Description
About Punta Prima, Costa Blanca, España
Punta Prima is an urbanization that is divided between Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja, which belongs to the province of Alicante in the Valencian Community.
It is one of the towns with the highest urban growth in recent times, it is made up of several urbanizations, among which are La Florida, Los Almendros and La Ceñuela I.
Quite popular as a destination for tourists at any time of year, whether national or international, seduced by the proximity to the beaches, as well as by the abundance and quality of leisure facilities that can be found within the urbanisation.
The population is mostly composed of English speaking and northern European citizens who have settled in Punta Prima. The fact that it is centrally located, very convenient for transport connections, considerably reducing travel times to the most popular destinations, has made Punta Prima one of the most famous communities on the Costa Blanca.
Location
How to get to Punta Prima by road?
You can get to Punta Prima through the N-332 road towards Cartagena if you come from the coast from Valencia or Alicante and the other way around if you come from the Cartagena or Mar Menor area. You can also get there through the AP-7 motorway (exit 763), when you leave the motorway you will find a roundabout right next to the Zenia Boulevard Shopping Centre, at this roundabout you have to take the N-332 road towards Torrevieja - Alicante.
How far is Punta Prima from the airport?
Punta Prima is very well connected with either the airport of Alicante-Elche (51 km) or the airport of Corvera, in Murcia (56 km).
Can I get to Punta Prima by train?
Punta Prima is practically equidistant between the two nearby train stations, the Balsicas-Mar Menor train station, in the region of Murcia is 31 km away, and the Orihuela train station is 33 km away.
Weather in Punta Prima
Punta Prima enjoys a privileged and healthy microclimate, characterized by relatively low annual rainfall, has an average of 320 days of sunshine per year with an average annual temperature of +19.8°C
Geography and historyAs far as the history of Punta prima is concerned, there is nothing to mention, since in ancient times it was not given the value that lands near the coast have today, which were considered of poor quality.
The beach in times past was also an inaccessible place, except for the most experienced climbers, as it was protected by a steep cliff.
It was not until modern times, with the arrival of tourism, that the area began to have some popularity among the residents of the nearby town of Torrevieja, attracted by its remote location.
It was from 1969 onwards that, thanks to the urban development boom resulting from tourism throughout Spain, what were no more than fields of palms and bushes bordered by a narrow strip of sand began to be divided up into large portions.
The first residential developments were delivered with single height villas on generous plots abundantly adorned with vegetation that accentuated the natural value of the abundant Mediterranean living space, the avenues were wide and tree-lined and the houses were spread out so that it would soon become a dreamlike garden compared to the more urban Torrevieja.
It was at the end of the 80's when Punta Prima started to experience a considerable commercial development, with newly built apartments starting to be located inland, until 2007 when the Punta Prima shopping centre was inaugurated.
Punta Prima is characterized by a low level coastal topography, with some shallow cliffs and gentle slopes all over its surface. It is particularly rich in Mediterranean flora and fauna and most of the areas near the north and south of the community remain intact in their primitive state.
Facilities in Punta Prima
The fact of being relatively close to a city like Torrevieja conditions favorably the possibility of having a series of services, which perhaps a town like Punta Prima would not have the opportunity to obtain. The owners benefit from the location of their community in the urban periphery of the city mentioned above, and public transport offers frequent services, with local buses scheduled to connect Punta Prima with the neighbouring cities of Campoamor, Cabo Roig, La Zenia and Playa Flamenca, and with further services north to the city of Torrevieja and the main hospital.
Punta Prima has on its shores two beaches and a small cove, La Playa Rocio del Mar, Cala Piteras and the beach of Punta Prima, the latter with a blue flag. There are also many followers of "Cala Piteras", which is where one of the emblematic premises of Punta Prima is located, the "Restaurante Nautilus".
The "Torrejoven" hotel is the only hotel in Punta Prima, it has 3 stars and offers medium priced rooms, it has an open air swimming pool, a business centre and a restaurant.
The users of the beach of Punta Prima, have been favoured by the installation of a lift, since the antiquity made the beach relatively inaccessible, which is located at the west end and allows families and people with reduced mobility access to the golden sands below. This beach has a beach bar, first aid and a lifeguard during the summer season.
However, given the residential nature of the area, services are limited in the living area. Instead, residents and visitors will find a wide variety of local shops, bars and restaurants located in a shopping centre next to the N-332 coastal road. The Punta Marina shopping centre, located in front of the sports facilities, has additional services such as a Consum supermarket. Further south, the La Campana Shopping Centre supports a selection of local businesses, including the Style House furniture superstore. Centro Comercial Zeniamar offers essential services to residents living far from the coast, such as a variety of restaurants and informal cafes.
What to do in Punta Prima:
Punta Prima is basically a residential place and the proximity to the city of Torrevieja conditions, sometimes favourably as it is the case, the possibilities of leisure and recreation.
But what at first sight may seem a disadvantage to others is an opportunity, since in Punta Prima there is a very familiar and quiet atmosphere, very wanted also by tourists and residents, who need privacy and peace and for whom the accumulation of services or facilities would not do more than turn their small paradise into a concrete jungle.
There are pleasant walks inside the urbanization along its large tree-lined avenues, enjoy pleasant evenings in the moonlight walking along the beach promenade or explore the surrounding countryside discovering the secrets of the still wild nature of its surroundings.
That said, if you need a little more fun, just by walking hundreds of meters in the vicinity of the N-332 you can find an interesting offer of shops, supermarkets, bars and restaurants of all styles.
In the neighbouring city of Torrevieja, just five minutes away by car, you can find all kinds of facilities that will delight young and old alike, from a wide variety of shops and stores, cinemas, museums, parks, shopping centres, water parks, etc.
Properties
In Punta Prima you can find two very different areas, the oldest, known as "Jardín del Mar", which is where the original properties are located, which were started to be built in the year 69 and which are ground floor villas that occupy generally large plots.
The most recent development has focused on the construction of modern apartments, such as the Panorama Park urbanization, Recoleta or the luxury Resort of Sea Senses Beach. The prices of these apartments change depending on the proximity or not to the beach and they usually have high prices and start at 150,000 euros for well located apartments.
If we are willing to look inland, we can find properties at lower prices in urbanizations such as La Ciñuelica, La Ceñuela I, Punta Marina, or homes further south in Los Altos. These communities mainly offer modest properties with prices starting well below 100,000 euros, with a wealth of options and very often with superior local services.
As for the detached beachfront properties for sale, they usually start at 300,000 euros and go up to exotic prices of several million euros, in the case of luxury villas with sea views and on the front line.
Summary
Punta Prima is very popular with tourists all year round and has a large population of full time residents of all European nationalities, which means that shops and services are open all year round, no matter what the high or low season.
The area has an established and busy social scene throughout the year, with a wide range of sports and leisure clubs, charities and associations in Punta Prima and neighbouring residential communities.
The town is a year-round family holiday destination that will satisfy property buyers who wish to enjoy a first class facility and a central location that enjoys relative proximity to a selection of airports, while remaining totally free of scheduled flight traffic.
Generally, properties for sale in Punta Prima are priced higher than those on offer in neighbouring towns, and property buyers looking for good value and cheaper prices will have to consider looking further inland.
That said, many people will find that the abundance of quality services, the excellent transport connections, the central location of the Costa Blanca and the immediate access to the well-kept Blue Flag beaches deserve to be paid that little bit extra.
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