Best Day Trips from Torrevieja: Places to Visit Nearby

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I’ve put together my favourite day trips you can take from Torrevieja – perfect if you want to see more of what the Costa Blanca offers during your holiday!

There are tons of amazing towns you can visit for a day out within a short drive of Torrevieja.

I’ve included the most nearby towns and cities to visit, and of course some brilliant activities and experiences to try while you’re there.

Tabarca Island

Drive time + boat from Torrevieja: 1 hour total

One of Spain’s smallest inhabited islands, Tabarca island, makes for a fantastic summer day trip. You can take a boat directly from Torrevieja port (about 45 minutes crossing).

This tiny island paradise offers a complete change of pace from the mainland, with no cars, no high-rise buildings, and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.

What makes Tabarca special:

• It’s a marine reserve with incredibly clear waters – perfect for snorkelling
• The walled old town has an interesting history as a former pirate base
• You can walk around the entire island in about an hour
• The restaurants specialise in caldero, a traditional fish and rice stew

How to visit:

• The boats to Tabarca run from Torrevieja, but only during May to October.
• You can book your tickets online from Santa Pola at any other time of the year, which you can get from Get Your Guide

Cartagena

Drive time from Torrevieja: 45 minutes south

Cartagena is a fascinating city with over 2,000 years of history, and it’s close enough to Torrevieja for an easy day trip. This port city has been an important naval base since Roman times, and layers of history are visible everywhere you look.

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What makes Cartagena special:

• The Roman Theatre, which was only discovered in 1988 and has been beautifully restored
• The Naval Museum telling the story of this important port city
• The modernist buildings from the early 20th century mining boom
• The underwater archaeology museum showcasing shipwrecks found along the coast

A walking tour of the Roman sites is well worth it – you’ll see parts of the city that most visitors miss. Finish your day with dinner at one of the restaurants around the marina.

Murcia

Drive time from Torrevieja: 50 minutes inland

The capital of the neighbouring region, Murcia is a lovely Spanish city that feels a world away from the tourist areas of the coast.

Best bits of Murcia:

• The stunning cathedral with its mix of Gothic and Baroque styles
• Plaza de las Flores and its surrounding streets, filled with tapas bars
• The Casino, a 19th-century gentleman’s club with amazing Moorish-inspired rooms
• The Santa Clara Monastery museum with its beautiful cloisters

My top tip: Visit the Avenida de la Libertad shopping street for Spanish brands you won’t find in the tourist areas. Then stop for lunch at one of the small restaurants around Plaza de las Flores – you’ll find they serve some of the best tapas in the region.

Elche

Drive time from Torrevieja: 40 minutes north

Elche (or Elx) is famous for its palm groves – the largest in Europe with over 200,000 palm trees! It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and makes for a very different day out. This fascinating city combines an exotic palm-filled landscape with rich history and modern Spanish urban life.

What I love about Elche:

• The Elche Palmeral (palm groves) – walking amongst thousands of palm trees feels like being in North Africa
• The Huerto del Cura garden with its unique Imperial Palm
• The Moorish-inspired blue-domed Basilica
• The Archaeological Museum with finds from the ancient Iberian settlement

My favourite time to visit is late afternoon when the light through the palm trees creates amazing patterns, take time to sit in one of the palm gardens with a cold drink and soak up the beautiful atmosphere.

If you’re there in August, try to catch a performance of the Mystery Play of Elche, a medieval religious drama that’s been performed every year since the 15th century. This UNESCO-listed cultural event features beautiful singing and spectacular staging, including angels being lowered from the basilica dome.

Alicante

Drive time from Torrevieja: 45 minutes north

Alicante is much more than just an airport city. With its impressive hilltop castle and beautiful waterfront, it makes for a brilliant day out from Torrevieja.

The heart of Alicante is the Explanada de España (seen in the picture below), a stunning palm-lined promenade with a wave-patterned marble mosaic floor made from over 6.5 million tiles. This is where both tourists and locals gather to stroll, especially in the early evening. The marina and beach lie just across the road, while shopping streets and plazas branch off inland.

What makes Alicante special:

• Santa Barbara Castle offering amazing views across the city and sea
• The famous Explanada, a beautiful marble-tiled promenade along the waterfront
• The old quarter (Barrio de Santa Cruz) with its narrow streets and colourful houses
• The excellent MARQ archaeological museum

My favourite time to visit is early evening when locals stroll along the marina and Explanada – join them for a relaxed paseo before dinner.

