# Living in Torrevieja: natural hazards, housing and amenities Torrevieja is a municipality in the province of Alicante, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain, with 98,533 registered residents (1 January 2025). The centre lies outside mapped flood areas. Resale homes pay 9 % transfer tax (ITP). This overview covers 8 topics from official open data, measured at the centre; values at a specific address can differ. As of: 9 November 2026 · Source: https://www.place-check.com/places/spain/torrevieja ## About Torrevieja ### Torrevieja: living between the Mediterranean and the salt lagoons Torrevieja sits on the southern coast of Alicante province, in the Comunitat Valenciana, with the Mediterranean to the east and extensive salt lagoons inland. Its identity combines a working salt-producing town with a large international residential community and a busy seaside holiday destination. Living here means sharing the waterfront with visitors, while relying on a town whose everyday life continues beyond the summer season. With around **98,500 residents** in January 2025, Torrevieja is more than a small beach resort. Its population grew by **16.4% over five years**, an important backdrop for anyone assessing local services or looking for a permanent home rather than a holiday base. ### Living in Torrevieja: a coast shaped by salt Salt production helped shape Torrevieja’s development, and the lagoons remain central to its landscape. The Torrevieja and La Mata lagoons form a protected natural area, giving the town a distinctive inland setting alongside its beaches, harbour and seafront promenades. That geography offers different ways to spend time outdoors: walking beside the sea, visiting the lagoon surroundings or using the beaches. It also means that “near the coast” does not describe every home equally well. A property’s relationship to the waterfront, the lagoons and the main roads matters more than the Torrevieja label alone. The town’s international character is an established part of daily life, particularly among people settling on the Costa Blanca for retirement or a coastal lifestyle. Spanish remains important for dealing with public services and participating more fully in local life. ### Shops, healthcare and schools for year-round life Torrevieja has the resident population to support services outside the holiday season, but convenience needs checking at address level. Within 2 km of the report’s centre point, OpenStreetMap records six supermarkets and grocery shops, four pharmacies, three doctors’ practices, seven schools and two nursery schools. These are mapped listings, not a complete service directory. They also do not establish school places, teaching languages, healthcare eligibility or opening hours. The distances from the centre illustrate why a seemingly central location is not automatically convenient for every errand. The nearest mapped supermarket is about 1.3 km away, the pharmacy about 1 km and the doctor or health centre about 1.7 km, all measured in a straight line. A hospital is approximately 1.9 km away. For families, the useful test is the actual route between home, school and everyday shopping. For retirees, it is worth giving similar attention to pharmacy access and the journey to medical appointments, rather than judging a home mainly by its distance from the sea. ### Commuting from Torrevieja: roads rather than rail Transport is one of the clearest practical limits to moving to Torrevieja. **No railway line runs within 12 km** of the centre, so it is not a rail-based commuter town. Longer journeys depend on road transport. The N-332 coastal road passes about 2 km from the centre, and the nearest motorway junction, exit 758, is around 4.9 km away. Alicante-Elche Airport is approximately 34 km away in a straight line; that figure is not a driving distance or a journey-time estimate. Locally, the mapping records 22 public transport stops within 2 km, with the nearest about 200 m from the centre. This suggests nearby access to public transport, but says nothing about routes, frequency or evening services. Anyone planning to live without a car should check the journeys they would actually make, including airport travel and medical visits. ### Moving to Torrevieja: housing and seasonal rhythms Torrevieja’s permanent population and holiday economy overlap. Seafront leisure areas can feel different during busy visitor periods, while a home used throughout the year needs to work just as well outside beach season. Viewing only during a quiet period can leave an incomplete impression of nearby activity. The supplied housing figures show rising prices across the **Comunitat Valenciana**, with annual growth of 13%. That is regional context, not a Torrevieja valuation or evidence that every local property has risen at the same rate. For buyers and renters, the more useful comparison is between specific homes: access to shops, building condition, outdoor space and exposure to surrounding activity. Remote workers should also verify internet availability at the property rather than assume that a large coastal town guarantees a suitable connection. ### Who Torrevieja suits—and what to check at the address Torrevieja suits people who want Mediterranean coastal life within a substantial, international town, and who are comfortable organising longer journeys without rail. Its beaches and lagoon landscape are strong attractions for retirees and remote workers; families need a closer look at school arrangements and daily routes. The report’s centre lies outside the nationally mapped river and coastal flood areas for the stated return periods. It is also outside the strategic noise-map contours, but those maps cover only certain major sources and do not guarantee quiet. Neither finding