Paseo Maritimo Juan Aparicio Walk
Paseo Maritimo Juan Aparicio is Torrevieja’s lovely promenade that runs from the large pier along Playa del Cura beach and ends at the start of Los Locos beach. Walking down the hill from the main harbour bus stop takes you to the large, modern Tourist Information Bureau where the staff are very friendly and efficient. Standing here looking at the boats in the harbour is almost like listening to a marimba band with the boats rigging and lanyards hitting the masts in the breeze. Next door to the Tourist office is the exclusive Real Club Nautico with it’s expensive looking El Puerto Restaurant, and as you keep walking the passage is lined with wooden market stalls that form part of Torrevieja’s Night Market. At the end of the stalls there is a memorial of a life size bronze orchestra complete with conductor. To the right is an entrance to the harbour and Bar La Marina that features a wide choice of fish and seafood dishes. Here you can also find stalls for booking Tabarca Island boat trips and Rio Safari Elche trips.
Handy to know, if you look across the main road from Bar La Marina there is a small side street next to the large ceramic fountain and seating area, one block up this side street is, amazingly, Torrevieja’s only Bureau de Change, recognisable by its blue and white sign above the door. Continuing on, the passage is lined on both sides with Night Market stalls, some open even during the day and selling a great range of items such as arts & crafts, leather goods, printed T-shirts, kids Disney clothes, caps & hats, mobile phone covers, scarves & sarongs, jewellery, dream catchers, mini beat boxes, speakers, hair braiding, smoking accessories and some delightful models of just about anything you can think of made from aluminium wire. Unfortunately the owner is very surly, even when I spoke in my best Spanish. There are also ice creams, cold drinks and smoothies.
Right, none of that was Paseo Maritimo Juan Aparicio. It actually starts at the last market stall where the main pier goes way out to sea and makes for a pleasant stroll. Just behind the market stalls, in the harbour area is a fun fair that is open in the summer and has all the usual games of chance and mainly children’s fairground rides. At the beginning of the Paseo is the Man of the Sea monument and Keeper Bar that regularly gets reviews on Trip Advisor, mainly due to it’s live camcorder that faces the outdoor terrace where holidaymakers enjoy making their friends back home jealous. One block up the side street next to Keeper Bar there is a choice of 4 Kebab Shops, my favourite being Rico Kebab & Pizza that does a lovely mixed chicken & lamb doner with fantastic home made chilli sauce. There is also a small 24hr shop here, perfect for when you stumble out a bar in the early hours !!
Continuing along the Paseo there is a Burger King and opposite are a couple of man made sea pools with steps, seating areas and tiny beaches. After Burger King there is a quaint little boutique called Koala Bay that sells beautiful ladies, and a few men’s flip flops, hats, bags and accessories. Next door is the best value tapas restaurant on the beachfront, called El Faro with a little beach hut bar and tapas ranging from 1.50€ upwards, and right after that is Fresco, a brightly painted restaurant that cooks everything from fresh including pizzas baguettes, burgers and kebabs, all at reasonable prices.
Further along there are a couple more man made sea pools and the weirdly named Ale Hop, where I thought I was in for a nice pint of English ale, but it is actually a clothes shop with a good range of fashion and accessories at great prices. The upmarket looking Urban Sports is next followed by Ramon Servant, the kids favourite place on the whole boulevard. Yes, you guessed right, it’s an ice cream parlour with a fantastic choice of home made flavours. After that is Locura Ceramics that also sell a small selection of clothes. This is now the start of Playa del Cura, not the largest beach in Torrevieja but very popular because of its city centre location. Along this stretch of the Paseo, aside from a few unremarkable shops, it’s mainly restaurants specialising in fish and seafood with the usual waiters outside vying for your attention. The Paseo then curves around a headland and ends where the lovely Los Locos beach starts.