Santa Barbara Castle has everything you would expect, cannons, a palace, dungeons, a moat, the ruins of a small church and of course that famous lookout tower. From all around the walls, you get the most fantastic views: a definite photo opportunity. And when you’re tired of walking up and down steep paths, peering over cliff edges and pondering the places from where boiling oil was thrown, there are two café areas where you can take a break in the shade of pine trees.

Torrevieja is a delightful place for a walk along the seafront promenade. With 14 kilometers of coastline including golden sandy beaches, quirky statues to discover, beautiful Mediterranean views and boats including a historic submarine to see along the way. It’s an easy flat walk, and there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and kiosks where you can stop for refreshments.

As years faded into decades and decades to centuries, many of the ancient remains of Guardamar del Segura have been lost by the passage of time, however not all are gone and forgotten.

One important site that remains and can be seen looming over the town is the Guardamar Castle. Dating back to between the 9th and 10th centuries Guardamar Castle is unique to the west and has been declared a site of cultural interest. It was built by the Arabs to guard the land. Much of it has been destroyed, although it is still worth taking a trip to the castle for the exceptional views and photo opportunities.

The walled city which is part of the castle housed the inhabitants of the ancient town of Guardamar since its founding in the late thirteenth century by Alfonso X the Wise, until its destruction by earthquakes in 1829. After the destruction, the materials were re-used for the construction of the new town.

The horse farm and riding stable “El Refugio” is located in the south of Valencia, about 4 km from El Bungalow 108. It lies on the banks of the blue lagoon of La Mata, only 1.5 km from the beach of the Mediterranean Sea.

No matter whether you are a beginner or advanced rider “El Refugio” has the right horse for everyone, and offers a broad range of riding programs. The ranch is open all year round, arrival and access to the various riding programs are possible at any time.

The heart and soul of Alicante is the grand La Explanada de España. Stretching around the Marina, this elegant boulevard with its red, black and cream tiles, all 6.6 million of them, refuses to be ignored. It is the most famous of all Alicante’s promenades and the most historic. It was the brain-child of the municipal architect José Guardiola Picó who, in 1867, created the ideal area to perfect the romantic Spanish custom of the Paseo (an evening stroll). With dramatic marble tiles depicting the waves of the Mediterranean and four rows of palm trees offering shade even in the heat of summer, it is a sight to behold!

Francisco Mira y Botella (1862 – 1944) was a forester who led in 1896 the reforestation of the peninsular of Guardamar del Segura and the restocking of Mount Benacantil in the city of Alicante initiated in 1912. Francisco Mira began reforestation of the dunes of Guardamar in the spring of 1896 and dedicated 28 years of his life to this work to stop coastline erosion and constructed an extension that would prevent flooding of the village. This work began with the construction of an artificial coastal dune barrier that served to fix the sand. After neutralizing this dune coast, he designed an inner slope, set by planting trees. In Guardamar town, there is a house-museum with his name and houses two statues in his memory within the reforested areas. This pine forest, currently divided into two parks called Parque Alfonso XIII and Reina Sofia Park, stretches between the city center and the beaches of Babylon and nurseries.

The Museum of the Sea and Salt is primarily ethnological and explains the complex relationship between the sea, salt and the people of Torrevieja. You will find a variety of attractions within the museum, amongst which of particular note, are the items made in the museum’s workshop. As well as maintaining and restoring the different museum exhibits, it produces exquisite work that reflects many aspects of city life. It is regarded as the most important museum of the city.

While on holiday at El Bungalow 108, make a visit to the market in La Mata, it’s a great place to catch a bargain for clothing, leather, shoes, sandals, handbags, bedding, curtains. There are also stalls selling fruits and vegetables, delicatessen items, sausages and cured meats. It is very popular and gets busy; it’s best to go early to get the best local produce – but watch out for the women armed with their shopping trolleys!

The market boasts over 200 stalls and is open every Wednesday from 8 am to 1 pm From your bungalow; the market is just 5 minutes by car and 20 minutes walking distance.

Just 10 minutes from El Bungalow 108 is the Mercadillo en Campo de Guardamar located – a must visit during your vacation! The market is in the middle of lemon tree fields; open every Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm.

Iberia indeed is an experience of its own. It is very difficult yo get in touch with them. You have to fill out an online form with the concern and wait for days or weeks for them to reply back. Once they answer, there is no email to reply back, so you have to use the online form again. However if you contact them on FaceBook via message, it speeds things up, it seems whoever manages the FaceBook for them must have been trained by another airline. Anyway, since my delay was due to air traffic, all the cost is not covered by the insurance. Thanks Iberia for a wonderful ending of my family holiday.

On the Cervera Cape, is the Cervera Cape Tower from Spain’s Moorish period. It is also known as Torre del Moro (Moorish Tower). It was first built in 14th AC to monitor the cost line to avoid potential pirate or Barber raids which were common in the past. Fires were lit on top of the towers like the Torre del Moro along the coast of Spain to warn of invading Arabs from northern Africa. The tower went throughout many changes in its history, and it has a base diameter of nine meters. This old watchtower is a replica and is a memory of past Torrevieja times.

Better days are here for holiday enthusiasts looking for vacation rentals in La Mata. Recently renovated in plush settings and equipped with everything one would need in a vacation home, El Bungalow 108 is now available for rentals at the most affordable price one can ever imagine.

Nations Garden (Jardín de las Naciones) is a lovely peaceful park, despite being in quite close proximity to a busy road. It is one of the largest green areas in the city of Torrevieja at nearly 40,000 square meters. It is kept very clean and tidy and the plants and trees are very well taken care of. It has lots of water features and a lake that is in the shape of the European continent, with little bridges that you can walk over and around.

Set in the same Playa de La Mata beach, the Plaza del Embarcadero is the most emblematic of this district, accommodating the well known Torre de La Mata tower, built in the 14th century.

This ship, replica of the original, is open to the public, and a place to eat and drink in interesting surroundings. Seating areas are surrounded by tableaux showing life aboard in the 1700s, which was fairly comfortable for officers, but brutal for the serving men. There are some excellent oil paintings and display cases which also add ‘flavour’ to the visit.