Playa del Carabassí

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Playa del Carabassí

Beach of fine golden sand and transparent water in a natural environment of dunes and pine trees. Located 9 km south of the city of Alicante.

Playa del Carabassí is a beautiful beach of almost 2 km. It’s a natural spot on Costa Blanca, located between Santa Pola and Arenales del Sol. Although it is an urban beach and is easy to get to, it has the charm of a virgin beach. Playa del Carabassí is in an area of ​​great ecological value. It’s set in a natural park surrounded by high dunes, fossil dunes and pine forests. It’s accessed through long wooden walkways that pass over the dunes to protect them. Small reptiles live in the dunes among the bushes and fig trees. The pine forest (about 100 m from the shore) offers an ideal area for picnics, with designated places. It’s perfect to relax in the shade or take a nap.

The beach and walkways have spectacular views over the island of Tabarca and the cliff of Carabassí. The beach is at the feet of this rocky cliff. On top of it is the lighthouse of Santa Pola, providing amazing views over the whole coast. People often paraglide from the cliff. If you do not dare to try it, it’s a show that you will enjoy from the sand.

Carabassí has ​​a part towards the south classified as a nudist beach. There you will find bathers with and without swimsuits. It has been awarded the Blue Flag by the European Foundation for Environmental Education. There is a snorkelling area at the rocky south end of the beach. The whole beach is perfect for swimming laps or taking a refreshing dip.

How to get to Playa-del-Carabassi-

Almost everyone arrives by Avda San Bartolomé de Tirajana. You can park your car at the sides of this road. From there you can go along the walkways above the dunes to the beach.

How to get to Playa-del-Carabassi-

Wooden walkways protect the dunes. They have great views over the Island of Tabarca, the dunes and the beach.

How to get to Playa-del-Carabassi-

The walkways that give access to the beach are numbered from 1 to 6. They all have bins, footbaths and an information map.

Playa-del-Carabassi---swimming beaches

Playa del Carabassí is wilder towards the south (which is the nudist /naturist zone).

Playa-del-Carabassi---dunes

The buildings in the distance are Arenales del Sol (a summer town). Large dunes are along the entire length of Playa del Carabassí. To the south, the beach is rockier.

Playa-del-Carabassi- nature, birds lizards

The pine groves behind the southern part of the beach are ideal for sitting in the shade or taking a walk. They are home to many lizards and birds.

Playa-del-Carabassi--wooden walkways

The walkways pass over dunes and pine forests. Walkway number 1 leads to the south of the beach and is longer.

Playa-del-Carabassi-dunes--swimming beaches

The part of the beach near Arenales del Sol is where most people go. In summer it’s packed. Yet, there are hardly any people on the paths of the dunes.

Playa-del-Carabassi---rocky part of southern end of beach

At the south of the beach where Playa del Carabassí ends, Playa de la Ermita begins. There are usually many vans and campers here.

dog beach on Playa-del-Carabassi---

There is a dog beach if you walk further south.

map of Playa-del-Carabassi walkways

There are information panels on the beach showing the walkways (and their numbers) to the beach. Walkway 1 branches into 2 paths, both bringing you to the wilder part of the beach.

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Check out the best Wild Swimming spots on the COAST!

Cala Granadella
Cala Portitxol
Playa del Carabassí

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SWIMMING SPOTS

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Swimming Holes
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HOW TO GET TO - Playa del Carabassí

Getting There

Getting There

How to get to Playa del Carabassí Beach?  

From Alicante by car, take Avenida de Elche and turn left. Turn left again towards Urbanova, El Altet and Arenales del Sol. Past the latter and before Santa Pola, is Playa del Carabassí.
By bicycle, you can follow the same route. You will only have a bike path for the first 2 km, so be careful.

If you are coming from Santa Pola, take the road towards Arenales del Sol. It runs along the coast, first passing an area of rocks and then of dunes with fine golden sand. To the right are the coves of Cape Santa Pola and to the left the imposing rock of the Sierra de Carabassí.

