Sport:
Besides the sports and entertainment activities which are available at Castel Saba thanks to the infrastructures of theproperty, we propose several other activities for your stay. These activities can be either primary or secondary,
depending on the goal of your trip. All the activities presented in the paragraph below are developed with the support of local companies and professional and recognized monitors.
There also are 3 fitness centers in Pilar de la Horadada, which are located 15
minutes far from of the property, by car.
Several golf courses are located nearby and offer excellent game conditions. There is for example the Golf Lo Romero, situated at 5 minutes away by car from Castel Saba: it offers Green Fees, courses and initiations given by
professionals at very attractive prices for the customers of Castel Saba. The Green includes 18 holes, each one with its difficulties and its challenges! Lo Romero also offers the possibility to rent the clubs, for the children as well as for adults. Contact us for further information, photos, descriptions and documents!
In the region around the property, you also can go horseback-riding or reach thermal baths and cares.
Playas:
The region between Pilar de la Horadada and San Javier is a coastal region with very numerous white sand beaches and creeks, each one endowed with its particular charm. A lot of them is recognized for their cleanliness and their quality of sea water and received the label “Bandera Azul”1 awarded by the European Union. They are free beaches, with seaside basic infrastructures (WC, showers) and a lot of chiringuitos, small beach bars, which are perfect for a coffee, a cocktail or a fast meal. There also are several nautical companies, where it is possible to practice all kind of
aquatic sports, as for example jet-ski, wake board, windsurf, sailing, fishing or the scuba diving.
Regional beaches are : Playa de Vistamar, Playa de Mil Palmeras, Calas de Rocamar, Playa Los Jesuitas, Cala El Rincón, Playa El Conde, Playa El Puerto, Playa Las Villas, Playa Las Higuericas, Playa El Mojon.
El Rio Seco:
The Rio Seco is a natural area spread on 19 km, connecting among others Pinar de Campoverde with Mil Palmeras, on the seaside. It is the bed of a dried up river, which shelters a protected and very specific fauna and a flora. Several birds, small mammals and batrachians live in this protected area. There you also can observe there limestone’s formations and the various geological layers, which testify of the very former age of the reserve.
The path is marked out and therefore ideal for walks or mountain bike excursions. Two routes are possible, either 2 km, or 10 km long. The zone is provided with camping installations, with showers with warm water and WC, with sources of drinking water, with barbecues, with picnic zones, with a parking and with shelters and informational boards concerning the hiking trail, as well as the fauna and the flora of the reserve. On the Internet there are several documents presenting the Rio Seco, which will give you with more precise information about the reserve.
Culture:
People have been living in the regions since a very long time, as show several discoveries of Iberian, Roman or Arabic culture. The origins of Pilar de la Horadada thus go back to the presence of a city-stopover, given its coastal location. Romans called the village Thiar, a stopover along the Via Augusta, situated between the cities of Ilici and Carthago Nova (currently Cartagena). Stones of the Roman quarry of Pilar de la Horadada probably were used to pave Via Augusta. The archaeological findings done on the local sites are nowadays in the municipal museum, the museum Gratiniano Baches. This museum also proposes sections dedicated to the environment, to paleontology, to numismatics and to ethnology. Thus its visit allows obtaining a global image of the regional resources’ evolution. Later, in the XVIth century, further to numerous pirates' raids, guard towers were built. There still is a famous one in the region, Torre de la Horadada, today a private property. You also need to know about the numerous churches of
the region, particularly the church Virgen del Pilar, with a bell tower from the XIXth century.
Nowadays, Pilar de la Horadada is a municipality gathering 70 nationalities and approximately 22 ' 500 inhabitants. The city has an important cultural offer, including exhibitions, courses and activities, concerts and several celebrations all year round.
Gastronomy:
In the regional culture, gastronomy occupies an important place. Among the typical dishes of Pilar de la Horadada, you can find the potatoes stew with meat, the balls stew, the rustic rabbit with garlic or the gachas migas. You can also taste all kind of tapas, as well as various dishes with rice. Meat dishes usually consist of stuffed or grilled meats, accompanied mostly with mixed salads, with regional vegetables (lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, aso.). The sea products fished in the surroundings are typical dishes as well: you can try them fried or a la plancha.
Concerning the desserts, there are several kinds of pastries as mille-feuilles, cordiales and churros, as well as many varieties of citrus fruits that are cultivated in the region. The provinces of Alicante and Murcia also have favorable soils to the vineyard culture. Thus the region offers perfect white or red wines to match with the meals.