Pilar de la Horadada

Where is Pilar de la Horadada

Pilar de la Horadada is located on the Costa Blanca in the South East territory of Spain. The town is situated to the south of Torrevieja and Alicante and to the north of Murcia. The main airport to serve this destination is Alicante Airport. Two others that you might want to consider are Murcia Airport (San Javier) and Valencia Airport.

Accommodation in Pilar de la Horadada

You can stay in many different places here counting guest houses, Pilar de la Horadada hotels, self catering lodging, and camping amenities. There is Pilar de la Horadada accommodation to suit all spending plans. There is also wide mixture of houses styles in the bordering towns of San Javier, San Miguel de Salinas, Cabo Roig, Villa Martin, Rojales, Quesada, and San Pedro.

Car rental in Pilar de la Horadada

There’s absolutely so much to do in this region that renting a car is almost essential. There is a real deficiency of public transport here so you should actually lease a car if you want to do any type of touring or you want to drop in on neighboring amenities or attractions. You do not have to travel any distance because the center of Pilar de la Horadada is very well appointed with plenty of restaurants, shops, and bars. . But, a Pilar de la Horadada car hire is essential for travelling around. A Car can be rented from quite a few companies in the area or at one of the airports in the province.

About Pilar de la Horadada

The municipality of Pilar de la Horadada is actually the southernmost municipality in the province of Alicante. It is located just below Torrevieja and is the real end of the Costa Blanca. According to the Spanish statistics office, the population of Pilar de la Horadada in 2008 was 21,424. Pilar de la Horadada is within distance of many of the neighboring cities. It is approximately 45 km away from Murcia City, Alicante is approximately 68 km, and Torrevieja is the closest at about 18 km.

History of Pilar de la Horadada

There are many archaeological remains that have been found in the area which testify to the fact that there were settlers here even long before the first Romans came. During Roman times, the town of Pilar de la Horadada was an enclave known as Thiare which was positioned along the important Roman road known as “Via Augusta” was such an important Roman Road that was over one and a half thousand kilometres long. It was named after the emperor Augustus who ordered a renovation of the road between 8 BC and 2 BC. Not only the Roman road, but also some of the shipwrecks off the coast bear witness to the Roman occupation and naval trade.

The Arabs arrived in the vicinity in the eighth century, arriving roughly around 711. It was the Moors that gave the region it is all-important irrigation systems, which eventually contributed towards the name Vega Baja. Relocation systems allows the inhabitants to farm the land and make the land some of the most fertile and region. The Christians eventually reconquered the land in the 13th century. It was during this time that Pilar de la Horadada became a border town between the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. This was one of the most splendid periods of Spanish history. In 1304, the municipality was joined with the Kingdom of Valencia under Orihuela rule.

Throughout its history, because of the position of Pilar de la Horadada, the enclave was very strategic and suffered a number of bloodthirsty was attacks from the Barbary pirates. This is a common occurrence throughout the coastal regions and in order to try and combat this scourge, many watchtowers were built in order to try and spot the approaching marauders before they arrived. A prime example of one of these watchtowers is located in Pilar de la Horadada, known as Torre Horadada. By 1750, the population of Pilar de la Horadada had reached about 300 people. Finally, Pilar de la Horadada was granted its independence from Orihuela in 1986.

The main industry here is agriculture. But, one of the thriving sectors is tourism, as is with the whole of the region. Along with tourism comes construction and the development of the tourist trade has gained fantastic momentum during the last decade.

What to see in Pilar de la Horadada

There are several different monuments that you should visit when you are staying in the town or nearby. One of those is the parish church which is located in the centre of the town and known as Nuestra Senora del Pilar. It is built on the same site as a dilapidated old church. The original structure had a bell tower which still stands today. It is dedicated to the Blessed virgin “Virgen del Pilar” and there are several works of sculpture which are of great value.

Another piece of architecture that you should see is the 15th century watchtower which was built by the inhabitants as protection against the Barbary pirates. It is located on the beach near the village of Torre de la Horadada. It is a splendid example of a watchtower, many of which are positioned along the Costa Blanca.

The coastline of Pilar de la Horadada stretches for almost 6 km and there are many different environments located here. For instance, the beaches of fine white sand and the small rocky cliffs. The beaches here are excellent for swimmers because the water is are calm and placid, and there are no sudden drops or gradients. The pure clear and water is excellent for diving and the cleanliness of the whole area has earned the beaches blue flag status.

You can also see the important archaeological ruins of Thiare which are located on the old Roman road. This includes a quarry along the coastline which is over 60 meters long. The Romans exploited this quarry, possibly used in the paving of the Via Augusta.

During the summer months there is a market place on a Wednesday morning and a Thursday afternoon at the Horadada tower. Other markets in the area include the Friday morning market in Torrevieja and the Tuesday morning market in Orihuela. You will find many different establishments in Pilar de la Horadada guaranteeing you plenty of good service and quality shopping.

The Fiesta to honor the Blessed virgin is held for almost a full month during October. Also, there is a summer festival held on 30 July every year to commemorate the independence from Orihuela 1986.

There are plenty of opportunities all up and down the coastline here for sporting and outdoor activities. Many people come to the Costa Blanca for walking holidays. The reputation of the Costa Blanca is for sunshine and partying, but Costa Blanca walking is excellent because of the varied topography. Golfing has played large part in enticing golfing vacationers to come to the Costa Blanca over the last few decades. With the rise of tourists has also come the rise of golf tourism and Pilar de la Horadada golfing can offer you plenty of choice with a full range of golf courses to suit every taste. If the beach takes your fancy, you can spend all day sunbathing or partake in some more energetic activities.

What can you eat in Pilar de la Horadada

There is so much luscious food on offer in this region from many unique countries around the globe including Hungarian, Cantonese, Indian, Chinese, Dutch, German, English, and by far the most prevalent the wonderful Spanish cuisine. If you cannot discover a plate of food to suit your liking in this area and then your taste buds are not really working. The fantastic weather in Alicante is forever supplying the tables of Pilar de la Horadada with fresh products. There are vegetables from the fields, fruit from the trees, and an abundance supply of fresh seafood which is caught on a daily basis. Cuisine plays a central role in the culture of the Spanish. One of the typical dishes that are available in Pilar de la Horadada include el guiso de patatas con carne, which is a potato and meatball stew.

The weather conditions in Pilar de la Horadada

Just as it is all over the province, the weather in Pilar de la Horadada is normally warm and sunny. The winters are warm and sunny the summers are sumptuously hot. Rainfall is something which is delighted in within this region, it comes as a welcome a break from the persistent sunshine, but don’t be concerned too much because rain doesn’t happen here that often.