Crowded but fun
So, I have to admit, I had low expectations for Santa Pola....but I must admit that I had a very fun morning at the beach at the Santiago Bernabeu Coves in downtown Santa Pola. The beaches are wide and quite crowded, but it's a very fun, family-friendly atmosphere and the crowds are a mix of elderly people, families, young people, and tourists. Sometimes there can be algae in the water, but if you stick close to the rock jetties a.) the water is a lot clearer, and b.) it's less crowded.
One of the curious things about Santa Pola is that literally everyone brings beach umbrellas and chairs, then crowds together and creates that amounts to a canopy of sun umbrellas. It's quite odd, actually, especially when there are large stretches of open, unoccupied beach and then hundred of people clumped together. But, the spirit of summer fun hangs over this beach and it's infectious! I, for one, like small, desolate beaches, but I had a blast here. We spent the morning swimming, walking out on the rocks, and having some refreshing beers at the Peña Grande beach bar.
