A popular seaside town in Spain has been subject to widespread criticism online by disappointed tourists.
Despite ranking as one of the cheapest coastal towns for an overnight stay, averaging £77 a night, Torrevieja was rated only two out of five stars in a recent Which? traveller survey of 28 Spanish seaside towns.
On Tripadvisor, users were quick to dish out criticise of the town in the country’s Alicante region.
A British user wrote: “I was working in Spain recently and had the misfortune to end up in Torrevieja.
“In my opinion, it is without doubt the most horrific place I have ever been, like a council estate with sun – except it was rainy on the day I had to go there.”
Another even compared the Spanish tourist spot to Blackpool, writing: “Torrevieja is not a true reflection of Spain. It’s more like Blackpool with sunshine!”
Torrevieja, known for its salt-mining and fishing history, is a small city of less than 100,000 residents. Its local economy has grown exponentially since the mid-20th century due to the Mediterranean tourism industry, attracting mainly British, Irish, German and Scandinavian visitors who stay in Torrevieja year-round, as well as tourists drawn to the town’s Mediterranean climate and coastline.
According to reviews, Torrevieja’s popularity with tourists has robbed the town of its authentic charm.
One reviewer pointed out the lack of local cuisine available, saying: “Go to Torrevieja if you like your English breakfast and pizzas because that is all you will get. I could not find a decent Spanish restaurant anywhere. All the restaurants on the promenade were pizzerias.”
Another warned that “anyone eating at the beachfront restaurant should be aware that the ‘Del Boy’ roaming street vendors are a terrible nuisance”, claiming they were hassled “no fewer than 55 times” during one meal.
The beachfront was also reported as potentially dangerous, with one user writing: “It felt as if the locals had just simply had enough of us Brits coming over building homes and making their lives harder work. On the beach, we were subject to violent outbursts from the people trying to sell us sunglasses and belts.
“Later that day, I spoke with an English-speaking person who owned one of the beach cafes. She said that it was quite common behaviour. In addition to this, she told us not to go drinking out in the town bars as there would be a chance of us getting shot or stabbed.”
Despite the harsh criticism, many travellers have had great experiences of the town.
“Torrevieja is the most beautiful city in the south of the province of Valencia with a great beach in the city centre, a jetty out onto the Mediterranean, great restaurants, bars and shopping opportunities”, one reviewer wrote. “For nature lovers, there are two large salt lakes.”
Another noted that “there were lots of restaurants close and in fact it was cheaper for us to eat out than to do the shopping and cook. The coffee is very good.”