segura! No license is required to fish either from the shore or the mouth of the river. There is a fishing shop on the main road, on the right hand side. The shop is called Jorge Gimenez - Pesca Sport Fishing. Spanish Angling Safaris offer day trips for carp or coarse fishing tailor made to your requirements. They can collect you from your accommodation and all the fishing equipment required will be provided. Professional English guide with Spanish angling experience. www.anglingsafaris.com

Costa Blanca fishing day trips are available from two different pick up points including the Guardamar area. There is an early start, fishing for a minimum of 6 hrs and all basic tackle is supplied including chairs and sunshades.
Transport is by 4x4 vehicles to reach the waters edge where the catch is mostly carp and barbel. Prices start at 50 Euros per person. www.costablancafishing.co.uk

Soltails Fishing Trips for shore or freshwater fishing trips on the Costa Blanca. Soltails offer great fishing for Carp, Barbel, Pike, Zander, Black Bass and Catfish. www.soltails.com

Horseriding...Dehesa de Campoamor is a riding school is a little tricky to find but it will be well worth the effort. If you drive south along the N-332 past Cabo Roig and en route to Dehesa de Campoamor you will see this centre on your right hand side and below road level.

Accompanied by an instructor, you can either ride out in the countryside or use the indoor school. There is also a bar/restaurant "El Cortijo" for refreshments or the "menu del dia. Club Hipico is on the road to San Miguel de Salinas just past Villamartin Golf course. Lessons are provided for up to 4 people to ride out in a group into the surrounding countryside. As well as the horse riding there is a bar and restaurant.

There are instructors available for beginners and experienced riders. El Rancho opened in 2005; this equestrian centre is on the road to La Marquesa from Los Montesinos. Take the La Marquesa road from the centre of Los Montesinos and El Rancho is on your right after about 3 km.

As well as the horse riding there is a restaurant where you can sample the menu del dia, a large swimming pool with free sun loungers and a poolside bar. There are instructors available for beginners and experience riders. El Refugio is situated between Torrevieja and Guardamar on the banks of the "La Mata - Torrevieja Salt Lakes" is the "El Refugio" Horse Riding Centre. They offer a warm and friendly welcome and invite you to enjoy horse riding through beautiful nature trails, along the sandy beaches of the salt lagoons or through orange and lemon orchards into the pine wooded hills. Open all year round "El Refugio" also offers horse riding vacations.

Opened in 2005, this equestrian centre is on the road to La Marquesa from Los Montesinos. Take the La Marquesa road from the centre of Los Montesinos and El Rancho is on your right after about 3 km. As well as the horse riding there is a restaurant where you can sample the menu del dia, a large swimming pool with free sun loungers and a poolside bar. There are instructors available for beginners and experience riders.

There are instructors available for beginners and experience riders. Water Sports...Stella Maris -Cabo Roig is a water sports centre situated at the Marina in Cabo roig. Many activities can be enjoyed all year including fishing trips, jet-ski trials, wakeboard classes, kayak rentals and sail boat rentals.

Other activities are available in the summer months so call for more information Tel: 669 719 152 or 660 412 806. Aquafun is based in the new marina in Torrevieja, Marina Salinas, behind the funfair. With fully qualified instructors you can go for a boat trip out of the harbour and enjoy watersports for the whole family. Parasailing, wakeboarding, waterskiing and towables are all on offer. www.aquafunspain.com Tel: 697 354 338.

In Guardamar there are a wide range of watersports in the Marina de las Dunas at the mouth of the river in Guardamar del Segura. Jet skiing, sailing, windsurfing, scuba diving, water skiing, diving and canoeing are available during the summer months. Tel: 965 971 938

Sailing...Spainis one of the premier sailing destinations in Europe. With more than 4000 km of coastline and warm weather, Spain has plenty of opportunities for water sports including sailing, surfing and scuba diving. Spain has more than 200 sailing harbours dotted across both its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Spain is a popular sailing destination for many of the world’s rich who also moor their sailing yachts at harbours across Spain. Interestingly, sailing is a relatively new pastime to the people of Spain and to an extent is still the reserve of the wealthy.

Annual sailing regatta in Spain plays host many international sailing regattas where sailing enthusiasts from all over the world converge on Spain every year to test their sailing skills. There are many outfits in Spain that deal with chartering sailing yachts. Prices depend on several factors include the size of sailing yacht, duration of sailing charter and whether or not the charter includes a sailing crew. Experienced Sailing enthusiasts will be pleased to know that it is possible to charter sailing yachts in Spain without a captain and crew so one can enjoy sailing on their own or with their own private sailing party.

Sailing lessons in Spain are usually organised by the local port club. By taking sailing lessons in Spain you will learn how to be an active member of crew on board a sailing vessel and be able to handle day to day jobs while sailing, including moving the sails. Sailing lessons in Spain are usually provided as part of a course which can be in excess of 40 hours and is quite intensive in terms of the amount of sailing information one has to digest. Before embarking on a sailing course in Spain it is wise to consider how much time you have to spend in Spain and whether you are prepared to sacrifice a large chunk of your holiday in Spain to sailing lessons. Sailing lessons in Spain can also be quite expensive and usually start at about £1500 for a one week sailing course in Spain.

