Routes · 7 min read
Santa Pola and Tabarca in a weekend
Flamingos in the salt flats, Santa Pola castle and the only inhabited island of the Valencia region. All in 48 hours.
By Isaac — OneVan ·
20 km south of Alicante you'll find Santa Pola, a coastal town that offers far more than it seems at first glance. And 25 minutes by boat from its harbour lies the island of Tabarca: the only inhabited island in the Valencia region. It's the perfect plan for a short weekend by motorhome.
Saturday morning — The salt flats and the flamingos. Start Saturday at the Santa Pola salt flats. They're a protected nature reserve where, between October and May, you can see colonies of pink flamingos just a few metres away. Access is free and there's a wooden walkway so as not to disturb the birds. Next to the salt flats is the Salt Museum, small but very well done, where they explain how this resource has been exploited since Roman times.
Saturday afternoon — The castle and the Sea Museum. Santa Pola castle stands right in the centre of town; it dates from the 16th century and was built to defend against Barbary pirates. Today it houses the Sea Museum, with a collection of underwater archaeology worth the visit. Afterwards, stroll around the fishing harbour: Santa Pola is still an active fishing town and the atmosphere is authentic.
Saturday night — Sleep with sea views. There are several spots to park the motorhome near Cape Santa Pola, overlooking the Mediterranean. From the cape's viewpoint at night, you can see the lights of Alicante on one side and the silhouette of Tabarca on the other.
Sunday — The island of Tabarca. On Sunday morning, take the ferry from Santa Pola harbour (25 minutes, with departures from 10 am in season). Tabarca is only 1.8 km long and has been a marine reserve since 1986, which means the water is incredibly clear. Wander through the walled enclosure, eat at one of the island's restaurants (arroz a banda is the local dish) and head back to the mainland in the afternoon, recharged.
When to go? It works all year round, but in summer the ferry gets full and the island becomes crowded. My recommendation: April-May or September-October. The salt flats have more flamingos in winter.
