Playa Mil Palmeras Orihuela
The last beach on the border with Pilar de la Horadada
Located right at the southern end of Orihuela Costa, Mil Palmeras beach is shared with the municipality of Pilar de la Horadada, and is separated from the rest of the Orihuela coastline by the valley of Cañada Matamoros. For this reason road access is not by the main road which serves Campoamor, La Zenia, Cabo ROig and the other main beach areas, but from the Mil Palmeras turn-off on the N-332, which leads directly into the Pilar de la Horadada part of the urbanization: it is then necessary to turn left and cross the valley. The municipal bus services do not reach this area.
As well as being separated geographically from Campoamor and the rest of Orihuela’s coastal residential areas and beaches, it also appears that to a large degree this area has been slow to attract the attention of town planners and developers: in fact, despite there being a number of properties dating back around twenty years, this is an unusual area in that quite a lot of urbanization work is still in progress. This can make access slightly frustrating, as the roads crossing the valley are subject to closure!
The beach itself, which has Blue Flag status, is listed as being 346 metres long and a maximum of 45 metres wide, and during high season (mid-June to mid-September) enjoys most of the facilities common to the rest of those in Orihuela. There are foot showers, waste paper bins, a children’s play area (all year round), a beach volleyball area, a lifeguards’ shelter, slatted wooden walkways to ease access, sunshades and sun-beds, a beach bar and toilets. In addition, any seaweed drifting ashore is removed daily, in high season the bins are emptied and the seawater and foot shower water is analysed every day, and information is provided regarding bathing conditions and the presence of jellyfish.
Parking is relatively easy at all times except the very height of summer, although most of the spaces are at the top of the small cliff which runs along behind the beach. However, spaces are reserved at the lowest part of the road for the disabled, who are also catered for in summer by a floating beach chair service. Those parking higher up can also access the beach via a stairway which runs down from the path alongside the apartment blocks.
Apart from the beach bar there are just a couple of eateries located behind the beach, but out of season they offer a far from complete service and visitors may find that the only option available is the hotel located at the northern end. Shopping facilities are equally limited, but just on the other side of the valley in the part of Mil 
Palmeras which belongs to Pilar de la Horadada there is a far wider selection of restaurants, bars, shops and even a chemist’s just half a kilometre away.
The only “standard” beach feature not available at Mil Palmeras is the hire of pedalo boats, but even so this is a popular beach in the summer, when the beach-front apartment blocks are extremely well populated.
Click for map, Playa Mil Palmeras
Click for overview of all beaches within the Orihuela municipality