applies automatically to every property. Before committing, check the exact address for flood exposure, traffic and nightlife noise, practical walking routes, transport services and how the building feels in both busy and quieter periods. ## Where Torrevieja is Torrevieja is a municipality in the province of Alicante, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain (INE municipality code 03133). The centre lies at about 0 m above sea level, on level ground. - Province: Alicante - Autonomous community: Comunitat Valenciana - INE code: 03133 - Elevation of the centre: 0 m ## Population Torrevieja had 98,533 registered residents on 1 January 2025 (+16.4 % over five years), according to the municipal register (padrón). The mean age is 43.9 years; 21.4 % of residents are 65 or older; 16.6 % are under 18 (2024). The average household has 2.4 people. Average net income is €10,379 per person and €25,633 per household a year (2024, INE household income atlas, based on tax records). - Residents (1 Jan 2025): 98,533 - Change over five years: +16.4 % - Mean age: 43.9 years - Net income per person (2024): €10,379 ## Housing: prices, rents and purchase taxes In Comunitat Valenciana, house prices changed by +13.0 % over the last year (resale homes: +13.8 %) and by +54.5 % over five years, according to the INE house price index (IPV) for 2026Q2. The index is only published per autonomous community and does not give prices per square metre. Rents in Torrevieja changed by +4.8 % year on year in 2024 (INE rental price index, IPVA). Buying a resale home in Comunitat Valenciana costs transfer tax (ITP) of 9 % of the price, rising on a scale to 11 % above €1,000,000. A new home bought from a developer pays 10 % VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty (AJD, 0.5 to 1.5 % depending on the region) instead. Reduced rates exist, for example for young buyers, large families or a main residence. Torrevieja is not a declared stressed rental market area under Spain's 2023 Housing Act (declarations published up to 3 November 2026), so the rent caps for such areas do not apply. - House prices, year on year (Comunitat Valenciana): +13.0 % - House prices, five years: +54.5 % - Rents, year on year (2024): +4.8 % - Transfer tax (ITP), resale: 9 % - Stressed rental area: no ## Everyday life and amenities Within 2 km of the centre, OpenStreetMap lists 6 supermarkets and groceries, 23 restaurants, 3 cafés, 18 bars, 7 schools, 2 nursery schools, 3 doctors' practices, 4 pharmacies and 22 public transport stops. Nearest to the centre, in a straight line: supermarket, about 1.3 km; pharmacy, about 1.0 km; doctor or health centre, about 1.7 km; nursery school, about 1.5 km; public transport stop, about 200 m; hospital, about 1.9 km. ## Noise and traffic The N-332 runs about 2.0 km from the centre. No railway line runs within 12.0 km. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Alicante-Elche (ALC), about 34 km in a straight line. The centre is not inside any noise contour of the strategic noise maps (European Environment Agency, 2022); the maps only cover major roads, railways, airports and large urban areas, so this is no guarantee of quiet. ## Natural hazards The centre lies outside the river and coastal flood areas mapped by Spain's national flood mapping system (SNCZI) for 10-, 100- and 500-year return periods. Small streams and dry riverbeds (ramblas), flash floods after torrential rain (DANA) and urban runoff are largely not mapped: "not mapped" does not mean "no risk". Under Spain's seismic building code (NCSE-02), Torrevieja has a basic seismic acceleration of 0.14 g, so buildings must be designed to resist earthquakes. Since 2000, the European seismic catalogue (EMSC) lists 54 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 km, the strongest of magnitude 4.5 (2003). No landslides or other ground movements are documented within 2 km of the centre (IGME BDMoves inventory). - Flood area at the centre: none mapped - Seismic acceleration (NCSE-02): 0.14 g ## Connections and internet The nearest motorway junction (exit 758) is about 4.9 km from the centre. 100 % of households in Torrevieja can get fibre to the home (FTTH) and 99 % at least 1 Gbit/s; 5G reaches 100 % (operator data, 2025). Coverage can differ from street to street. ## Climate and sun On 21 December the centre gets about 9:18 h of direct sun, on 21 June about 14:36 h (terrain only; buildings and trees not included). A solar PV system at the optimal tilt yields about 1,670 kWh per kWp a year here (PVGIS). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a flood risk in Torrevieja? The centre lies outside the river and coastal flood areas mapped by Spain's national flood mapping system (SNCZI) for 10-, 100- and 500-year return periods. Small streams and dry riverbeds (ramblas), flash floods after torrential rain (DANA) and urban runoff are largely not mapped: "not mapped" does not mean "no risk". For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### What purchase tax do you pay when buying a home in Torrevieja? Buying a resale home in Comunitat Valenciana costs transfer tax (ITP) of 9 % of the price, rising on a scale to 11 % above €1,000,000. A new home bought from a developer pays 10 % VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty (AJD, 0.5 to 1.5 % depending on the region) instead. Reduced rates exist, for example for young buyers, large families or a main residence. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### Is Torrevieja a stressed rental market area? Torrevieja is not a declared stressed rental market area under Spain's 2023 Housing Act (declarations published up to 3 November 2026), so the rent caps for such areas do not apply. