Guardamar del Segura
My Costa Blanca
© Steve Locke 2007 - 2008 - Guardamar del Segura
Guardamar del Segura -
Located in the southern Costa Blanca between Torrevieja and Santa Pola, the coastal town of Guardamar del Segura is surrounded by citrus fruit orchards and fertile vegetable growing land. A very popular seaside town, Guardamar del Segura is situated at the mouth of the River Segura, an important river for the irrigation of the surrounding land.
Originally settled by the Iberians (early Spanish peoples), Guardamar del Segura was at that time known as Cabero Lucero, later settled by the Romans and then the Arabs, it became an important Moorish religious centre known as Rabita Califal.
Re-conquered for the Christians in the 13th Century, Guardamar del Segura developed as a small walled town with a castle to protect it against attacks from Barbary pirates. The economy of the town in the following centuries depended mostly on fishing and agriculture. The original town and castle were severely damaged in the earthquake of 1829 and the town was rebuilt nearer to the sea, this proved to be a mistake however, as the ever moving sand dunes began to engulf the town. A tree planting project was undertaken to anchor the sand and this took 30 years to complete but was eventually successful.
Guardamar del Segura is renowned for its fine sandy beaches, some of the best in the area, and is a popular holiday resort especially during July and August when many Spanish (and intenational) tourists descend on the coast. In recent decades there has been a considerable amount of property development in Guardamar with the increasing demand for holiday homes in the sun. The Costa Blanca property market is now important for the economy of the town.
Guardamar del Segura is located on the N-332 coastal road and is about a 20 minute drive from Alicante airport.
Located in the southern Costa Blanca between Torrevieja and Santa Pola, the coastal town of Guardamar del Segura is surrounded by citrus fruit orchards and fertile vegetable growing land. A very popular seaside town, Guardamar del Segura is situated at the mouth of the River Segura, an important river for the irrigation of the surrounding land.
Originally settled by the Iberians (early Spanish peoples), Guardamar del Segura was at that time known as Cabero Lucero, later settled by the Romans and then the Arabs, it became an important Moorish religious centre known as Rabita Califal.
Re-conquered for the Christians in the 13th Century, Guardamar del Segura developed as a small walled town with a castle to protect it against attacks from Barbary pirates. The economy of the town in the following centuries depended mostly on fishing and agriculture. The original town and castle were severely damaged in the earthquake of 1829 and the town was rebuilt nearer to the sea, this proved to be a mistake however, as the ever moving sand dunes began to engulf the town. A tree planting project was undertaken to anchor the sand and this took 30 years to complete but was eventually successful.
Guardamar del Segura is renowned for its fine sandy beaches, some of the best in the area, and is a popular holiday resort especially during July and August when many Spanish (and intenational) tourists descend on the coast. In recent decades there has been a considerable amount of property development in Guardamar with the increasing demand for holiday homes in the sun. The Costa Blanca property market is now important for the economy of the town.
Guardamar del Segura is located on the N-332 coastal road and is about a 20 minute drive from Alicante airport.