Ciudad Quesada and the local area Over the years, Ciudad Quesada has developed into an award winning urbanization located on south facing slopes with commanding views over the salt lakes of Torrevieja and La Mata. One of these is an actual working salt lake considered to be the most important in Europe, the other being a nature reserve. Beyond them the Mediterranean sea glistens on the horizon and further views take in the mountains and inland plains covered with orange and lemon groves filling the air with delicate aroma in flowering seasons. Amongst the many facilities are an aqua park, the La Marquesa 18 hole golf course, a bowls club and “El Recorral”, a nature reserve park with purpose built BBQ ranges and picnic areas. There are numerous bars, restaurants, shops, supermarkets, hairdressers, banks and medical centres. Many bars and restaurants offer live entertainment and several have swimming pools and childrens play areas. There are also many outstanding golf courses in the area including La Finca, Real Campoamor, Las Ramblas and Villamartin where they have in the past held the Spanish Open. The Hotel Laguna has a wonderful spa and fitness centre and for the more energetic, horse riding and tennis is available nearby as well as a scuba diving centre. A 10 minute drive through orange groves takes you to Guardamar and one of the longest and best beaches on the whole of the Costa Blanca, set against a backdrop of palm groves planted on the dunes. Guardamar is a typically Spanish town with a beautiful marina and is well known for it´s seafood cuisine. Each of the local towns and villages holds at least one weekly market, with stalls filling the side streets where you can browse and shop for some great bargains. Fruit and vegetables, cooked food and wine in particular can all be bought very cheaply. This provides an ideal opportunity to mix with the friendly locals and soak up some of the culture and atmosphere. The area is quite cosmopolitan, so the many restaurants reflect the differing cultures and provide for all tastes. Excellent food,service and very reasonable prices can be found at many superb restaurants within a few minutes drive. The two main towns nearby, Guardamar and Torrevieja, cater for all tastes and budgets with many speciality restaurants along the beautiful promenades and marinas. Ciudad Quesada entrance There are numerous activities and excursions which can be found within a short distance of Ciudad Quesada, including go-karting, crazy golf, balloon flights over the Elche area, boat trips around the harbour and trips with “submarine” underwater viewing to the small island of Tabarca. A little further afield are the attractions of “Aqualand” , a huge aqua park near Benidorm as well as “Mundomar” next to it, a superb sea life centre well worth a visit. “Terra Mitica”, Spain's answer to Disneyland is also close to Benidorm, about 1¼ hrs drive away. This boasts a wealth of attractions based on similar themes to Disneyland with various worlds to visit and many rides and events within each one. However, if this is all too much, perhaps the best thing to do is just lay back with a refreshing drink by the pool and soak up the fantastic sunshine!