Washblog

A Guide to Los Montesinos Costa Blanca - Nestled on the northern banks of the Torrevieja salt lagoon on both sides of the CV-945 road, the charming Costa Blanca village of Los Montesinos stands proudly in the hub of a rectangle with Dolores and Algorfa towards the north, Torrevieja and La Mata to the west, Campoverde and San Miguel towards the south and Orihuela and Benejuzar towards the east, which demonstrates that it truly is well serviced with a system of good highways and it is easily accessible to visitors.

The town gets its name from family of nobles who previously ruled over the local populace many centuries ago. With reforms started by the leading Spanish churchman Cardinal Belluga in the sixteenth century and carried on to modern times, Los Montesinos has developed and its citizens have become more positive about keeping order in their own town.

Los Montesinos in fact still came under the auspices of Almoradi right up until the 1990's, then it at long last gained its full independence from its neighbour, meaning that it was entitled to appoint its own mayoral representative and operate its own town council.

Los Montesinos moreover boasts what is alleged to have in the past been the most important route on the Iberian Peninsular, the Via Augusta, that is said to be along the route of the initial road from the city of Rome to Cadiz going back nearly two millenia and having as much significance as France's Via Domita and Italy's Via Apia.

The highway is nowhere near so notable today however much more impressive is the Nuestra Senora del Pilar church which was built in eighteen eighty six and stands at the heart of the village. A further structure from another century is the quite modern though spectacular Ayuntamiento (Town Hall), featuring its revolving glass doors it's a centerpiece of the pretty town square where the townsfolk assemble to chat, meet and greet.  

The economy of Los Montesinos was once dependent on agriculture and particularly oranges and lemons seen in such abundance in this area. But, this citrus farming is now being pushed into 2nd position by the tourism industry. Auspiciously located as it is Los Montesinos offers a lovely centre for the traveller and a large quanity of the newly built properties are procured especially for that purpose.

Present day visitors will soon discover that pretty much 50 percent of the bars, apartment blocks, cafes and stores tend to be quite modern though they tend to merge well with the older ones, you might need to look harder to find the typically Spanish ones.  

Los Montesinos puts on its own particular fairs, carnivals and fiestas with maybe amongst the most important being the Day of Segregation on the July 30th, which celebrates them gaining their independence from Almoradi. Additional significant carnivals occur in October and November.

Most certainly a visit to Los Montesinos really should not ignored and it will likely require an entire day to check out everything that this place has to offer plus some detective work to root out the traditional, older features of the village.

Further Reading - Almoradi: The Alicante village of Almoradi is populated by more or less 19,925 residents and is proud to be another of the traditional towns of the Vega Baja district. Almoradi is notable for being home to an ancient water tribunal that exists to sort out conflicts in relation to land irrigation (this is a key agricultural region), the water tribunal enforces penalties and fines in Vellon Reals (old coins dating from the region's historical past). Worth touring in the town of Almoradi are the Waterwheel of Alfeitami, the Casino, the Chapel and Old Hospital, the Iglesia Parroquial de San Andres and the Cortes Theatre where it is possible to watch traditional Spanish plays.

To Summarize - Should you be thinking about an excursion to the Costa Blanca, Spain this year, you might like to give some thought to driving up to the Vega Baja's Los Montesinos and taking a browse around this fabulous little place. Allow at least five or six hours for your visit, perhaps a complete day if you have the time, as besides visiting the variety of appealing visitor attractions that the village has to offer, make sure you spend a few moments in the pleasant town square and take in the peaceful scene.