Housing
The municipality is really two worlds. In the town itself, often called Pueblo by estate agents, you live in village houses, terraced homes and small apartment blocks, with shops, schools and the health centre within walking distance. In recent years new developments have also gone up on the edge of town.
Around it lie the urbanisations, each with its own character:
- Cerro del Sol and La Cañada: quiet areas close to the town, with bungalows, linked houses and detached villas, often with a communal pool
- Ciudad de las Comunicaciones: a spacious villa area south of the town
- Blue Lagoon and Las Filipinas: on the Villamartín side, with apartments, bungalows and villas close to golf and shops
- Smaller areas such as Lomas del Golf, Balcón de la Costa Blanca, Mirador del Mediterráneo and Eagles Nest
Note that Villamartín, Las Colinas, Las Ramblas and Vistabella lie just across the boundary, in the municipality of Orihuela. In the urbanisations you will need a car for almost everything.
Work and economy
Traditionally San Miguel de Salinas lived from farming, and the countryside still has citrus groves and fields. Since the building boom of the 1990s and 2000s, construction, property and garden maintenance, estate agency and services for the many foreign residents have become major employers.
Most jobs in hospitality, healthcare, education and retail are in Torrevieja, along the Orihuela Costa or at the golf resorts nearby. The international schools in the municipality also employ English-speaking teachers. Public transport is limited, so expect to commute by car every day. Remote workers will find it peaceful; do check fibre coverage for each address, as it varies between the town and the urbanisations.
Population
According to the INE, San Miguel de Salinas had almost 7,000 registered residents on 1 January 2024. After a dip around 2017 the number has risen every year since. The town hall says the real number of people living here is considerably higher, because many residents never register on the padrón.
San Miguel is one of the most international municipalities in the area. In 2022 just over half of residents had been born abroad, with the British by far the largest group, followed by Germans and Moroccans. Northern Europeans mostly live in the urbanisations, while the town centre keeps a Spanish rhythm, with an active music society and close family ties. Registering on the padrón is worth it, as it helps decide how many doctors and services the town receives.
Schools and education
For a municipality of this size there is a wide choice, largely thanks to two international private schools.
- Escuela Infantil Maestro Enrique: public nursery for the youngest children; there are also private nurseries
- CEIP Gloria Fuertes: public infant and primary school in the town
- IES Los Alcores: public secondary school
- El Limonar International School Villamartín: British private school for ages 3 to 18, in the Blue Lagoon urbanisation
- Phoenix International School: private school teaching in English, from nursery to bachillerato
- Municipal adult education centre
State schools teach in Spanish, with Valencian and English as subjects. Children who start young usually pick up Spanish quickly.
Distances from the centre
| Supermarket | in town, approx. 0.5 km |
| San Miguel de Salinas health centre | in town, approx. 0.5 km |
| Pharmacy | approx. 0.3 km |
| Primary school (CEIP Gloria Fuertes) | approx. 0.5 km |
| Secondary school (IES Los Alcores) | approx. 1 km |
| Beach (Torrevieja or La Zenia) | approx. 12 to 14 km, 15 min |
| Golf course (Villamartín, Las Ramblas, Las Colinas) | approx. 5 to 9 km, 8 to 12 min |
| Hospital (Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja) | approx. 9 km, 12 min |
| Torrevieja (centre) | approx. 13 km, 15 min |
| Orihuela | approx. 30 km, 30 min |
| Alicante (city) | approx. 65 km, 45 min |
| Alicante-Elche airport | approx. 55 km, 40 min |
| Murcia airport (Corvera) | approx. 55 km, 40 min |
Shops and markets
The town has everything for daily life: supermarkets, bakeries, butchers, pharmacies, banks and a good number of cafés and restaurants around the centre. The larger urbanisations, such as Blue Lagoon, also have small commercial centres with a supermarket, bars and restaurants.
On Wednesday mornings a large weekly market of more than a hundred stalls is held in Calle Juan XXIII. You can buy fruit and vegetables, olives, clothing and household goods.
There are more markets nearby, including Friday afternoons in Los Montesinos and Saturdays in Playa Flamenca. For shopping centres, DIY stores and big chains, head to Torrevieja or La Zenia on the Orihuela Costa, both about fifteen minutes away.
Culture and sights
San Miguel's history goes back to a small settlement around 1600, although older traces have been found in the area. The town first gained its own council in 1813, lost it a few times, and became permanently independent of Orihuela in 1836. The earthquake of 1829 left much of the town in ruins.
- Iglesia Parroquial de San Miguel Arcángel, the parish church from the early 18th century, with protected status
- Archaeological remains at La Zahurda
- Los Alcores, a landscape of sandstone ridges west of the town
- Old country houses such as Casa Lo Meca and Casas Nuevas
From the higher parts of town you look out over the Torrevieja salt lagoon, a lovely sight at sunset.
Local festivals
| Festival | When | What |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival | February or March | A parade of floats and a fancy dress competition through the town. |
| Semana Santa (Holy Week) | week before Easter | Processions, including a staging of the Passion and a Roman centurion guard. |
| Fiestas Patronales San Miguel Arcángel | second half of September, main day 29 September | The main festival, with parades, music, neighbourhood dinners, a children's mascletà and the procession on the patron saint's day; the programme runs on to around 7 October (Virgen del Rosario). |
| Santa Cecilia | around 22 November | The music society celebrates its patron saint with concerts and a parade introducing new musicians. |
Healthcare
The town has the San Miguel de Salinas health centre, the hub of a health zone within the Torrevieja Health Department. Besides San Miguel it serves Los Montesinos, Torremendo and Entrenaranjos. This is where you register with a GP, paediatrician and practice nurse.
To be honest, the centre is busy. Officially it covers about 15,500 residents, but far more people actually live in the area, and consultations rose sharply in 2025. An extension has been under discussion for some time.
For X-rays, specialists, rehabilitation and A&E you go to Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja, about 9 km or a quarter of an hour by car. There are pharmacies in the town and near the larger urbanisations.
Outdoor leisure
If you enjoy walking or cycling, this is a good base. South and west of the town lies the Sierra Escalona, a protected range of hills with pine woods, gullies and rare birds of prey such as Bonelli's eagle. The area is shared between San Miguel, Orihuela and Pilar de la Horadada.
- Walking and cycling routes through Los Alcores and the Sierra Escalona
- The pink Torrevieja salt lagoon with its flamingos, a short drive away
- Golf courses at Villamartín, Las Ramblas, Las Colinas and Vistabella, all within about 10 km
- Beaches and promenades of Torrevieja and the Orihuela Costa about fifteen minutes away
In July and August the daytime heat is intense, so walk early in the morning.
Indoor leisure
Cultural life in the town centres on the Casa de Cultura in Plaza Jaime I and the municipal library. There are performances, exhibitions and courses, and the music society gives regular concerts. The town also has its own local radio station.
For indoor sport there are municipal sports facilities, and the urbanisations have private gyms and clubs, often with classes in English. Many foreign residents are active in clubs for cards, quizzes, dancing or volunteering.
For cinema, larger shopping centres, theatre and a wider choice of restaurants, drive to Torrevieja or La Zenia on the coast. On the rare rainy day, that is the obvious escape.
