Looking for somewhere to stay similar to Benalmadena?

hi all we have just come back from 2 great weeks in benalmadena with are 2 kids who are 1 and 5.we are looking at booking somewere for next year we found benalmadena had loads to do for kids but also keep its Spanish charm we had a water park, mini train, hop on hop off bus, dolphin shows, a zoo and there were play parks all over without need to hire a car. we were looking at staying in Europa 3 apartments in torrevieja is there much to do for kids around there without need to hire a car or would we need a car. i hear there are 2 waterpark one in torrevieja which I believe is walkable from apartment and other in la siesta also a safairi park in elche would we be able get a bus to water park in la siesta and safari park or are there any excursion shops that do trips there. also have far is a walk to the beach from there? is torrevieja much like what we had in benalmadena or would people recommened else were any info and advice would be great.thanks

Hello and welcome. Firstly, this is actually a Ciudad Quesada site. Quesada is some 10km inland from Torrevieja however, we are a very helpful bunch.
Torrevieja is nothing like Benalmadena. Your apartments are next to the Park of Nations which, while being a pleasant stroll to feed the ducks, doesn't have much going on although I think there is a small play park for kids nearby.
There is a mini train which goes around the centre of Torrevieja but no hop on and hop off bus.
Quite a walk to the Torrevieja water park from there. Yes, you can get a bus to the one at La Siesta which would be ideal for children of your age. No bus to the safari park at Elche, though. It is actually in the countryside between Santa Pola and Elche. There are a few coach trip companies but none that do the safari park that I know of. However, they do the Terra Natura (zoo) trips to Murcia and Benidorm and pick up near where you are staying.
Again, a bit of a walk to the beaches from there especially if you want the big, wide beaches a bit further along at either the Orihuela Costa one way or those of La Marina the other. The beaches in Torrevieja are quite small and very busy.
There is, however, a very good local bus service in Torrevieja and you can get virtually anywhere by using it.
The promenades by the port are excellent for strolling along with the odd beach and swimming area but, as I said, it is nothing like Benalmadena.
I know Benidorm is not exactly the most exclusive of areas (but neither is Torrevieja) but does have everything on hand for kids and adults. You could possibly look there for everything you want.
Alternatively, we in Quesada enjoy a lovely area with our own waterpark, loads of bars and restaurants etc. However (lots of howevers in this) you would need a car to get anywhere as our bus service is very limited.

Totally different areas but Quesada does have loads to offer. I always recommend car hire to be able to take advantage of the many things to see and do in the area. If you are looking to try our area I would suggest that you check out the advice here and if the area interests you then come here to see what we have. But I strongly recommend car hire as without it you will miss out.

Went to Benalmadena in April and loved it. Sorry to say but nowhere on the coast here can match it in terms of the bus service and trains to take you to all the tourist attractions if you don't want to hire a car.

thanks for the info would you say it is safe to walk around the town centre at night as have been told there are a lot of muggings and crime and people say they didnt feel safe walking around at night.we were looking at going in august so we didnt have to take are 5 year old out off school would you say the beaches would be to busy in torriejva then did also look at la mata which would you say would be best for us? really didnt want to have to hire a car and drive on holiday as drive alot at home for my job and dont really want to drive on holiday.looking aroud other forums it did seem like they would be quite a bit for children there been told there is water park that i mentioned also lots of parks about and habaneras shopping centre were they have kids work shops and a ten pin bowling alley and there is also a soft play area there to but then others tell me not to bother and there isnt much for kids so dont know what to believe?is there any other areas you would suggest if you dont think torriejva or la mata be suitable for us with kids?thanks

Hi laurastokeshughes, and welcome to the forum

I have a holiday home in Quesada and can't speak highly enough of the place, the food, the people, etc. My experience is that the town centre is very safe to walk around at night. My place is a good mile from the town centre and I have walked home many a time close to (and occasionally after!) midnight and not seen or experienced anything untoward.

Being roughly 5 miles from the nearest beach (Guardamar) you would definitely benefit from hiring a car. I hire a car but then only use it to visit the beach, do a big supermarket shop and days out - I walk the rest of the time. We have a great waterpark in Quesada which is brilliant for your childrens' ages. Apart from that though, my personal view is that there is not a huge amount going on for young children and if you're after a place where there are lots of different activities, good public transport and various in walking distance, then I'd second marcliff's suggestion and consider Benidorm.

I hope you find the place that's right for you and your young family soon

Gilly

Torrevieja (as it appears on the map) is actually spread into several different regions which all run into each other. It had a bad reputation about 10 years ago for muggings and street crimes but has been cleaned up immensely. Of course, like any other large town or city (it has a population of around 100,000 which increases to around 600,000 during the summer) there are some areas which should be avoided.
The centre (Torrevieja itself) has a couple of small beaches but is mainly a port and marina area. Lovely for walking round but the town itself is not the prettiest. I think you would find the area you are talking of to be very noisy with many people from Madrid coming down and it is very close to the main roads. A couple of places have kids areas and there are two really good shopping malls (Habaneras and Zenia Boulevard) with bowling alleys and kids areas. There are loads of good restaurants, bars and nightclubs but not really much for young kids. The water part is quite expensive and not so good for younger children. The plus side is that it has a good bus service to get you around.
To the north is La Mata. This, again, has very little for young children but nicer beaches.
To the south is the Orihuela Costa which has some lovely beaches and is a very popular holiday area. Again, mainly for adults as it consists of tourist shops, bars, restaurants and so on but many, many to choose from. It has a Go Kart track (again maybe a bit old for your two) but a good bus service.
All the other places are inland and buses tend to peter out a bit. You can get to the Flamingo water park at La Siesta (ideal for your two) by bus and back again from Torrevieja but the buses don't go much further than that.
My grandkids love coming here (to Quesada) and have done since they were young. However, we have needed a car to get to the safari park and use the coach trips to get further afield like Benidorm and even Alicante or Cartagena (trying to find parking spaces in the summer is horrendous hence using the coaches).
If you are looking for somewhere similar to Benalmadena I'm afraid there's not a lot in this area. Only Benidorm has all the things available for all ages but, again, is hectic and in-your-face brash during the summer.