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. Predominantly a Spanish town, San Miguel plays host to many nationalities come market day. Indeed, the townsfolk, tapas bar and restaurant owners treat market day as a time to meet with friends and family and extend their menus to cater for the hungry crowds. So, forget breakfast and enjoy great market fare.
San Miguel Market
San Miguel Market is open every Wednesday morning from around 09:00 – 13:30. It is a real street market with stalls setting up around Calle Juan XXIII near Plaza Jaime I. Being a small Spanish town, you will see some serious haggling going on between the local ladies and stall holders. If your Spanish is up to it, why not try a bit of haggling yourself. In the nearby plaza there are ample places to sit and rest for a while. Aside from the market food and drink stalls, there is a good choice of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants to quench your thirst or hunger.
San Miguel Market Stalls
Fresh fruit and vegetables from the surrounding countryside features highly at the market stalls. You will also find fresh and dried herbs and spices, dried fruit, nuts, pickles and a great selection of marinaded olives. Virgin olive oil is a good value product to take back home with you, as is the vacuum packed Serrano ham and chorizo. Fresh meat and fish stalls are perfect to stock up for a beach BBQ. Delicatessen stalls not only offer cured hams, sausage and fish but also freshly baked bread, rolls, baguettes, pies and cakes. They also have fresh farm eggs.
Non consumable products at San Miguel Market include some interesting local arts & crafts. Excellent leather goods such as shoes, handbags, purses, wallets, belts, hats and jackets are usually great value in Spain. Clothing comes in all shapes and sizes, new and second hand. You will find ‘knock off’ designer wear, pretty flamenco dresses and Disney and cartoon clothing. Other market stall items include jewellery & accessories, watches, sunglasses, electronic and electrical goods, mobile phone accessories, homeware, DIY, gardening items and flowers.
San Miguel Market Surrounds
If you haven’t already eaten at one of the market food stalls, the town has some excellent tapas bars and restaurants. As I mentioned earlier, some of these establishments lay on a more extensive menu for market day. For a wonderfully quirky dining experience, be sure to try the famous Las Cuevas Restaurante. As the name suggests, the restaurant is built in a cave with romantic seating areas in little grottos. There is further seating in a delightful courtyard. Many market goers, especially during the scorching summer months, end up at the municipal pool.