The Real La Marina Alicante: Beyond Sunshine & Beaches to Post-Brexit Realities
La Marina, Alicante, holds a special place in my heart. It is almost like a familiar friend, and stranger mangled into a mix of huge ups and downs.
My journey here began in 2001 when my parents decided to call this place home.
Since then, my life has seen La Marina change through countless summers, transitions, and memorable visits.
From the local vibe of the strip(s) and life in the URB, my experiences have given me a unique insight into what makes this place tick.
And what doesn’t tick!
So, join me as we delve into La Marina. Whether you’re thinking of a holiday, investing in a holiday home, or permanently laying down your roots.
Top 5 Takeaways: La Marina, Alicante
- It’s not great for children/teenagers moving to the area.
- You need a car!
- It is very hilly if accessibility is essential.
- Incredible beach & campsite.
- Sleepy since Brexit.
A Personal Glimpse Into La Marina Alicante
My relationship with La Marina stretches back to 2001 when my family first moved here. Over the past twenty years, I’ve witnessed my mother adapt, struggle, and thrive, giving me a unique view of this place.
Not just as a holiday destination but as a community.
Late childhood visits turned into adult explorations, and I’ve seen La Marina grow and evolve. Each return trip is a mix of nostalgia and discovery, revealing new features and houses of this place I thought I knew inside out—more houses than features.
Now, I just get lost!
This personal journey underscores my take on life in La Marina. While I’ll share the practicalities of visiting or living here, understand that my insights are rooted in a deep, familial connection to this area. I hope this blend of personal experience and objective observation will make this informative and warmly relatable.
Infrastructure Lagging Behind Growth: La Marina’s Urban Challenge
Infrastructure in La Marina urbanisation sucks!
This is a concern that’s hard to overlook. The area has been moving upward, expanding increasingly since the early 2000s. Growth is great—it signals vibrancy and appeal.
However, the pace at which La Marina grows begs a critical question: Is the infrastructure keeping up?
From what I’ve observed, the answer leans towards a no.
Foundational support such as schools, public transportation, parks, and a cohesive urban vision lags.
This gap between growth and infrastructure development is La Marina’s biggest challenge, especially given its proximity to significant hubs like Alicante, Elche, and Torrevieja.
They’ve added a bus stop that stops a few times every day. That’s the biggest celebration of my twenty-year history in this place!
It’s huge!
The absence of sufficient schools poses a dilemma for families seeking education for their children.
Public transport, essential for connectivity and accessibility, remains underdeveloped, making it difficult for residents and visitors to navigate the area without personal vehicles.
Parks and green spaces are crucial for community well-being and environmental health. Their scarcity in La Marina points to a missed opportunity to enhance the quality of life and a community feeling.
The public space is of more barren land spots with minimal budget or thought—unused potential to create a real buzz and sense of pride in La Marina.
A robust vision for urban planning is essential to guide La Marina’s growth in a sustainable, organised manner.
This vision should encompass not only the immediate needs of the community but also anticipate future demands. With La Marina’s strategic location and inherent charm, there’s potential to become a beacon of well-managed urbanization, a place that residents can proudly call home and visitors can admire.
Addressing these infrastructure issues is more than a matter of convenience; it’s about building a foundation that supports the community’s long-term health, happiness, and prosperity.
It’s about taking pride in La Marina’s growth and ensuring it evolves into a place that balances development with quality of life. The contrast between its potential and the current state of infrastructure underscores a critical need for thoughtful planning and investment.
La Marina Urbanisation: A Glimpse into Life on the ‘Urb’
La Marina Urbanisation, known as the ‘urb’ by locals, is the heart of residential life here, positioned a few miles from the beach.
However, if you’re embarking on a quest for authentic Spanish culture, immersed in local traditions and daily Spanish life, you might find La Marina slightly off the mark. The traditions that do stick are the siestas and ghostly Sundays.
The urb is home to many international residents and holidaymakers, offering a slice of home with an added sprinkle of local gossip and tranquillity for most of the year. Tranquillity means fewer shops open, bars closing and a general dullness.
That’s not to say Spanish culture is absent from the urbanisation. It makes its presence known in vibrant bursts of life and celebration, whether you adore it or could do without the early morning fireworks.
I recall watching a children’s football tournament from our roof terrace on a Friday night. The excitement and noise stretched into the early hours until well past 5 a.m. The same happened the next day, winding down slowly on a Sunday evening.
Similarly, fiestas here are lively, with firecrackers that might surprise you with their 7 a.m. salutes. The anticipation, the fizzing launch as the match strikes, followed by a resounding boom, is something you won’t easily forget.
Especially when you’re in bed wishing you didn’t have that extra cerveza or vino.
Life in La Marina Post-Brexit: Not Quite the Same
La Marina has always had quiet spells, but post-Brexit has strangled the breath out of the urb. Once a busy spot for ex-pats and holiday homeowners, the URB feels more like a ghost town during off-peak seasons. I wasn’t sure that was even possible!