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### Is Torrevieja in an earthquake zone? Under Spain's seismic building code (NCSE-02), Torrevieja has a basic seismic acceleration of 0.14 g, so buildings must be designed to resist earthquakes. Since 2000, the European seismic catalogue (EMSC) lists 54 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 km, the strongest of magnitude 4.5 (2003). For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### How many people live in Torrevieja? Torrevieja had 98,533 registered residents on 1 January 2025 (INE). For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ### Are there schools and shops in Torrevieja? Within 2 km of the centre, OpenStreetMap lists 6 supermarkets and groceries, 23 restaurants, 3 cafés, 18 bars, 7 schools, 2 nursery schools, 3 doctors' practices, 4 pharmacies and 22 public transport stops. For an exact address, Place Check creates a separate report with the values at that point. ## Sources - Photon geocoder (OpenStreetMap data) (komoot / OpenStreetMap contributors; ODbL 1.0): https://photon.komoot.io - CartoCiudad reverse geocoding (municipio, provincia, comunidad autónoma) (Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) / CNIG, CartoCiudad; CC BY 4.0; data 2025-02): https://www.cartociudad.es/geocoder/api/geocoder - INE: Padrón municipal (population), Atlas de distribución de renta de los hogares (ADRH: demographics, income) (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE); INE terms of use (free reuse incl. commercial, citing the source); data padrón 1 Jan 2025; ADRH 2024): https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736177088&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735976608 - INE Índice de Precios de Vivienda (IPV, base 2025, by comunidad autónoma) and Índice de Precios de Vivienda en Alquiler (IPVA, by municipality) (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE); INE terms of use (free reuse incl. commercial, citing the source); data 2020Q3-2026Q2): https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/es/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736152838&menu=ultiDatos&idp=1254735976607 - OpenStreetMap via OpenFreeMap vector tiles (OpenMapTiles schema) (OpenStreetMap contributors; tiles: OpenFreeMap (fallback VersaTiles); ODbL 1.0 (OpenStreetMap data); OpenMapTiles schema CC BY 4.0; data 2026-11-01): https://openfreemap.org/ - Transitous stop index (MOTIS 2 map/stops) (Transitous (community service); timetable data per transitous.org/sources; Transitous usage policy: non-commercial only (fallback, replace before launch); data per source licences; data 2026-11-09): https://transitous.org/sources/ - Transitous public transport routing (MOTIS 2) (Transitous (community service); timetable data per transitous.org/sources; Transitous usage policy: non-commercial only (fallback, replace before launch); data per source licences, OSM ODbL; data 2026-11-10): https://transitous.org/sources/ - Strategic noise maps (Environmental Noise Directive, round 2022), EEA noise contours (European Environment Agency (EEA), data reported by the member states; EEA standard re-use policy (CC BY 4.0); data 2022): https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise - Purchase taxes (ITP by comunidad autónoma; IVA / AJD) and stressed rental zones (Ley 12/2023), static tables (Regional tax laws (BOE / regional gazettes); Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana, quarterly BOE resolutions; Official legal texts (BOE: free reuse, Real Decreto 1495/2011); data 2026-11-04): https://www.boe.es/ - SNCZI flood hazard maps T10/T100/T500 (fluvial) and T500 (coastal), INSPIRE WMS (Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO), served by the IDEE / IGN; CC BY 4.0): https://sig.miteco.gob.es/snczi/ - BDMoves landslide inventory and Mapa de Movimientos del Terreno 1:1,000,000 (Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME-CSIC); CC BY 4.0): https://mapas.igme.es/gis/rest/services/BasesDatos/IGME_BDMoves_ES/MapServer - NCSE-02 seismic code, Annex 1 (basic acceleration per municipality); EMSC earthquake catalogue (FDSN event service) (Ministerio de Fomento / IGN (NCSE-02, BOE); European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC); BOE: free reuse; EMSC data policy (free use with attribution); data 2000-2026): https://www.seismicportal.eu/ - Cobertura de banda ancha en España, by municipality (FTTH, ≥ 100 Mbit/s, ≥ 1 Gbit/s, 4G, 5G) (Ministerio para la Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública, Secretaría de Estado de Telecomunicaciones e Infraestructuras Digitales; Public sector information, free reuse with attribution (Ley 37/2007, RD 1495/2011; datos.gob.es); data 2025-06-30): https://digital.gob.es/telecomunicaciones-infraestructuras-digitales/areas-interes/banda-ancha/informacion-cobertura - Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m surface model, read live) (European Space Agency (ESA) / Copernicus, served by AWS Open Data; Copernicus DEM licence (free use with attribution); data 2021): https://copernicus-dem-30m.s3.amazonaws.com/ - Terrain horizon + sun path, computed from Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (radius 20 km) (European Space Agency (ESA) / Copernicus, served by AWS Open Data; Copernicus DEM licence (free use with attribution); data 2021): https://copernicus-dem-30m.s3.amazonaws.com/ - PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (1 kWp, crystalline Si, 14 % losses, optimal angles) (European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC); EC reuse notice (Decision 2011/833/EU), reuse incl. commercial with acknowledgement; data PVGIS-SARAH3 2005-2023): https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/ --- What is it like at your address? Create a report for your exact address: https://www.place-check.com/es?address=Torrevieja