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La Zenia is a small, coastal town situated on the Orihuela Costa in the province of Alicante. Much more petite than many of its neighbours at just 1.9 km², it is well-renowned as one of the most upmarket and desirable spots on the southern Costa Blanca.
Located just a short walk from a pristine beach made famous each year by its massive Christmas Day party, the urbanisations of La Zenia are mostly made up of low-rise apartment complexes and sprawling villas, while the centre itself is packed full of bars, restaurants, cafés and stores.
Remarkably self-contained for such a small area, La Zenia is popular with both Spanish and international tourists, as well as those looking for a bustling spot for a second home, and its population is growing exponentially year after year.
How to get to La Zenia
The coastal resort is ideally served by two airports, Alicante-Elche which is 51 kilometres away and Murcia’s Corvera (53km).
Getting to La Zenia by car is very straightforward as it’s situated directly on the N-332 dual carriageway and can also be reached by the AP-7 motorway via exit 763, although this will incur some tolls.
There are regular buses operating from the front of Zenia Boulevard that connect with the nearby cities of Torrevieja and Alicante.
How’s the weather?
Like so much of the Orihuela Costa, La Zenia enjoys its own little microclimate of sorts which guarantees balmy temperatures all year round. The area gets about 325 days of sunshine with the thermometers remaining at an average of 19.3°C.
The history of La Zenia
The name of the resort originates from the Arabic word ‘aceña’ after the mill wheels that irrigated what was once solely agricultural land. The very first residential property was actually an Ibizian-style chalet built by an aviation captain but most of the valuable farmland was sold to a businessman from the Murcian town of Cabezo de Torres in the 1960s.
After the Tourism Promotion Plan of 1966 was granted and La Zenia declared a Centre of Tourist Interest, the Hotel Servigroup La Zenia and the La Mirada restaurant were built, both of which still hold pride of place today on the cliffs which separate the resort’s two beaches.
Zenia Boulevard
One of the area’s most attractive features has to be Zenia Boulevard, Alicante province’s largest shopping centre. Spanning 161,000m2 of retail heaven, the boulevard contains almost 200 shops across an open, Mediterranean-style commercial centre on the ground floor and dozens of top-class eateries upstairs.
The Boulevard also hosts Christmas extravaganzas each year complete with parades and concerts which are sure to be a hit with all the family.
La Zenia’s beaches
The resort is home to two spectacular yet very different beaches: Cala El Bosque and Cala Cerrada.
Cala El Bosque has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag, thanks to its crystalline waters and a well-developed tourist infrastructure. It stretches for 258 metres between two rock promontories and offers every kind of water sport imaginable. Perfect for families, the beach sports a children’s play area and a popular shore-side bar, but it can get very busy in the summer and it’s best to get there early to secure parking.
Just 100 metres away is the sheltered cove of Cala Cerrada, which is surrounded by a small cliff and can only be accessed by stone stairs built in the centre of the beach or a ramp beside the hotel.Beach walks
The stunning cliff walks that meander along La Zenia’s coast are not to be missed and are aren’t exceptionally challenging, so can be enjoyed by people of all fitness levels.
From Cala Cerrada, a rocky inlet takes you all the way to the next beach to the north, Playa Flamenca (Playa de las Estacas), and on to Cala La Mosca and Cala Cabo Peñas.
If you choose to go south, a stunning cliff promenade will take you to Cala Capitan in Cabo Roig.
Things to do in La Zenia
La Zenia is often chosen as an ideal base to access some of the Costa Blanca’s best golf courses: two of the most popular, just a few minutes away by car, are the Real Campo de Golf de Campoamor and the Campo de Golf de Villamartín.
The resort undoubtedly has one of the liveliest ‘strips’ on the coast complete with a plethora of international bars and restaurants, but it also caters well to year-round residents with schools, pharmacies, supermarkets and sports facilities.
Images: Sarah Keane
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