How far is the airport?

20 minutes by car or the C-6 bus — among the shortest airport runs of any Costa Blanca retirement town.

Is Gran Alacant the same as Santa Pola?

Administratively yes, but it's a separate hillside urbanisation between the airport and town. Much more international, more amenities on site, but you need a car or bus to reach the seafront.

Are the beaches good?

Yes — Gran Playa and Playa Levante are wide, sandy, Blue Flag and shallow. Excellent for older swimmers and grandchildren.

What's the foreign community like?

A solid mix of Brits, Belgians, French and Norwegians, concentrated in Gran Alacant. The town centre is more Spanish.

Yes — the coastal cierzo is real, especially January–March. It also keeps summers tolerable when inland Murcia bakes.

Retirement town

Retiring in Santa Pola

A working fishing port south of Alicante with long sandy beaches, salt flats full of flamingos and prices that undercut Torrevieja while keeping you 20 minutes from Alicante hospitals and airport. Santa Pola is one of the most overlooked value picks on the Costa Blanca.

Last updated 15 June 2026

Why retirees pick Santa Pola

✦20 minutes from Alicante airport and the major hospitals
✦Long flat promenade — ideal for daily walks, cycling and mobility
✦Active fishing fleet means fresh seafood at the lonja every afternoon
✦Natural park (salt flats) with flamingos right behind the town
✦Property 15–25% below Torrevieja for equivalent beach proximity

Monthly cost of living — couple, 2-bed apartment

Item	Comfortable (€/mo)
Rent (2-bed, near beach)	700–1,000
Mortgage (€180k, 20y)	880
Community fees	50–120
Utilities + internet	140–190
Groceries	420–520
Private health (couple 65+)	250–340
Eating out + leisure	280–420
Car	180–250
Total	€2,050–€2,850

Where to live

✦Centro / Puerto — apartments by the marina, walk to market and lonja
✦Playa Levante & Gran Playa — wide sandy beach, modern blocks, lifts
✦Gran Alacant — gated hillside urbanisation between Santa Pola and the airport, very international, all amenities on site
✦Playa Lisa & Tamarit — quieter sandy beach east of town, lower-rise
✦Cabo de Santa Pola — clifftop villas with sea views, car essential

Healthcare

Centro de Salud Santa Pola covers the town; the Hospital General Universitario de Elche (15 min) and Hospital General de Alicante (25 min) handle hospital care. Private: Vithas Medimar Alicante and HLA Vistahermosa are both 25 minutes away.