Our Guidebook

Mary
Our Guidebook

Food scene

Outstanding food and the best paella I’ve tasted in Santa Pola. The arroz negro is to die for, as are the gambas al ajillo!!!
Great bar on the very edge of the beach. Great for tapas and meals. The “Ensalada Rusa” is an absolute must!!
29 locals recommend
Los Curros
s/n Calle Levante
29 locals recommend
Great bar on the very edge of the beach. Great for tapas and meals. The “Ensalada Rusa” is an absolute must!!
This place is unique!! Order a drink and they bring you huge tapas portions. We ordered two large beers and you get the equivalent of a full English breakfast!!
La Bodegueta De Julia
6 Av. Cristóbal Sanz
This place is unique!! Order a drink and they bring you huge tapas portions. We ordered two large beers and you get the equivalent of a full English breakfast!!
Great tapas bar on the street in the town centre.
13 locals recommend
El Zero Cafe Bar
20 Carrer Poeta Miguel Hernández
13 locals recommend
Great tapas bar on the street in the town centre.
It’s right opposite the house…..This restaurant opened only a year ago and the food is exceptionally good. The menu of the day is just EUR13 and the food was excellent!! We tried the salmorejo, the scrambled eggs with morcilla. The Gambas al Ajillo were as good as at the famous Casa del Abuelo in Madrid and the Arroz a Banda was also superb. The service is friendly, fast and professional. What more can you ask for?
Cafetería Restaurante Los Manchegos
It’s right opposite the house…..This restaurant opened only a year ago and the food is exceptionally good. The menu of the day is just EUR13 and the food was excellent!! We tried the salmorejo, the scrambled eggs with morcilla. The Gambas al Ajillo were as good as at the famous Casa del Abuelo in Madrid and the Arroz a Banda was also superb. The service is friendly, fast and professional. What more can you ask for?
Really great food and service at this restaurant on the brow of the hill in Tabarca (see day trips) - overlooking the beach. We were very impressed!!
Restaurant Casa Glòria
Really great food and service at this restaurant on the brow of the hill in Tabarca (see day trips) - overlooking the beach. We were very impressed!!

Beach Bars

Great places on the beach - you can enjoy food and drinks with your feet on the sand.
A more traditional and simple place but really fabulous seafood and paella dishes. Really reasonable Menu del Dia as well.
Nueva Casa del Mar
27 Calle Fernando Pérez Ojeda
A more traditional and simple place but really fabulous seafood and paella dishes. Really reasonable Menu del Dia as well.
Right at the end of our street, really comfortable loungers, trendy place, great music and decent food. A real local favourite.
15 locals recommend
Cafe Paris Restaurante
51 Av. Vicente Blasco Ibañez
15 locals recommend
Right at the end of our street, really comfortable loungers, trendy place, great music and decent food. A real local favourite.
Great place to chill and have drinks. The food is not exceptional and the service is invariably slow, but it’s really relaxed and there are some super comfortable loungers and beds - really recommend it!
La Vida Bonita Beach Club
49 Avinguda Vicente Blasco Ibañez
Great place to chill and have drinks. The food is not exceptional and the service is invariably slow, but it’s really relaxed and there are some super comfortable loungers and beds - really recommend it!
If you want the best paella and seafood right on the beach in a place frequented by the locals “in the know”, then this is the only place to come…and it’s not even in Santa Pola! But it’s a beautiful 15 minute drive away across the scenic salt flats filled with flamingos and the beach there is deserted and gorgeous.
9 locals recommend
Hostal Maruja
105 Cami del Pinet
9 locals recommend
If you want the best paella and seafood right on the beach in a place frequented by the locals “in the know”, then this is the only place to come…and it’s not even in Santa Pola! But it’s a beautiful 15 minute drive away across the scenic salt flats filled with flamingos and the beach there is deserted and gorgeous.

Food Shopping

Great and just a 3 minute drive from our cottage
Great and just a 3 minute drive from the cottage.
15 locals recommend
Carrefour
10 C. Lérida
15 locals recommend
Great and just a 3 minute drive from the cottage.
Right across from Carrefour and equally good.
13 locals recommend
Aldi
12 Carrer Llevant
13 locals recommend
Right across from Carrefour and equally good.
Really small local supermarket but just a couple of hundred metres from the cottage.
Enoe
52 Av. Albacete
Really small local supermarket but just a couple of hundred metres from the cottage.
Brand new - just opened in June 2022 - great parking on site.
Lidl
21 Carretera Elche-Santa Pola
Brand new - just opened in June 2022 - great parking on site.

Convenience

Places useful to know exist.
The cheapest gas station in Santa Pola - self service but easy-to-follow payment instructions at each pump and usually help on hand.
Plenoil
34 Carretera Elche-Santa Pola
The cheapest gas station in Santa Pola - self service but easy-to-follow payment instructions at each pump and usually help on hand.

Sightseeing

Great day trips to this island leave Santa Pola from near the fishing port. Really popular destination, though more for the ride perhaps than the destination itself.
480 locals recommend
Tabarca
C. Peru
480 locals recommend
Great day trips to this island leave Santa Pola from near the fishing port. Really popular destination, though more for the ride perhaps than the destination itself.

Traveler advice

Don't miss

The local market on Saturdays and Mondays

This is a really large and enjoyable local market with a huge selection of apparel, decor, fresh fruit and local delicacies. Just at the entrance to town. Look up Avenida Salamanca, 2 or “Parking Santa Pola” on Google Maps.