We are staying at Playa Flamenca in July and i was really looking forward to going but having spoke this morning to a couple who live higher up in the mountains i am quite worried now.They have told me not to carry a bag,not to wear any jewellery,not to speak to anyone who approaches me asking the time etc as crime is so bad in this area.Also told that hire cars can be a target and we have one for a week.Going on this holiday is myself,hubby.mum,daughter and daughters friend.What i'm looking for is reasurrance from anyone else who has been to this area.We are well travelled and know about being alert while on holiday.
Thank you Sue

Take a look at the previous thread on this matter here.

Thanks for that Oly Daze going to show the thread to hubby later i just feel i want to cancel the holiday now
Sue

Is there anyone out there had a good holiday in this area
Sue

Sue

We have had lots of lovely holidays in Playa Flamenca. We love it so much that we visit it at least twice a year and have done for the last 3 years. We have never experienced any sort of crime nor have any of the ex-pats that we have got friendly with over this period of time and they live there. Although we have heard some stories. I'm not saying crime doesn't happen and it's great that you are well travelled - I personally don't think it is worse than any other tourist hot spot. We hire a car every time and have met some lovely characters upon visits here. We also had the misfortune to need medical treatment for our daughter (she needed stitches in her toe) on one of our holidays and were bowled over by the offers of help to get her to a hospital - don't be afraid of everyone you meet. There are only a few bad apples in the barrel, most people are ordinary folk, just like me and you!

We hire a car every time and I have been there on holiday with my kids but without my husband. It doesn't worry me to do that. I feel safe to go there on my own with my kids but there are some other holiday destinations I wouldn't be so confident! Don't let the worry of the possibility of crime spoil your holiday and you will have a great time.

Hi Janine Thank you so much for that reply :kiss.Do you happen to know the La Florida part.
Sue

Hi Sue

We don't stay in the La Florida area but we've been there a few times to go to the supermarket and the Beer Garden - it is within walking distance of the villa we use.

The supermarket is a small one but they cater to the taste of the ex-pats and have a very good meat counter with English sausages, bacon and good BBQ food. They also stock lurpak butter and walkers crisps! They are a bit more expensive as a result so we get all our "home comforts" from them but do our main shop either at the Mercadona (near the town hall and tourist info office) or the Supercor (next to the Flamenca Beach commercial centre).

The beer garden is an area behind the "The Abbey" pub. We really like it there. It is a lovely place for drink in the evenings. In high season they often have some form of entertainment for the adults and for younger kids they have a bouncy castle or trampolines etc. Next to that is "Alfredo's" restaurant and opposite is a few other restaurants and pubs. Again most of these aimed at the ex-pats.

The La Florida area is a little further away from the beach and the main commercial areas of Playa Flamenca e.g. the Sat street market, go-karts, tourist info office, Via Park CC and Flamenca Beach CC area so you are wise to hire a car. Although these places are within walking distance it would take you at least a good 30 mins to walk to them. Some would argue that this area isn't actually in Playa Flamenca and La Florida is an area in it's own right.

Hope this helps and you have a great holiday. Just ask if you have any specific interests or hobbies that I may be able to point you in the right direction of - there is lots to do in this area of Spain but it depends what you want out of your holiday and if you are prepared to explore to try and find it!

Thanks for all that advice Janine you have been so helpful to me .Could you point us in the right direction for a nice beach as we have a car we could travel to it.Looking for a beach we can relax on without being hassled.
Thanks Sue

There is a beach to suit everyone in this area! Too much choice if you ask me!

The beach at Playa Flamenca (5 min drive) is a nice small beach (actually 2 small beaches) but they are working on it at the moment. Diggers everywhere and I don't know when it will be finished. I think it is something to do with beach defences against erosion but someone else said they are also making a promenade but I don't really know what they are doing or how long it will be before it is back in use (on the way to the beach you will pass "Quality Butchers" which is an excellent place to buy English sausages and other British delicacies like sausage rolls - it is on the beach side of the N332 beside the main post office).

