Nudist Beach in Santa Pola
Santa Pola Area
Santa Pola is a fishing and tourist town located approximately 20 minutes drive from the large city of Alicante, on the sunny Costa Blanca. The town’s close proximity to Alicante makes it an ideal choice as a holiday destination as Alicante is home to the international Alicante airport. The airport services many budget airlines from all over Europe and the United Kingdom. Due to Santa Pola’s fishing industry, the town has a large harbour housing one of the biggest fishing fleets of any port on the Mediterranean. Although the town has a salt production industry, the vast majority of its salt lakes and marshland areas are now a protected Natural Park. The park has been declared a RAMSAR site and is home to a variety of wildlife and bird species including flamingos. The town itself offers a number of services and facilities, as well as a good choice of cafes, bars and restaurants.
Santa Pola is the closest coastal town to the island of Tabarca, once a haven for pirates. The island was declared a protected bird sanctuary and marine reserve in 1986. There are boat tours to Tabarca from various towns along the Costa Blanca including Santa Pola which is just 3 miles from the island. Some of the boats doing the tour have glass bottoms, allowing passengers a splendid view of the underwater world. During the summer season the island receives up to 3,000 visitors per day and has some excellent seafood restaurants, although a bit more pricey than the mainland, well worth the splurge. Approximately 400 metres wide and 1,800 metres long, Tabarca has a mixture of rocky coves, cliffs and sandy beaches. The lovely clear waters around the island are popular for water sports and snorkelling. Be sure to check arrival and departure times with your tour operator as some boats arrive at Tabarca at 11:00 and only return at 18:00, a bit of a long day for some visitors.
The town of Santa Pola is a haven for all kinds of water sports including jet skiing, fishing, sailing and wind surfing. For those wanting to get below the waves, Dive Academy Santa Pola are located in the town and offer PADI scuba diving courses and snorkelling trips as well as having a dive shop with a good range of water sport equipment and accessories. There are several lovely beaches in the town including an official nudist beach in Santa Pola, located in the harbour area.