Guardamar del Segura: 11 km of Beaches, a Pine Forest and Phoenician Ruins

Guardamar del Segura is a coastal town of 18,564 residents in Alicante province, and it suits beach holidays for people who want long sand backed by dunes and pines rather than a high-rise seafront. The regional tourist board counts 11 km of beach here, plus an 800-hectare pine forest and two protected archaeological sites in the dunes. It is part of our Costa Blanca guide, in the southern half of the coast.

Quick facts

• Where: Guardamar del Segura, in the Baix Segura (Vega Baja) area of Alicante province, Valencian Community. The Segura river meets the sea here, which gives the town its name (regional tourist board).
• Residents: 18,564 on 1 January 2025 (INE).
• Beach: yes, in town. The regional tourist board describes 11 km of beach, and the town beach (Playa Centre) is 427 m long and sits next to the centre.
• Airport: Alicante-Elche is the nearest main airport, but we found no official distance or transfer time, so check a route planner.
• Nearby towns: Torrevieja, Santa Pola and Rojales are the closest CostaMap guides.
• Language: Spanish and Valencian are the co-official languages of the Valencian Community.
• Market day: not confirmed in the sources we read; ask the tourist office.
• Heritage: a medieval castle, the Rábita Califal and the Phoenician port city of La Fonteta, all within a short walk of each other.

Where to base yourself

The sources do not rank areas for visitors, so the options below follow how the regional tourist board describes the beaches, which run in a line along the coast. From north to south the board names Vivers, Babilònia, Centre and La Roqueta, and its itinerary also lists the beaches of del Campo, del Moncayo and Tusales. Check a map before booking.

The town centre and Playa Centre

Playa Centre is 427 m long, with fine sand and dunes behind it, according to the regional tourist board. A seafront promenade lined with restaurants runs along its whole length, and the board lists hotels, toilets, foot-washing showers, lifeguards, a bar, a restaurant, parking and wheelchair access among its services. Choose it if you want to walk from your door to the sand, a meal and the rest of the town without a car.

The dune beaches: Vivers and Les Ortigues

Vivers is the longer, wilder option: 1,210 m of open coast with the Segura river to the north and Babilònia beach to the south. The regional board describes fine, golden sand and lists boardwalks, lifeguards, parking, windsurfing and wheelchair access, but also marks it as a natural beach with few built services. Les Ortigues is described in similar terms, with fine sand, a drinks kiosk and foot-washing fountains in high season. These stretches suit walkers, windsurfers and anyone who would rather bring a picnic than eat on the promenade.

Skip the dune beaches if you want a shop, a café and a bus stop at your feet. The quieter the sand, the longer the walk from the nearest bar.

Things to do

The regional tourist board proposes a two-day visit, and the sights fall into three groups: the old defences, the archaeology in the dunes, and the pine forest between town and sea.

The castle

The Castle of Guardamar is a medieval fortress built on a site with remains from the Iron Age, according to the regional tourist board’s itinerary. The board suggests returning to it at sunset. Opening hours and entry rules are not given, so ask the tourist office before you go.

The Rábita Califal and La Fonteta

Two archaeological sites sit among the dunes, each about twenty minutes’ walk from the castle, according to the same itinerary. The Rábita Califal de las Dunas is an Islamic monastic complex, described by the regional board as the only one preserved almost entirely, with 23 oratory cells. It is a Bien de Interés Cultural, the highest level of heritage protection in Spain. La Fonteta is a Phoenician port city, also a Bien de Interés Cultural, made up of a wall, a perimeter street and attached houses. Both are ancient and fragmentary, so expect low walls and information panels rather than reconstructed buildings.

Museum

The Museu Arqueològic de Guardamar (MAG) holds Pliocene fossils and material on Phoenician culture. It is a sensible wet-weather stop and a good companion to the sites in the dunes.

The dunes and the pine forest

The Pinada de Guardamar covers 800 hectares beside the Mediterranean, with pines, palms, cypresses and eucalyptus, and the regional board calls the dune system the most important on the Mediterranean coast. The board’s itinerary suggests a walk through the dunes and pine forest down to the sea. The dunes were planted and are fragile, so stay on the marked boardwalks and paths.

Beaches and places nearby

Beach choice here is mostly a question of how much service you want. The regional tourist board lists lifeguards and walkways at both Playa Centre and Vivers, and describes calm water along the beaches in its itinerary. Blue Flag listings change every season, so check the current year’s list on the day rather than relying on a page that gives no date.

