Complete guide to Guardamar del Segura: the sand dunes, beaches, property prices and why this natural paradise is perfect for Swedish buyers seeking peace and quiet.
Guardamar del Segura is a coastal town of just over 20,000 inhabitants at the mouth of the River Segura on the southern Costa Blanca, and it is one of the most naturally beautiful options for Swedish property buyers in the province of Alicante. Here you get 11 kilometres of golden beach, 800 hectares of protected sand dunes with pine forest, a genuine Spanish town life with a Wednesday market and restaurants — and property prices that still sit below the coastal average, at around 2,300 to 2,650 euros per square metre. Unlike the neighbouring town of Torrevieja, Guardamar has retained a calmer character without mass tourism, but with sufficient services to live here permanently. From Guardamar you reach Alicante airport in 35 to 45 minutes and Torrevieja centre in 15 minutes by car.
This guide is written for those considering buying property in Guardamar del Segura. I go through the sand dunes, beaches, current prices, climate, everyday life and what distinguishes Guardamar from nearby areas like Torrevieja and La Mata.
Guardamar del Segura is located on the Mediterranean coast in the southern part of the province of Alicante, in the Valencia region. The town is situated at the mouth of the River Segura — the longest river in south-eastern Spain — and borders the El Hondo nature reserve to the west and the Mediterranean to the east. Guardamar belongs to the municipality of the same name and is administratively an independent town, not part of Torrevieja as many people think.
Distances worth knowing:
From Sweden there are direct flights to Alicante from Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö during high season, and year-round connections via SAS, Norwegian and Ryanair. This makes Guardamar one of the most accessible Spanish coastal communities for Swedish buyers.
Locally, a car is in practice a necessity. There are bus connections to Torrevieja and Alicante, but frequency is limited. Within Guardamar itself you can easily get around on foot or by bike — the town is compact and flat.
Information
Guardamar del Segura is its own municipality with its own local government, its own planning and its own tax rates. This means among other things that the IBI (property tax) and municipal fees can differ from Torrevieja. Always check with your solicitor which municipality the property belongs to.
The sand dunes — Dunas de Guardamar — are Guardamar's absolute trump card and what makes the town unique on the entire Costa Blanca. It is an 800-hectare protected natural area that stretches along the coast, consisting of sand dunes stabilised with pine forest, eucalyptus, cypress and palm trees.
The history is fascinating. During the 19th century the sand dunes threatened to bury the entire town of Guardamar. The sand was advancing inland and covering buildings and agricultural land. Between 1900 and 1930 engineer Francisco Mira i Botella led an enormous replanting project: over 600,000 trees were planted on 800 hectares to stop the sand's advance. The result is the unique pine forest that today covers the dunes and creates a green belt between the town and the beach.
The project was so successful that the area is today classified as an SCI (Site of Community Importance) — protected under the EU's Habitats Directive. This means the dunes and forest can never be built on.
Tips
Enter the dunes via the entrance at Calle Ingeniero Mira (in front of Parque Reina Sofía) — this is the main entrance with the best signage and parking. Early mornings or late afternoons give the best light and fewer visitors.
For those thinking about buying property in Guardamar, the dunes mean three things:
Few places on the Costa Blanca offer this combination of beach, protected forest and town life within walking distance.
Guardamar has 11 kilometres of sandy beach spread across eight named beaches, all with fine golden sand and relatively shallow water. This makes Guardamar one of the most beach-rich municipalities on the entire Costa Blanca.
What makes Guardamar's beaches special:
Information
Playa del Moncayo and Playa de la Roqueta have received Blue Flag awards on multiple occasions — an international quality stamp that guarantees clean water, good services and environmental management.
Fastigheter
Utforska tillgängliga fastigheter i guardamar
Se aktuella bostäder i området och jämför lägen, prisnivåer och boendetyper i lugn och ro.
Guardamar's property market has grown steadily in recent years, but the town is still more affordable than many other coastal communities in the province of Alicante — and considerably cheaper than the northern Costa Blanca.