For an authentic Alicante experience, try dining at one of the restaurants on Calle Castaños, then have an ice cream on the Explanada as you watch street performers entertain the crowds.

Orihuela

Drive time from Torrevieja: 30 minutes inland

Orihuela is often overlooked by tourists, but this historic city has a rich heritage and beautiful architecture.

Best bits of Orihuela:

• The magnificent cathedral with works by Velázquez
• The home of the poet Miguel Hernández, now a museum
• The medieval streets of the old town
• The College of Santo Domingo with its impressive Baroque facade

I’d recommend visiting on a Tuesday or Saturday morning when you can visit the Olihuela market in the main street.

Santa Pola

Drive time from Torrevieja: 30 minutes north

Santa Pola is a working fishing port with beautiful beaches and a fascinating history. For those looking for a more authentic Spanish town experience, you should look to visit Santa Pola.

While many coastal towns have become purely tourist destinations, Santa Pola has maintained its fishing traditions alongside its tourism industry. This gives the town a more authentic atmosphere

What I love about Santa Pola:

• The 16th-century fortress which now houses several museums
• The busy fish market where you can watch the day’s catch being auctioned
• The salt pans where flamingos gather
• The Roman house of Palmeral with its preserved mosaics

My top tip: Have lunch at one of the restaurants near the fishing port – their rice dishes made with the morning’s catch are unbeatable. Visit on a Saturday if possible, when there’s a large outdoor market selling everything from fresh produce to clothing and household goods

Mar Menor

Drive time from Torrevieja: 25 minutes south

The Mar Menor is Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon, separated from the Mediterranean by a narrow strip of land called La Manga.

What makes Mar Menor worth visiting:

• The warm, shallow waters are perfect for swimming and water sports
• The mud baths at Lo Pagán are said to have therapeutic properties
• The charming fishing villages like Los Alcázares and Santiago de la Ribera
• The strip of La Manga itself, with the Mediterranean on one side and the Mar Menor on the other

If you’re interested in water sports, this is the place to try windsurfing or paddleboarding – the calm, shallow waters make it perfect for beginners.

San Pedro del Pinatar

Drive time from Torrevieja: 20 minutes south

San Pedro del Pinatar is home to an important natural park and some of the most unusual beaches in the region.

What I love about San Pedro:

• The Salinas Regional Park with its pink salt flats and wildlife
• The famous therapeutic mud baths at Las Charcas
• The long, sandy beaches along the Mediterranean side
• The traditional fishing port and fish market

I’d recommend visiting the mud baths early in the day (before it gets too hot) – cover yourself in the mineral-rich mud, let it dry in the sun, then wash it off in the sea. Your skin will feel amazing afterwards!

Crevillente

Drive time from Torrevieja: 50 minutes north

Known as the “Town of Carpets,” Crevillente has a rich history of carpet making and some unexpected natural attractions.

Best bits of Crevillente:

• The Carpet Museum showcasing the town’s famous industry
• The Sierra de Crevillente mountains with great hiking trails
• The Moorish old town with its narrow streets
• The impressive Holy Week processions if you visit during Easter

My top tip: Visit one of the carpet workshops to see the traditional techniques still being used today – many offer tours where you can watch the artisans at work.

Benidorm

Drive time from Torrevieja: 1 hour north

Despite its British reputation, there’s a lot to discover here in Benidorm. It has some of the best beaches on the Costa Blanca and a charming old town that many visitors never see.

What might surprise you about Benidorm:

• The old town is full of Spanish character with narrow streets and traditional tapas bars
• The beaches are genuinely beautiful – wide, sandy, and with clear water
• Terra Mítica theme park offers thrilling rides if you’re after some excitement
• Sierra Helada Natural Park provides beautiful walking trails with sea views

If you’re visiting with family, I’d highly recommend checking out the water parks in Benidorm. Aqualandia has some of Europe’s biggest water slides, and right next door is Mundomar marine animal park where you can see dolphin shows and other wildlife.

For an unforgettable evening, book a show at Benidorm Palace – think Las Vegas but with Spanish flair. The dancers, singers and acrobats put on an amazing performance, and you can add dinner to make it a full night out.

My top tip: Head to the Benidorm Island viewpoint between the two main beaches – the views are amazing and you’ll get a different perspective of the famous skyline. If you have time, take the short boat trip to the island itself for fantastic snorkelling.

I hope these suggestions give you plenty of ideas for day trips during your stay in Torrevieja. The Costa Blanca has so much to offer – from natural wonders to historic cities – and most of these spots are just a short drive away!