Santa Pola

The coastline can be divided into several sectors. From the southern border, the town ofElche , until we find a thin strip of sand, which is what separates the salt from the sea. In this area are the beaches El Pinet and La Gola.

The city beaches are Playa del Tamarit, Playa Lisa, andBig Beach. At the west and east ports are the Playa de Levante, Santiago Bernabeu Calas (a succession of small beaches separated artificially by jetties), and the Playa del Varadero, which is near the shipyards. From there on the whole coast of the cape is narrow and rugged, with small coves that are under the cliff. At the top of this promontory, there is a beacon for the sea.

A few miles away lies theisland ofTabarca, also called Isla Plana, belonging to themunicipality ofAlicante.

At the end of Santa Pola is a housing area known as Gran Alacant, with thousands of bungalows and several shopping and entertainment sites. Gran Alacant has a mostly foreign population, most of them British, German, and Nordic.

It has supermarkets, bars, restaurants, and cafes. There is also a shopping center called “GA,” with a large parking lot, and scattered around the area are various shops and entertainment sites, as well as various newsletters (monthly, with editing in various languages, mostly in English) on several topics: sightseeing, local and municipal information, advertising, information for citizens, etc., in addition to addressing issues related to the needs of the Great Alicante.

Santa Pola is amunicipality ofValencia (Spain) on the coast of theprovince ofAlicante, in the region ofLower Vinalopo. It has 30,981 inhabitants (INE 2008).

The town ofSanta Pola is located east of theprovince ofAlicante, 19 km from the capital and 11 km fromElche, in the region ofLower Vinalopo. It is a coastal town, with 52.8 km², much of which is protected by nature.

The core of the population is taking the port and castle at its center but bordered by two natural areas that flank it. To the west is the Parque Natural de las Salinas de Santa Pola, and to the east are the Sierra and theCape ofSanta Pola.

Sports

Because of the good weather, the promenades and the smell of the sea are attractive for jogging, biking, hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, or simply walking along the coast.

There are a modern yacht club and a protected bay where visitors can practice windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, swimming, or diving.

Since 1990 the Media Marathon Santa Pola Villa collects each January from more than 4000 athletes, and that loyalty goes to other local sporting events, such as Memorial Duatlon Pepe Bonet, with 700 participants; the Villa de Santa Duatlon Pola, with 2000 participants; and the Journey to Swim Tabarca-Santa Pola. There is evidence of increased participation in the open sea from one island to the coast.

Virgin of Loreto, Azorín, Joanot Alonai, and Martorell (private schools). It has two institutes that are very close to each other—the IES and IES Santa Pola Cape Aljub.

During 2000, Santa Pola Polamax was opened. It is a shopping and leisure center with various shops, bars and restaurants, and seven cinemas. Almost simultaneously, a garage was opened in the town center next to the castle fortress.

Languages

Santa Pola, in accordance with Article 35 of Law 4/1983 of November 23, uses and teaches Valencian. It is a town ofValencian language dominance. Furthermore, as recognized by the Spanish Constitution in its article 3, Valencian is the co-official language, along with Spanish.

The latest survey of linguistic uses confirmed that 90% of the population knows the language. Besides, especially in the residential area of Gran Alacant, due to migration, residents speak other languages—especially the English, which can cause problems in the future.

The attraction of the population has been a lever for growth, both physically and demographicly, in recent years due to tourism. The population has doubled over the past decade and has led to development expansions.

The port, meanwhile, has a growing demand for berths. The Generalitat Valenciana has expanded its facilities, building new berths in tariff, thus expanding the supply of nautical tourism in the area.

Its wetlands are located between the fishing port and yacht club. It is divided into two parts: the fishing dock, protected east of pier, with a length of over 700 m, and the yacht club dock on the west.