For a day out, the neighbouring towns are the easiest options. Torrevieja is the largest, Santa Pola has its own beaches and harbour, and Rojales is a river town inland in the Vega Baja. The wider picture is in the Costa Blanca guide.

Other town guides nearby: Tabarca Island (about 18 km in a straight line), Elche (Elx) (about 20 km in a straight line), Callosa de Segura (about 20 km in a straight line).

On CostaMap near Guardamar del Segura: Salinas de Santa Pola (11 km).

Food and drink

The regional tourist board singles out two local products. The ñora is a dried pepper that adds flavour and aroma to rice dishes. The langostino is a local prawn with a tricolour tail in purple, red and yellow. If you see either on a menu, that is the regional way to order, and rice dishes are the obvious place to try the ñora.

The promenade at Playa Centre has restaurants along its length, which makes it the simplest place to eat after the beach. We found no source for a weekly market day or for specific restaurant recommendations, so ask at the tourist office rather than trusting a list.

Where to stay

The regional tourist board lists hotels among the services at Playa Centre, so the centre is the place for a conventional hotel or apartment stay with restaurants close by. The dune beaches have little built around them, so staying near them usually means a short drive or a longer walk to the sand. None of the sources we read give accommodation prices, so we do not quote a price level; compare current offers for your dates, and book early for July, when the main fiestas fall.

Getting there and around

By air, Alicante-Elche Airport is the nearest major airport for the Costa Blanca. We did not find an official distance or transfer time to Guardamar, so use a route planner and check the current bus and taxi options for your arrival time. By road, the town sits between Santa Pola to the north and Torrevieja to the south, and both are covered by our own guides.

We could not confirm bus timetables or fares from an operator page, so check the operator before you travel. The town centre, the promenade and the castle are walkable. The Rábita Califal and La Fonteta are about twenty minutes on foot from the castle, according to the regional tourist board, so plan the sights as one walk. Parking is listed as a service at both Playa Centre and Vivers, with no capacity or cost given.

Best time to visit

For climate we use AEMET standard values for the Alicante station (1981 to 2010), the nearest listed station on the same coast; Guardamar itself may differ slightly. The year averages 18.3 °C and 311 mm of rain, with 2,851 hours of sunshine. July averages 25.5 °C with a mean maximum of 30.3 °C, and August averages 26.0 °C with a mean maximum of 30.8 °C. January averages 11.7 °C with a mean maximum of 17.0 °C. September is the wettest month at 56 mm and July the driest at 4 mm.

July and August are the beach months. Late spring and early autumn suit the castle, the archaeological sites and the dune walks better, because the walking is in the open and the sand reflects the heat. The town’s main fiesta is Moros y Cristianos in honour of Sant Jaume, held in the second half of July and declared of Autonomous Tourist Interest. It includes the legend of L’Encantà, the Pacto de Tudmir, the Moors’ and Christians’ processions, a mascletà, correfocs and fireworks from the sea. The exact dates change each year, so check the town hall before booking.

FAQ

Is Guardamar del Segura a good base without a car?

For the beach and the town, yes. Playa Centre is next to the centre, with a promenade, restaurants and hotels. The castle and the archaeological sites are about twenty minutes’ walk apart. For Vivers and the wider dune coast, a car or bike helps.

How long is the beach at Guardamar?

The regional tourist board describes 11 km of beach in total. Playa Centre is 427 m and Vivers is 1,210 m.

What is there to see besides the beach?

The castle, the Rábita Califal, La Fonteta, the Museu Arqueològic de Guardamar and the 800-hectare pine forest. The regional board suggests two days to cover them.

When are the fiestas?

The Moros y Cristianos fiesta in honour of Sant Jaume takes place in the second half of July. Dates vary by year, so check with the town hall.

Is Guardamar crowded in summer?

We found no visitor counts, so we cannot give a figure. The dune beaches are long and have fewer built services than the town beach, which is the practical difference between them.

Sources and freshness

Last checked: October 2026.

• INE, population by municipality (1 January 2025)
• Comunitat Valenciana tourist board, Guardamar del Segura
• Comunitat Valenciana tourist board, what to see in Guardamar del Segura
• Comunitat Valenciana tourist board, Els Vivers beach
• Comunitat Valenciana tourist board, Playa Centre
• Comunitat Valenciana tourist board, Les Ortigues beach
• Comunitat Valenciana tourist board, Moros y Cristianos en honor a Sant Jaume
• AEMET, climate values

Main photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.