Another beach worth a mention is the one at La Zenia (5-10 min drive). It has watersports e.g. banana boat, jet ski's, pedaloes etc. A lifeguard in high season, you can hire a sunbed/umbrella, climbing frame, beach bar with drinks, ice cream and tapas. It also has a cafe set on the side of the rocks and the La Zenia Hotel is next door to it. It can be busy and does have touts (but they take "no thanks" for an answer) offering massage, henna tattoos, cd's etc but isn't far and has everything you'll need.

Our favourite beaches are the ones on the Mar Menor (from 15 mins up to 50 mins). These beaches are quieter and much more Spanish. The Mar Menor roughly translated mean the Minor or Small Sea. It is a huge expanse of water that is almost cut off from the sea by a thin strip of land (La Manga strip). The result is that the water is warmer than the sea, gently shelves out but not to any great depth and doesn't seem to have any currents to worry about - great for kids. The Spanish arrive early and put all their deck chairs/sun umbrellas in the ground. The go home for siesta (leaving all their stuff in situ) and return for the rest of the day after siesta! The beaches on the Mar Menor stretch for miles so you can take your pick of where to stop e.g. quiet with nothing around or in a town area with bars, cafes etc. Only a few places to hire sunbeds, it's best to bring your own stuff. Lo Pagan has mud baths that are reputed to be good for people with circulatory/arthritic problems - wallow in the mud then swim in the Mar Menor to clean it all off! We wanted to go on our last holiday but the accident with my daughter's toe prevented us from going so I can't say what that is it like. We often head for Los Alcazares (about 20 min drive).

There are several beaches in Torrevieja but they always seem crowded to us. On the North side of Torre is the beaches at La Mata (15 mins drive). Beautiful natural beaches complete with sand dunes. This area has stronger surf and currents and therefore attracts surfers and body boards. Further North you could try Guardamar Del Segura (20 mins drive). We've fancied trying the beaches here but so far, have been unable to find any suitable parking!

Take your pick!

Hi peteandsue,

I have just returned after a month at the Urb. Flamenca Beach area, and like yourself I was a little concerned after having read some of the adverse comments.

(But the only crime I came across was the airline excess baggage charge :wink:).

I spoke to some of the ex-pats about the crime and they said "It's not as bad as is portrayed and a lot of it was due to negligence on the part of the victim, with a little common sense could have been prevented".

I also had a car for the duration and there again no problem, in spite of the carhire sticker in the back window.

So if you maintain your 'holiday alertness', as is necessary at most resorts, then you should have an enjoyable time.

If you are lucky enough to get parked, the Cala Capitan beach is ideal for sunbathing and the coastal walk (which is a must), and dare I say a little refreshment at the chirinquito.

As JanineMac says the cafe next to the La Zenia hotel well worth a visit, and surprisingly the drinks were cheaper than most of the other places we visited.

If you need internet access during your stay, I found the Pelican Cafe (above Supercor) quite reasonable, just €2 per hour and they do a coffee and cake for €1.50..... very nice !!!

The Supercor is spotless, but most of our shopping came from the Mercadona with the occasional trip to the Carrefour in Torrevieja just 10 mins along the road.

Try and pick up a copy of the free newspapers CoastRider and Le@der, they have some info on the entertainment available.

I'm sure once you get there you will have a great time.

Thank you so much for that reply DarkIsle .I have been speaking to some people who live over there and they have reassured me quite a bit and with the replies from you and Janine i am looking forward to our holiday .Did you fly into Alicante?Was it quick and simple picking the car up?
Thanks Sue

Hello PeteandSue

I have a quick tip for picking up your car at ALC. The process is simple enough - all you need to hand is your passport, driving license/s of those who will be driving, credit card, car hire voucher (if you have one), address where you will be staying and they also ask for a phone number for a mobile (if you have one with you) and a home tel. number in the UK.

