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City Cards · Costa Blanca, Alicante province · Santa Pola and Guardamar
City Card No. 20 · COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
Santa Pola and Guardamar
Calm beaches and salt-flat nature, minutes from Alicante airport.
GUIDE FOR THE COSTA BLANCA
Santa Pola
39,700 people, a fishing port
Guardamar
18,600 people, dunes and pine forest
Airport
Alicante (ALC), 15 to 30 minutes
Nature
Salt flats with flamingos
The short version
Two calm seaside towns with the airport almost on the doorstep.
Santa Pola is a real fishing town with a busy port, salt flats full of flamingos and boats to Tabarca island. Gran Alacant, up on the cape, is popular with international families.
Guardamar del Segura, further south, has long beaches backed by a pine forest planted on the dunes a century ago. Both are quieter than Torrevieja and closer to the airport.
Santa Pola and Guardamar suits you if
- You fly often and want the airport close
- You want beaches and nature without a resort strip
- You want a calmer alternative to Torrevieja
Look elsewhere if
- You do not drive (there is no train)
- You want a big-city feel
Money
What living here costs
| Item | Typical cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Flat of 60 m², Santa Pola | €710 a month |
| Family flat of 90 m², Santa Pola | €1,070 a month |
| Flat of 60 m², Guardamar | €680 a month |
| Family flat of 90 m², Guardamar | €1,030 a month |
| Utilities and internet | €110–170 a month |
Flat sizes use asking rents on idealista for September 2026 (Santa Pola €11.9 per m², Guardamar €11.4 per m²; Spain average €15.1). Signed rents are often a little lower, and furnished, sea-view or new-build homes cost more. Other figures are indicative ranges for planning, not quotes.
Where people live
Where newcomers usually look.
Santa Pola town
Port, market and year-round life.
Gran Alacant
On the cape, very international, with sea views.
Guardamar centre
Walkable, between the dunes and the river.
The trade-off
You will need a car.
There is no railway. Buses run to Alicante and Elche, but most residents drive.
Guides for this area
First 90 Days on the Costa Blanca €12.99
Coast or Inland? €12.99
Retiring to the Costa Blanca €12.99
Weighing Santa Pola and Guardamar?
Santa Pola, Guardamar or Torrevieja?
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