The street market — the mercadillo — is an institution in Spain, and the southern strip of Alicante is no exception. Almost every day of the week one is setting up somewhere a few minutes’ drive away: open-air stalls with locally grown fruit, clothes, shoes, ceramics, spices, bags and plants. It’s one of the most authentic morning plans in the area, and we recommend it to almost everyone who stays with us. Here’s the guide, with more ideas on our page about what to see and do nearby.
The markets by day
Days can shift with the season, so it’s worth checking before you set out, but these are the usual ones:
- Saturday mornings — the one in Torrevieja, at the Recinto Ferial fairground, is the biggest around: hundreds of stalls and plenty of atmosphere. The Cabo Roig market, smaller and concentrated by the car park, is great for fruit and beachwear. San Miguel de Salinas, further inland, keeps the feel of a village market.
- Sunday mornings — Villamartín Plaza is the closest to the apartments, right in the commercial square, with a mix of local and international stalls. Algorfa, an inland village, has a very traditional market.
Most open early, around 8:30–9:00, and start packing up around 13:30–14:00.
What to buy
- Fruit and vegetables from the Valencian market gardens: tomatoes, oranges, pomegranates, artichokes — far tastier than the supermarket.
- Olives and olive oil from the Vega Baja, loose and well priced.
- Ceramics and earthenware from the inland villages, perfect as a useful souvenir.
- Beachwear, linen and handmade bags, with prices open to negotiation if you buy a few things.
- Cheeses and cured meats from the refrigerated-van stalls.
Tips to make the most of them
- Go early: the best produce goes fast, and from around 12:30 many stalls start packing up.
- Bring cash in small notes; some take cards, but most don’t.
- A cloth bag or a basket is far handier than the little plastic bags.
- In summer, a hat and water: the markets are in full sun.
- Haggling is accepted, politely, on clothes and crafts, less so on food.
- The Sunday market at Villamartín pairs wonderfully with breakfast or an aperitif on one of the square’s terraces.
Where to stay to have it all close by
Most of these markets are a few minutes from our apartments in Orihuela Costa. El Bosque, in Playa Flamenca, makes a handy base: a short walk from Villamartín Plaza for the Sunday market, with a communal pool — and a children’s area — to cool off afterwards, and a short distance from the coves. It sleeps up to four.
You book directly with us, the owners, with no platform commission, a four-night minimum and check-in from 15:00. If you’d like us to tell you which market falls best for your arrival day, write to us: we’ll fit it in with the rest of the week’s plans.
