carefreebrit

Hello, I will be moving to the Alicante/Valencia region soon and Torrevieja is on the short list as my wife wants to be able to walk to a beach with our 2 yr old, it is large enough for me to get a job and walk to work, and due to a glut of properties the prices are rather low. However, when living a bit inland a couple of years ago I remember hearing a lot of negatives about the place, and local papers always had stories of crimes there.
My request right now is not about work as I can sort that out from here, but what I would really appreciate is an idea of the good and bad areas to live with a wife and child. No discos, Brit pubs etc !! I can see all the amenities and shopping on paginas amarillas map, but any of you who live there will perhaps be able to tell me which areas are considered no-go at certain times, or which have a higher than desirable percentage of unpleasant neighbours [Trying to be diplomatic!]. I am not interested in outer regions like la Mata, just Torrevieja itself, and we will probably not be there July or August when it is full of tourists [Return to visit relatives].

chris600uk

I've been to Torrevieja, just once.

I had a lovely meal at the marina at a place called Veni Vidi Vici where they were very kind to my very difficult 2 year old grandson.

As I'm near the bottom of a bottle of Don Ramon, I shouldn't really comment any further

chris600uk

Except to say,

Have a look at our end of the Costa Blanca!

Calpe/Javia/Denia/Oliva

I think it's great here, this is where the Spanish from Madrid come on holiday.

When we first came out 15 years ago we hired a smart car and drove 2,000kms up and down the coast to see what it was like in different places.

It was worth it.

lynnxa

As you know, we live 'your end'

DH came back yesterday from business in Torry - the first time he's had to stay there overnight - he said he couldn't believe it when sitting on the terrace where he was staying - seemed like a nice enough residential area - a guy walked past with a bruised face & black eyes

'What happened to him?', he asked


'He was attacked by three guys a few days ago. just in the next street'

A few minutes later a fiftyish woman walked by - face covered by a scarf & big shades - but you could clearly see that she. too, had bruises & black eyes

'I assume she was with the other guy when he was beaten?' says DH

'Oh no - she was beaten up by 5 guys last week, just over on that corner - you don't go around in less than groups of 4 at night or you'll be attacked. There's an attack every night, more or less - sometimes more..................'


I don't know if this was just a particularly bad area - but I do know that I would never choose to live within miles of the place - here, I'm quite happy for my 12 year daughter to go to the cinema with her friends at night & walk home

and to the OP - I'm a few mins walk from the beach, and should I choose, I can walk to work, the supermarket, or pretty much anywhere - but I usually cycle

Dick Dasterdly

I went down there for a long weekend a few year ago, just to have a good look at the place.
I booked into a place in the town for three nights.
I was happy to leave after two nights and hopefully never return again.

pwwm

When we were house hunting in Spain, we did look there and waled away fast. We met a couple on the ferry recently on the way home and they said they had moved out to to the crime. The crooks know who are expats and target them.

chris600uk

OK Ok, I'll fess up and post a proper answer.

Our friends warned us about Torry before we went.

It's a huge sprawling place that has grown exponentially from the tiny town in the salt flats that it was when we first saw it 15 years ago.

There are huge housing estates, which although they are in the sun, look just like the sort of thing we left the UK to avoid.

It's ugly, we got a similar feeling to that of being in some of the worst parts of Liverpool and Manchester, nothing you can put your finger on but sort of unsafe, inner city dilapidation is the best way to say it. Or if you walk down the wrong street in New York - you get the idea, right?

After the meal, having parked in the only place we felt was safe.
We walked along the beach adjacent to the marina with our 2 year old grandson. It wasn't a beach so much as left over building materials mixed with sand, as if they'd finished building apartments and the beach was an afterthought, there were 3 young men letting off fireworks in plastic bottles, they were obviously drunk or high. It looked awful and intimidating.
The sunbathing Brits determined to enjoy themselves no matter what gave it a surreal air - it just didn't look quite right. Compare it with the L'Arenal at Javea and you'll see what we mean.

We looked for a bench or a seat to change a nappy on, but there wasn't one, so my OH ended up doing it on the back steps of an apartment building.
So we turned back and decided to walk along the road to get back to the car.

My wife popped into a shop for 3 minutes, while I waited outside with the baby, and I was propositioned by a prostitute! Who on being politely refused, shrugged her shoulders and went shopping, apparently for a pair of flip flops.

We left and drove home gladly.

So go if you must, park in the Marina cos it's safer, and because you have to pay you'll find a space.

I would sooner live in Javea in a mobile home than live in Torry, because I feel safe here. I didn't come to spain to live on a housing estate with all sorts of innercity problems that have been exported from everywhere.

There is always a good reason why a place is AFFORDABLE

rugbymatt

Bad.


Thats all I will say, because the Torre fans will attack me, which is ironic really, because thats what's likely to happen if you go there.......

CBANDY

I live just outside and really have not had any problems where we are. I do admit i do not really like torre and we seldom go there. A lot of people do not like my urb either but i always remind them that Playa Flamenca is huge and has its good and bad area like most. Everyone i know who lives there seem to like it. It also depends what you are loking for. We also love Javea, Denia etc but at the minute due to the housing market and my work we could not really move there. Why don`t you have a look around Los Alcazares in Murcia. That is where i work and we really like it there as well.

Hapy hunting

george43

Just 2 brief visits to Torre for me. Nice prom and 2 good meals.Away from the sea it seemed a bit built up for my taste though.

lic

We have been to Torrevieja many times.
I would not choose to live there, as for me it is too big, with too many highrised buildings. You must remember that it is a 'small city' type town, and as people have reported here there a crimes committed everyday. Surely that is true of any big town! It is also true of smaller places, as the theives can and will travel.
There are parts of Torrevieja that are nice. It all depends on where you want to live or work, or more importantly what enviroment your want your child to grow up in.
We live in Algorfa, which is a 15 minute drive from Torreveija. It is quiet and although does have a very good Police force, I have heard of about 5 crimes in the 6 years we have been here.
My advice wold be, as there are plenty of smaller towns less than 20 minutes away from Torre, move to one of those and communte to Torre towork.
Good luck in whatever you decide.

Lospacoshombre

Good old Torre,
I bought there in 2002, big mistake!

We had so many incidences of crime it was awful, the graffiti was terrible, the pros are everywhere and the property I saw seemed poor quality.

The town is a grid pattern which gives a feel of inner city roughness, and can be rundown.

On a positive there are some great bars and restaurants, the fun fair and port are great, and there are some nice expats.

It has always had a reputation for crime going back for years and i think you will find the cheap property is cheap for a reason.

The biggie for me was the threatening air, you always felt uneasy, where i am now is totally the opposite.

lph

TheArmChairDetective

Pilar de Horadada is nice.

rugbymatt

must have changed then, thats where most of the drugs were passed through....

mikelincs

There are plans to spend somehing like €100,000,000 on redeveloping the port and seafront area, but I do admit there are some dubious ares there. I wo9uld lie in one of the developments near torre, plenty of places within 10 mins driving that are much nicer.