The complete area guide for La Zenia, Orihuela Costa

La Zenia is an urbanisation located on the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, in the southernmost quarter of the Alicante province, and 8 km south of the port city of Torrevieja.

The area is exceptionally popular during the height of the summer season as a respected holiday destination for tourists, attracted by the quality of the beaches and the abundance of quality facilities.

Although less than two thousand registered residents live in La Zenia, that number belies the popularity of the locality, as tourists and seasonal visitors can multiply that figure ten-fold throughout the summer months.

Occupying just 1.9 km² of premium beachfront real estate, La Zenia might be considered small, but the urbanisation packs plenty of quality into a seemingly diminutive space.

LOCATION

La Zenia falls under the jurisdiction of Orihuela Town Hall, which provides essential civic services such as refuse collection and maintenance of the public areas within the municipality.

The locality is compact and bordered by Playa Flamenca to the north, the beach district of Cabo Roig to the south, and Los Dolses inland to the west. La Zenia is the central heart of Orihuela Costa.

Exceptionally well connected, the main N-332 coast road runs north to south through La Zenia, with easy access to the AP-7 motorway which runs in parallel to the coast offering toll-free access south toward Murcia, or a faster-paid toll route northward to Alicante and beyond.

La Zenia is well-served by two international airports, with Alicante airport less than an hour away to the north, and the Región de Murcia airport in Corvera approximately 45 minutes away by car.

HISTORY

La Zenia took off as a holiday destination following the opening of the neighbouring Villamartin Golf Club in 1972.

Development of the local area began shortly thereafter, and the Servigroup La Zenia hotel that dominates the beachfront skyline on the main beach was constructed on a rocky outcrop that separates the two sandy beaches in 1974.

The Orihuela Costa Resort hotel followed suit in 1979 and occupies a sizeable chunk of beachfront real estate, today offering tennis courts, a large outdoor swimming pool, and informal accommodation set inside spacious private gardens.

The Zenia Boulevard shopping centre opened in 2012 and brought much-needed world-class shopping facilities to the local area. Today, the largest mall in the Alicante province offers 150 stores, a selection of fast food and fine dining outlets, and free parking for more than 5,000 vehicles.

GEOGRAPHY

The area is characterised by a low-lying relatively flat topography typical of most Mediterranean beach-side locations, and benefits from its immediate proximity to the sea, providing cool onshore breezes during the summer and temperate generally dry winters.

La Zenia benefits from a healthy Mediterranean micro-climate, characterised by relatively low annual rainfall, and an average of 325 days of sunshine each year with a median annual temperature of 19.3°c.

Long warm summers and short mild dry winters are emblematic of this part of the Costa Blanca, and visitors to the area from June through to September can regularly expect temperatures to vary between 25°c at night to 35°c during the day.

The close proximity to Torrevieja's salt lakes to the north and the absence of heavy industry in the area contribute to a particularly clean environment, with excellent air quality rich in natural iodine that is claimed to help reduce the effects of chronic health complaints such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatism and skin conditions.

FACILITIES

What La Zenia lacks in size is more than compensated for, by a wide variety of amenities and excellent public transport links that connect the community with adjacent towns and cities, including regular services to Torrevieja to the north.

The locale possesses two magnificent beaches replete with white sands and chiringuitos - traditional Spanish beach bars located directly on the beaches that serve an informal dining menu and a complete bar service for light refreshments.

Both beaches receive Blue Flag accreditation year after year, recognised for their high standards of maintenance and flawlessly clean Mediterranean waters.

La Zenia's main beach, Cala Bosque, offers more than 27,000 m² of pristine sands and an extra-wide wooden walkway that accommodates the needs of families with children and wheelchair users.

Cala Bosque offers plenty of space even in high season, and La Zenia's smaller beach, Cala Cerrada, offers additional capacity with a wide fine sandy cove-shaped beach that measures 167 m at the waterline.

Many successful and reputable local businesses have established themselves in La Zenia (including ourselves), to provide both residents and visitors with the modern amenities that today's discerning populace requires.

World-class fine dining restaurants rub shoulders with baroque cafés and intimate eateries, and La Zenia's gastronomic venues (numbering almost 50) offer a veritable choice of dining experiences encompassing the complete spectrum of international cuisine.

La Zenia is also home to the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre. A commercial sanctuary for hardcore consumers and casual window shoppers alike, Zenia Boulevard boasts a spectacular 161,000 m² of retail heaven.

And for those looking for peace, tranquillity, and wide-open green spaces, three 18-hole championship golf courses are on the doorstep, with Villamartin, Las Ramblas, and Real Club de Campoamor resort all less than 15 minutes away by car.

Public Wi-Fi is widely available at most bars and restaurants, and super-fast fibre-optic broadband and international TV services are available in the vast majority of residential areas.

PROPERTIES

Beachfront properties east of the N-332 coast road tend to be large detached single or two-storey properties on medium-sized private plots that command premium prices.

Newer-style properties in La Zenia constructed somewhat inland, further away from the coastline, are inevitably built on smaller and more manageable plot sizes. These newer properties typically require less maintenance than older-style properties and are built to adhere to more modern building standards.

With a few notable exceptions properties in La Zenia tend to be low-rise, and the area offers a wide selection of affordable townhouses, apartments, and modest detached villas.

One important point of note for potential overseas property buyers is that with only a few undeveloped building plots remaining in the urbanisation, within just a few years it simply won't be possible to build new homes in La Zenia at any time in the future.

SUMMARY

It has been said that La Zenia is home to residents from more than 100 different countries around the world, and international residents outnumber the indigenous Spanish population, with a familiar multicultural mix of British, Danish, German, French, Dutch and Scandinavian expatriates settled within the community.

Of course, La Zenia can be busy in the summer months, but those of us who live here consider this a small price worth paying to enjoy the wealth of quality services, amenities, and the sheer natural beauty the area has to offer.

During the winter the locale is quieter but never boring, and the annual low season tends to coincide with a more active social calendar - locally organised events that just would not have been physically possible during the height of the summer months.

La Zenia will suit property buyers who value quality services, who desire a great choice of shops and restaurants, and buyers who want to be as close to a beach as they might be able to afford.

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Data included in the graphics are correct at the date of publication. Price per square metre is for illustration only, and calculated from the prices of resale properties available on our website at that time. For official market data, please contact us.