Transport Options

Car, bike and bus (Alicante - Santa Pola line). There is a public bus service from Santa Pola. In summer there is also one from Elche, passing through El Altet and Arenales del sol.

Parking

Parking the car is easy since there are 3 large car parks (free). Even in the middle of summer, it has enough parking spots.

One parking has spots by the roadside (Av San Bartolomé de Tirajana) and the other 2 are on the edge of the narrow road called Camino del Carabassí. The first two car parks have wooden walkways built over the dunes, through which you can access the beach. The walkways have beautiful views of the coast. From the third parking lot to the beach, there are no walkways. You have to walk on the dunes.

Location

Spain, Alicante

Villages Nearby

Gran Alacant (500 m), Arenales del Sol (600 m), Santa Pola (4 km), Alicante (11 km)

Difficulty Level

It’s easy to get to Playa del Carabassí. Although it’s a rustic beach, it has urbanized areas nearby. Thanks to the wooden walkways above the dunes, the walk between the car park and the beach is short.

Walking Time to Swimming Spot

The walkways are numbered from 1 to 6. Those closest to Arenales del Sol (numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) are short and take only about a minute. Walkway 1 (closest to the nudist area to the south) is longer and can take about 7 minutes on foot.

Drinking Water Spots

None

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USEFUL INFORMATION - Playa del Carabassí

Handy Things to Know

When to Go & Opening Times

None. This place to swim is open 24 hours a day. Avoid going on weekends, and the months of July and August

Entrance Fee

None

Activities

Swimming, diving (although there is little to see), paddle surfing, kayaking.

This beach often has strong wind, so it’s also ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Hiking in the mountains at the foot of the Lighthouse of Santa Pola. Picnic under the pines.

Facilities

Playa del Carabassí has ​​many services: Walkways to the beach, 3 parking areas and footbaths. In summer there are also toilets, cleaning services and lifeguards. Umbrellas and sunbeds can be rented for about € 25 per day. There is an area to practise nautical sports such as windsurfing or kitesurfing.

Kids

Playa del Carabassí is ideal to go with young children. The water is clean and the shore does not have a steep slope. Hence you can enter the water little by little and you will still be able to stand.

Dogs

You cannot go with dogs to this beach. Between Playa del Carabassí and Santa Pola there is a small dog beach so that your furry friend can swim. It’s between the rocks, under the lighthouse, near Caleta dels Gossets.

There is also a dog beach at the entrance of Urbanova coming from Alicante.

Skinny Dipping

Yes. The nudist area is at the southern end of Playa del Carabassí and is signposted. You will also see people wearing swimsuits there since it is more of a mixed beach.

Wheelchair Access

Yes. Thanks to the wooden walkways that pass over the dunes, there is easy access from the parking lot to the beach.

Restrictions

It’s forbidden to smoke, make fires, litter, and park in non-authorized areas.

Remember that most sun creams contaminate the water, try to apply them well before taking a dip.

(Scientists have discovered that sunscreen releases significant amounts of titanium dioxide, which damages aquatic life. Soaps have phosphates, are also non-biodegradable and harm the environment).

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Things to Do – Playa del Carabassí

Things to Do

Things to do near Playa del Carabassí

Next to Carabassí Beach is El Clot de Galvany wetland, of great environmental value. Clot de Galvany is a set of ponds connected with the pine forests and dunes of El Carabassí. It’s ideal for taking a walk along its trails or going on a bicycle. It also has a picnic area in the countryside a few meters from the sea. It has Aleppo pines, holm oaks, olive trees and aromatic shrubs (thyme, lavender and rosemary). It serves as a home for endangered birds. You can observe them from the wooden lookout huts next to the ponds where they usually congregate. The presence of water in this area is seasonal, so the vegetation and fauna vary depending on the time of year. In this undulating landscape, there are a couple of bunkers from the Civil War.

