Ciudad Quesada is often chosen for its golf courses first, but the beaches of the Costa Blanca South are just as close, and just as much a part of daily life here. This guide covers the beaches within easy reach of Rojales, what makes each one different, and how long it actually takes to get there.
Guardamar del Segura — the closest beach town
Guardamar del Segura is the nearest coastal town to Ciudad Quesada, around a 5-minute drive along the CV-895. It’s a working beach town rather than a purpose-built resort, with several kilometres of open sandy beach backed by an extensive stretch of protected dunes and pine forest (planted in the 19th century to stop the town being buried by shifting sand, and now a genuine nature reserve you can walk or cycle through). The beaches here are generally quieter and less developed than Torrevieja’s, with a handful of relaxed beach bars (chiringuitos) rather than a built-up promenade — a good fit if you want the sea close by without the busier resort atmosphere.
Guardamar also has its own small marina, a Saturday market, and a compact old town, making it a genuine day-out destination rather than just a stretch of sand.
La Mata — a protected natural beach
Between Guardamar and Torrevieja lies La Mata, a long beach backed by the Parque Natural de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja — a protected wetland nature reserve known for its pink-tinged salt lagoons and the flamingos that visit them. La Mata beach itself is broad and sandy, with a relaxed, low-rise village behind it rather than high-density development, largely because of the protected status of the land immediately behind the dunes. It’s a good option if you want beach time combined with walking or cycling through genuine nature, rather than a beach that’s purely about the sand.
Torrevieja — the regional hub
Torrevieja is around a 15-minute drive south via the N-332, and it’s the largest town on this stretch of coast — a proper seaside city with a long promenade, a working marina and fishing port, and by far the widest choice of restaurants, shops, and nightlife in the immediate area. Its beaches (Playa del Cura and Playa de los Locos among the best known) are more built-up and busier than Guardamar or La Mata, with the amenities of a full resort town directly behind them. If Guardamar and La Mata are for a quieter beach day, Torrevieja is where you go for a livelier one — or simply for a wider choice of places to eat afterward.
Torrevieja is also known for its pink salt lake (part of the same lagoon system as La Mata), which is worth seeing even outside beach season — see our Torrevieja guide for more on the town itself.
Best time of year for the beach
The Costa Blanca South’s climate means the beach season runs considerably longer here than in Northern Europe — sea temperatures stay swimmable well into October in a typical year, and the shoulder months either side of summer often bring the best balance of warm weather, quieter beaches, and lower crowds than the peak of July and August. For residents rather than short-stay holidaymakers, this longer realistic beach season is one of the quieter benefits of living here full-time rather than visiting for a fixed one- or two-week window.
Which beach suits you?
- Want the shortest drive? Guardamar del Segura, at around 5 minutes from Ciudad Quesada.
- Want nature alongside the beach? La Mata, for the protected lagoons and dune walks.
- Want restaurants, nightlife and a proper town? Torrevieja, around 15 minutes away.
In practice, most residents of Ciudad Quesada end up using all three at different times — Guardamar for a quick afternoon swim, La Mata for a weekend walk, Torrevieja for an evening out — rather than picking just one.
Getting to the beach without a car
Most residents of Ciudad Quesada drive to the coast, since it’s genuinely only a few minutes away and the area isn’t built around a walkable seafront the way a purely coastal town is. That said, local bus routes connect Rojales and Ciudad Quesada with Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja, and taxis are widely used and reasonably priced for the short hop to the coast — a realistic option for anyone not wanting to drive, or for an evening out in Torrevieja where you’d rather not worry about parking or driving back.
Beach facilities: what to expect
All three main beaches covered here — Guardamar, La Mata, and Torrevieja — are well-equipped by Spanish coastal standards: sunbed and parasol hire in season, lifeguard cover during the main season, and accessible parking within a short walk of the sand. Guardamar and La Mata, being less built-up, have fewer facilities directly on the beach itself compared with Torrevieja’s busier stretches, but both have beach bars and cafés close by. None of the three require a long walk from parking to the water, which matters more in practice than it sounds, especially with beach chairs, umbrellas, and children in tow.
Beach life alongside golf at Residencial Montesol
The proximity of good beaches is one of the reasons Ciudad Quesada works well as a golf destination rather than just a golf destination on paper: you can genuinely play a morning round and be at the beach in the same afternoon, without either activity eating up the whole day in transit. Residencial Montesol — two new build townhouses with private gardens, private solariums, and access to a communal pool — sits within this same short radius of both the golf courses covered in our golf courses guide and the beaches above. See our The Homes page for the full specification, or our Location page for more on the wider area.
If you’d like to arrange a viewing, get in touch via our Contact page.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Ciudad Quesada from the sea in a straight line?
Ciudad Quesada sits around 6km from the Mediterranean coast, with Guardamar del Segura the closest point to reach it by road.
Is it easy to walk from Ciudad Quesada to the beach?
No — Ciudad Quesada is an inland urbanisation, not a seafront town, so reaching any of the beaches covered here means a short drive, taxi, or bus rather than a walk.
Which beach is best for families?
Guardamar and La Mata both suit families well — broad, gently sloping sand and calmer, less crowded stretches than Torrevieja’s busiest beaches. Torrevieja works too, but is generally livelier and busier in peak season.
Are the beaches quiet outside summer?
Yes — like most of the Costa Blanca, the beaches here are considerably quieter from autumn through spring, while the mild climate still makes a beach walk enjoyable well outside the height of summer.
Can you combine a beach day with golf?
Easily — this is one of the practical advantages of the area. A morning round at one of the courses covered in our golf courses guide and an afternoon at the beach are realistically the same day, not two separate trips.
Residencial Montesol, our new build development in Ciudad Quesada, is a short drive from these beaches — see the full listing for details.