Crabbing

Crabbing during a holiday in Torrevieja provides endless fun for young children. It can also put a tasty meal on the table should you wish to eat your catch. Kids have a huge fascination with coves and rock pools, and crabbing is one of those fun activities that will cost you nothing. Another cheap activity for the young ones that can be enjoyed while crabbing is snorkelling. So, if you haven’t brought gear with you, grab a cheap children’s snorkel set from the Chino.

Crabbing In Torrevieja

This fun activity can be enjoyed practically anywhere in Torrevieja where there is rocks. It could be along stone jetties, piers, promenade walls, coves or, the kids favourite, rock pools. The majority of Torrevieja’s beaches are made up of sand but there are areas with coves. Try the headland at the end of the popular urban beach, Playa del Cura. There are rock shelves and pools all around this headland as far as Cala del Plangre by Los Locos Beach. At the far end of Los Locos Beach is a series of cliffs and coves excellent for crabbing and snorkelling. Here children should stick to the rock pools as the waters can be dangerous for kids snorkelling.

Crabbing Methods

Not only is this a cheap activity, it’s also a simple one. Locals in the know who go after crabs to eat, simply hover their hand (no glove!) above rock holes and crevices, and when a crab pops their head out they just grab it. Hey, the Spanish are tough and wouldn’t dream of wearing a protective glove. The majority of crabs in these shallow pools are only small so a little nip is not too painful. To children though, crabs are scary creatures with ‘huge’ claws so it’s best to use a stick and string. Just tie a lump of meat to the end of your string and dangle it in front of holes and crevices until a crab latches on. It’s then just a matter of pulling it quickly out of the water and into a bucket. For the best results, crabs tend to love pork, and bacon in particular.

Handy Tips For Crabbing

• Add seaweed and rocks to your bucket to create a natural stress free environment.
• Don’t put too many crabs in one bucket, about 10 should be the maximum.
• Only keep crabs in seawater and change the water every 10 minutes to re-oxygenate it.
• Don’t use a hook on your string, this will damage the crabs delicate mandibles.
• Store your crabs out of direct sunlight.
• Hold crabs on either side of the shell or with your fingers on the top and bottom of the shell.
• Release them gently back into the sea, throwing them on the rocks can crack their shells.
• Lastly, please respect your environment and take all your rubbish away with you.