My tip is for one of you to leave those who are waiting at the carousel for the luggage, and proceed asap down the ramp to the area where the car hire desks are situated. While the others are waiting for the luggage the driver can be going through the paperwork for picking up the car. This can save a long wait at the car hire desk as when a few planes land around the same time and there are few people hiring at once the desks can become very busy (some people seem to take longer than others!). Once you have the keys you can return up the ramp to find the others or if there is a queue at the car hire desk, the others can catch up with you. This only works if you are using a car hire company who has a desk inside the arrivals hall (some operate out of vans in the car park itself). Once you go through the sliding doors at the other side of the car hire desks (you will see people waiting behind a taped off area) you won't be allowed to go back inside the arrivals area.

Cheers

For anyone who has not yet made their car hire arrangements, you will find more discussion and recommendations by clicking HERE.

David

Although I flew into Murcia (San Javier), the check in procedure is exactly as outlined by JanineMac.

I actually managed to collect the keys and back to the carousel in time to collect the second case, then out to the parking bay.

Thanks for those tips i will send Pete straight out to the car hire place
Sue

Hello Everyone.

I over the years I always have gone to either hotel or self catering in holiday complext and thought this year I would try something different where I have more freedom.

I have been searching the net for ideas and places and found an on line directory for flamenca beach area.

Having read the information the area seems very nice, shops, bars, nice beaches but sadly the site does not have any forum to get more ideas of the area, as not knowing anyone that has gone to this area or done s/c from a urbanisation I would like to know more.

What are the bars like, is there any entertainment, or anywhere that one should keep away from.
What actually is an urbanisation - are they any restrictions
Is Flamenca Beach similar to somewhere like Benidorm? and how far is Benidorm from Flamenca Beach?
is there anything for children there like clubs or things to do for children.
What kind of tourist is the area geared for.
Are there any excursions and do you need a car

I know this may sound like a lot of questions but in a way I feel like I am coming out of my confort zone with this kind of holiday.

Your views will be very much appreciate.

Many Thanks
Sylvia

SylviaTownsend wrote:

What actually is an urbanisation - are they any restrictions

In as far as your question, "what is an Urbanisation".....maybe THIS might answer that question for you

Hi Sylvia

We went to Playa Flamenca in October. Flamenca Beach is the Commercial Centre there.

The area is mainly urbanisations catering for ex-pats. We had a lovely week there just chilling out and the weather was fabulous.

The downside of the place was that it was too quiet for our tastes and too british, it was all british & irish bars with karaoke every night. In fact bar the weather you wouldn't have known you were in Spain.

There is a very high crime rate there and we felt uneasy walking about at night.

It is nothing like Benidorm or in fact any holiday resort as it is mainly residential. None of the bars appeared to have anything going on for children, although all the restaurants had kids menus. The only things we saw for kids was a very small fun fair and some go karts. There is a water park in Torrevieja but you would need to either hire a car or go by taxi.

I know I must sound quite negative but I wouldnt want to lie to you and say it was a super holiday resort. with loads of amenities. Like I said we did have a lovely time and the apartment we rented was superb. We went without children but had I had my son with me he would have been bored. During the day would have been ok as we could have gone to the beach or gone in the pool but he would have had nothing to do at night.

My husband goes there for golf holidays and he too feels that the area is lovely but it is certainly not a holiday resort.

There is a forum for this area - http://www.torrevieja.co.uk

Carmel

I am going to playa flamenca in august and would like to have some idea before i go on a couple things if possible.
Is there a bus service from PF (playa flamenca) to Murcia or do i have to get to Torrevieja first? If yes , how many times a day roughly do they come by?
Is there a taxi rank in PF?
How much are taxis?
In PF are there many shops/bars/restaurants?
Can u walk to Torrevieja from PF safely? (looks like an hours stroll on Google earth)
Whats PF like ?
Much appreciated.
Lloyd