We recommend going to the Lighthouse of Santa Pola, on top of Mount Carabassí. The viewpoint (about 100 m from the Lighthouse) offers impressive views of the entire coast and the Island of Tabarca. We also recommend going to this Island. You can reach it by ferry from Alicante and Santa Pola. It’s surrounded by a protected maritime zone which is interesting for divers and snorkelers. To the right of the island, there is a cave with a giant grouper. If you see it, greet it on our behalf!
Many people paraglide from the Lighthouse of Santa Pola over the area. You can fly with another person in case you don’t want to do it by yourself.

 

Check out these amazing natural pools in the province of ALICANTE!.

Guadalest Reservoir is the ideal lake to take a refreshing dip in an amazing natural setting.  The views from the lake to the mountains and its turquoise colour will surprise you.

Algar Waterfalls are close to Benidorm and possibly are the most beautiful waterfalls in Alicante. The crystalline natural pools in the course of the river invite bathing or having a picnic next to them.

For a dip in beautiful swimming holes in Alicante, check out Barranco de la Encantada (swimming hole with waterfall) and Pou Clar (group of small swimming holes).

To swim on the coast in Alicante, Cala Granadella, Cala Portitxol, Cala Ambolo and Cala Moraig are all amazing. They will remind you of Ibiza!

Where to Eat

Most summers there is a beach bar during the day. On the road bordering Playa del Carabassí (Av San Bartolomé de Tirajana, 50) you’ll see a bar on the promenade called La Milla. It’s open all year round.

This street passes Arenales del Sol town. On it, there are plenty of restaurants. In most, you also have take-away food. The rice dishes are typical of the area, so they are always a good option. Foreigners often go to restaurants at Gran Alacant that serve foreign food.

Accommodation

The beach is in a natural environment but with urban centres nearby. You can easily find accommodation in Alicante, Santa Pola, El Altet, Gran Alacant and Arenales del Sol.

Geography

Altitude

0 m. (0 ft)

Size

It has a length of almost 2 km and an average width of 80 meters.

Under Foot

Fine sand of golden colour

Maximum Water Depth

The depth increases little by little as you go deeper into the water. After entering about 10 m, it will be more than 2 m deep and you will not be able to stand.

Minimum Swimming Level

As the depth increases little by little, you can calmly soak your feet or go up to your waist without danger on days when there are no strong waves.

Shade

There is sun all day long (on a sunny day). In the southern area of ​​the beach, there are trees and there you can shelter from the sun, but they are at a considerable distance from the sea. This is why almost everyone goes to the beach with a parasol.

How Clean is the Swimming Spot?

The beach is very clean.

Water

Underwater

Depends on the day. Some days the visibility is very good (7 m) and other days it’s very limited (30 cm).

In the northern part of the beach, there is little to see (seaweed and some fish). In the southern end it’s more rocky and you might see more fish and other marine species.

Water Temperature

Temperate in summer, cold in winter

Water Colour

It depends on the day and the season. In general, the water is blue-green. When the sea is calm the water is crystal clear and if there has been a storm it turns a blue-brown colour.

How Clean is the Water?

Clean (the beach has been awarded the Blue Flag).
WILD SWIMMING
IN ALICANTE

 Wild-swimming-in-the-ocean--beaches-and-coves

Check out the best Wild Swimming spots on the COAST!

Cala Granadella
Cala Portitxol
Playa del Carabassí

Keep it Clean!

The Rules

Clean the swimming holes!

Swimming Safety

Read these Tips
&
be Safe
when Wild Swimming

DESTINATIONS

UK
Spain
Bali
Belize
Mexico
Trinidad and Tobago
Costa Rica
India
Martinique

SWIMMING SPOTS

Best places to swim in nature in the world

Check out the best places to go wild swimming, by the TYPE of swimming spot

Swimming Holes
Lakes
Rivers
Waterfalls
Sea

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