Mercado de Torrevieja

After years of planning, many delays and a cost of over 5 million euros, the new Torrevieja Friday Market finally opened its gates on 12th May 2017. This has brought a massive sigh of relief to thousands of city centre residents who for decades have had to endure ‘market day hell’. The previous city centre location of the Torrevieja Friday Market that spanned many of the residential streets close to the city bus terminus caused misery to those unfortunate residents living in the area. The 5 am noise of the stall holders setting up, lack of parking spaces, congested streets, diverted bus routes and tonnes of rubbish are blessedly now a thing of the past, and I wouldn’t be surprised if residents now held a Friday Street Party instead 🙂
Mercado de Torrevieja
Source: Flickr / Mike Young

Torrevieja Friday Market Location

The new location of the Torrevieja Friday Market is on Av. Delfina Viudes, behind Aquopolis Water Park and in front of the Vicente Garcia football stadium. There are two main entrances, one in front of the stadium and the other on Av. Delfina Viudes in front of OZ Discoteca. There seems to be ample parking within the market enclosure which is controlled by a number of police officers. Alternately there is parking in some of the nearby streets and at the Sports City car park. Large ablution blocks are located near both entrances to the market. The amount of stalls have been reduced by about a third and times remain the same: 08:30 am – 01:30 pm.

Torrevieja Friday Market Set Up

The new set up of the Torrevieja Friday Market is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it is laid out in one large square with easy access to all the stalls, unlike the previous location where it spread through so many narrow streets it was easy to get lost and was so congested as to come to a standstill in places. A curse because there is absolutely no shade and the whole market grounds are made of concrete which just magnifies the heat, giving a roaring trade to the bar and juice vans! The set up is well planned with the non consumables beginning opposite both entrances, and then the back area by the N-332 dual carriageway taken up by the fresh produce stalls and food & drink vans, a similar marketing strategy to supermarkets.

Torrevieja Friday Market Stalls

On offer at the non consumable stalls are goods that are found in markets the world over, aside from a few obviously Spanish items such as pretty flamenco dresses for young girls and local arts & crafts. Other items include new and second hand clothing, lingerie, underwear, sarongs, silk scarves, carpets & rugs, all sorts of leather goods, toys, electrical appliances, sunglasses, gadgets, football strips, mobile phone accessories, home & garden ware, plants and flowers. Happy chatter, laughter and the delicious smells of rotisserie food and deep fried churros will eventually draw you to the back of the market. Here you will find delights such as cured meat and sausages, dried and salted fish (an acquired taste, favoured by many Spanish and Scandinavians), dried fruits, raw and cooked nuts, and every type of olive imaginable. There are also extravagant delicacies like Spanish saffron and shiitake mushrooms, thought to promote good health and longevity. Everyday basics include a fantastic range of eggs, fruit and vegetables, cakes, pastries, pies and a wonderful choice of herbs and spices, for both cooking and medicinal use. This is also the area to find makeshift bars and delicious cooked food from the various burger vans and ”rotisserie” vans selling tempting roast chickens, ham hocks and marinated racks of ribs. All sorts of soft and alcoholic beverages and cocktails are available.

Torrevieja Friday Market Buses

Those wanting to get to the market from the city centre should take note; the bus which is clearly marked Linea (Route) H. Market Bus does ‘not’ leave from inside the city’s main bus terminus or from the main stop outside on Calle Antonio Machado. You need to continue on this road past Mercadona Supermarket, turn right on Calle Apolo and then go 4 blocks up to the bus stop just before the BP Garage. There is no bus stop sign here but it is marked ‘Bus’ on the actual road and is opposite Hotel Juan Carlos and directly beside a public telephone box. The bus stops outside Vicente Garcia football stadium and this is the same stop for buses back to the city centre. Buses run every 20 minutes from 08:00 am – 01:30 pm.

San Miguel Market

San Miguel Market is a pleasure to visit and the town itself boasts enough attractions for a great day out from Torrevieja. The town is just a short drive from the city via the CV-95. It enjoys a hillside setting with views over Torrevieja Salt Lake.