The impact of Brexit?
It’s like a gust of wind that blew away the stability of bars and restaurants quicker than the bus full of promise disappeared. Dreams of beachside entrepreneurship that were already turbulent are now more cautionary tales than success stories.
February walks reveal more empty streets than a deserted movie set, starkly contrasting to 2003.
Even the once-heaving market, famous for its kaleidoscope of produce and knock-off sunglasses, mirrors this new, subdued reality. It’s gone from a carnival of sights and sounds to a quiet gathering that could use more life.
In the post-Brexit era, La Marina finds its new normal—between a whisper and a conversation. This will be reflected in housing prices in the years to come as there isn’t the continuous flow of Brits of yesteryear.
La Marina Beach: A Haven of Natural Beauty
Like a fine wine, one of La Marina’s biggest perks is the beach and nearby green areas. Every year, she gets more beautiful. Adjourning the beach are winding trails and shaded retreats that are perfect sanctuaries for locals and visitors seeking respite from the midday sun.
If you find yourself in La Marina over Christmas, you may be in for a unique festive treat. Roll up to the beach on Christmas Day in the morning, armed with a bottle of fizz, and prepare for a heartwarming surprise. The beach transformed into a festive gathering spot, where the community comes together to celebrate in a setting that’s as unconventional as beautiful.
Whether that tradition is still going is a different story.
However, it’s a fantastic way to celebrate the morning before tucking into your Christmas Dinner. With 330+ days of sun a year, it’s almost guaranteed to be sunny with a few brave souls in the water.
This tradition captures the essence of what makes La Marina so special: its ability to blend the beauty of nature with a bit of good old community spirit chucked into the mix. Whether it’s the height of summer or the depths of winter, La Marina’s beach offers a slice of paradise with a twist of local culture and festive joy.
Would We Live In La Marina?
Would we pack up my life and move to La Marina?
Honestly, no.
It’s not exactly our vibe. We’re all about the hustle and bustle of city life, where there’s always something happening, and we hate driving. We’re still riding the wave of the last parts of our youth and not quite ready to settle into that ‘easy life’ just yet.
But if you’re the type who cherishes peace yet still appreciates having access to the essentials and comforts of home in the UK, La Marina could be your slice of paradise.
I’m on the fence about whether it’s the ideal spot for families with kids, though. Casting my mind back to the early 2000s, I realised my 17-year-old self didn’t have the time of my life there.
The place seemed to lack the energy I craved, and twenty years later, I still feel the same way.
It’s not that there was nothing to do. Back in Burton, Christchurch, where I grew up, we found joy in the simplest of settings – fields, adventures, a bit of harmless chaos. What I missed in La Marina was a sense of connection. Back then, the English community was sparse, the URB felt alien, and friendships felt transient. Friends would come and go all so quickly. Unlike the deep-rooted connections I had back in the UK, where my pals from junior school are still my ride-or-dies.
So, what is my advice if you’re contemplating moving to La Marina with your little ones?
Please give it a trial run during both the peak and off-peak seasons. Get a feel for the place. Observe whether your kids can forge lasting friendships in the urb. If they can find their tribe, you’re golden.
The younger they are, the easier it is to make friends, settle, adjust, and learn the language. A raging teenager, much harder.
Although I thought it was a brilliant idea, thinking of beaches & girls or guys, that’s not the reality.
You live and learn.
Final Thoughts On La Marina, Alicante Through My Eyes
If it’s unclear by now, my feelings towards La Marina, Alicante, are as mixed as a cocktail.
Despite my love for Spain and the allure of La Marina’s beaches with 330+ days of sunshine a year, I’ve attempted to plant my roots here not once but thrice, only to find myself restless.
The tranquillity in La Marina ironically turned into a canvas of boredom, leading me to seek solace at the bottom of a glass—uncharacteristic for someone who never had much affinity for drinking. This peculiar realisation underscores the complexity of finding a place that feels like home.
As I close this chapter, the horizon holds a new beginning in Malaga, where the promise of adventure with Two Guys Tripping awaits. It’s a place we can really call ‘home’.
La Marina, with its contradictions and lessons, will always be a part of my story, a reminder that home isn’t always a place but, sometimes, the journey itself.
You May Also Like:
- Exploring Laguna Salada De La Mata: A Gem Among Torrevieja’s Salt Lakes
- Indulge Your Senses at El Rincon Del Bakery La Marina: Coffee, Mochas, Pastries & Beyond
Your support truly means the world to us. Seriously, folks!
Should our content inspire you, offer assistance, or even save you a bit of cash, we warmly invite you to consider supporting our blog. A quick tap on the ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ button below can make a tremendous difference. 😍
¡Adiós amigos!
Share This Post