Bowling...10 Pin Bowling at The Ozone Leisure Centre is popular for both children and adults. The complex has a bowling alley with 20 lanes, pool tables, Casino, multi screen cinema and amusement arcade. It has a variety of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes including KFC and Burger King. During the summer months there are also outside trampolines and bouncy castles for the children.The Ozone Centre is situated near the Habaneras shopping centre and Carrefour in Torrevieja.

Bar Bowlingo is situated on the upper floor of the Villa Martin plaza, Bar Bowlingo is a sports bar with 10 pin Bowling, pool and table football. There are many crown green bowling clubs around the Torrevieja area. These include greens at San Miguel, San Luis, La Marina and the Cheers Bar near Villa Martin.

Rambling...take relaxing trails to places of interest and outstanding beauty, experiencing the nature and culture this region has to offer. Explore a relatively undiscovered part of Spain known for its pure clean air, nature parks, `Special Bird Protection Zones` & timeless medieval villages. With over 500kms of walking trails that travel along Roman roads & Shepherds routes, following ancient paths connecting small remote villages, there is something for every walker. Stay in some of the finest rural accommodation of the region, selected for its charm and attention to detail. Dine in restaurants recognised for their regional menus and use of local produce.

Bird Watching...the Costa Blanca has long been associated with crowded beaches, high-rise apartment blocks and golf courses. Although this is true of some of the areas, there is an abundance of birdlife that would impress any European birdwatcher.

Along the coastline, there are several excellent wetland reserves from Pego Marsh in the north to La Mata in the south. In between, there are the Santa Pola Salinas, Clot de Galvany and Salinas de Calpe, all worth a visit at any time. Slightly inland, there is Elche's flagship reserve El Hondo with breeding species such as the globally endangered White-headed, Marbled Ducks. Inland, the mountain region holds its own special set of species including Bonelli's, Golden Eagle, Rock & Cirl Buntings, Black Wheatear, and much, much more.

Boat Trips...there are many small businesses located near the marina who offer various boat trips. However the most popular one is to the Isla de Tabarca. This small and tranquil island of Tabarca is situated just a few kilometres off the Costa Blanca mainland near Santa Pola. Once used as a hideaway by Barbary pirates and by the Spanish to house Genoese prisoners, the island is reached by regular ferries from Guardamar, Santa Pola or Torrevieja harbours. The island measures 1,800 by 400 meters and the surrounding waters were declared a national marine reserve in 1986. The abundance of marine life in the clear waters are popular with divers and snorkelers to view at close range sea horses, starfish, octopus, turtles, salmon and many other species.

Go-karting...there is a great go-karting track just past the island at Punta Prima which caters for all ages. It has a cafeteria for drinks, ice creams and light snacks and you can watch the action from the balcony of the cafeteria or from the bridge spanning the track

It has a cafeteria for drinks, ice creams and light snacks and you can watch the action from the balcony of the cafeteria or from the bridge spanning the track

There are a wide range of karts to choose from:

Baby Karts 5-10 yrs - 25km/h

Adult Karts 16+yrs - 270cc

Competition Karts Adults 400cc

Quads bikes and mini motor cycles are also available and there is a winner’s podium to take a photograph of the victors!! Sessions last for 8 minutes

Shopping...In Guardamar there are many beautiful shops where you can 'shop till you drop' from shoe shops to fashionable boutiques. If you want to travel a little further try The Habenaras shopping centre, located next to Carrefour in Torrevieja and covers an area of 24,000 m². Distributed on three levels the centre has a Mediterranean atmosphere with large spaces open to light and fresh air and has many modern shops and cafes with a miniature fairground for the children.

Dos Mares...The Dos Mares shopping centre is situated in San Javier, off exit 777 on the AP7. This complex has shops, supermarkets, an amusement park and bowling alley. The centre has a large Eroski supermarket and a selection of branded clothes shops and cafeterias.

The Thader Centre is situated at junction 763a on the A7 on the main road from La Torre to Murcia. This beautifully designed, Mediterranean style shopping centre is a great place to spend the day with a large range of high street shops and a large supermarket selling a wide variety of goods. The centre covers an area of 80,000 m² and has 6,500 car parking spaces. There are several cafeterias and restaurants, both indoor and outdoor where you can stop for lunch.

Ikea the famous Ikea homestore is located opposite the Thader centre and has attracted a huge amount of shoppers since opening in 2007. The store covers an area of 28,000 m² and has ample parking spaces. The first Ikea to open in the Murcia region, the store has been so popular that up to 20,000 people visited in one single day!

The Neuva Condominia shopping centre is the largest indoor shopping mall in Europe. It is a shopper’s paradise with 250 shops on two levels and it offers a large range of clothes, sports, toy and household shops with many Spanish and UK high street brands including Mango, Zara, H&M, Primark and many more. There is also a large Eroski supermarket and a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and bars. Neuva Condomina is situated north of Murcia City close to the new 32,000 seater football stadium home to Spanish football club, Real Murcia.

Hot Air Balloon Rides...Elche provides an ideal area due to the mountainous nature and dense orange groves of the Costa Blanca; the Elche area is currently the only location that we currently fly in the Costa Blanca. The take-off field is in the vicinity of Catral, depending on the wind direction on the day in question. The flight provides fantastic views over the Elche area.