Current price data (2025/2026):
Apartments:
Bungalows and townhouses:
Villas:
Price development in recent years:
| Year | Average price (€/m²) | Change | |------|----------------------|--------| | 2025 | 2,339–2,634 | +5.4% | | 2024 | 2,498 | +8–10% | | 2023 | ~2,200 | +6–8% |
Forecasts for 2026 show continued price increases in Guardamar, driven by increased demand from European buyers and limited supply of beachside properties. Prices are still 10 to 20 percent lower than in the most expensive parts of Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa however.
Obs!
Always factor in 10 to 14 percent in additional costs on top of the purchase price. This includes transfer tax (ITP, 10 percent in the Valencia region), notary fees, land registry registration and solicitor's fees. For new builds, 10 percent VAT (IVA) plus stamp duty applies instead.
Guardamar shares the semi-arid Mediterranean climate that characterises the southern Costa Blanca — a climate that the WHO has recommended as one of the world's best for people with joint and respiratory problems.
Temperatures throughout the year:
Key figures:
The pine forest and dunes create a favourable microclimate in Guardamar. The trees provide shade on hot days and protection from the wind, which can make it feel more pleasant than on more exposed beaches further south.
Obs!
The DANA phenomenon (heavy rainfall events) can occur in autumn, particularly September to October. The River Segura has historically flooded during extreme weather. Always check the elevation of the property you are looking at and avoid ground-floor units in low-lying areas near the river mouth.
Guardamar has grown rapidly and in September 2025 passed the historic milestone of 20,000 registered inhabitants — an increase of over 15 percent in less than a decade.
The international community consists primarily of British, Scandinavian and Dutch residents who have settled permanently. But unlike more international enclaves like Orihuela Costa or central Torrevieja, Guardamar has retained a predominantly Spanish character. Spanish families, retirees and young couples make up the majority of the population.
For Swedish buyers:
This is an advantage if you want to integrate and live the Spanish way. It is a disadvantage if you are looking for an entirely Swedish context within walking distance — for that, Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa is more suitable.
Guardamar's Wednesday market is one of the highlights of the week and one of the most popular markets on the southern Costa Blanca. The market is held at the La Redonda car park and surrounding streets and offers everything from fresh fruit, vegetables and olives to clothing, shoes, ceramics and local crafts. People come from across the region, and the atmosphere is genuinely Spanish — nothing tourist-tailored about it.
Guardamar's old town (casco antiguo) climbs the hill towards the castle ruins. Castillo de Guardamar was built in the Middle Ages and partially destroyed in the great earthquake of 1829, but the lower walls and towers remain and offer views over the town, sea and river mouth.
In the old town you find narrow streets with whitewashed houses, small squares with outdoor seating and an atmosphere that is a reminder that Guardamar is actually a historic town — not a tourist resort built in the 1970s.
Museo Arqueológico de Guardamar is worth a visit. Here finds are displayed from La Fonteta (a Phoenician trading post) and the Caliphate Rábita — Spain's oldest known rábita, an Islamic monastic complex from the 10th century. The museum's crown jewel is a copy of the Dama de Guardamar, an Iberian sculpture from the 4th century BC. Admission is free.
The River Segura flows into the sea at Guardamar and creates a green river delta with rich birdwatching. Just west of the town lies the El Hondo nature reserve — a 2,387-hectare wetland area with saltwater lakes that host one of Spain's most important breeding sites for rare bird species.
Guardamar has a broad restaurant offering for its size — considerably better than smaller neighbouring towns:
In addition to the dunes and beaches, Guardamar has several parks:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
This is the most common question from Swedish buyers looking at the area. All three are close together, but the character differs clearly.
Torrevieja is a city of around 100,000 inhabitants with full city services: a hospital, supermarkets, shopping centres, nightlife and one of Spain's largest international communities. Guardamar is a third the size, calmer, more Spanish and closer to nature. Torrevieja has shorter, fuller beaches; Guardamar has 11 kilometres of beach with pine forest behind.
Choose Guardamar if you prioritise nature, tranquillity and Spanish character. Choose Torrevieja if you want everything within walking distance and a large Swedish community.
La Mata is a small community (around 1,300 inhabitants) that belongs to Torrevieja's municipality. La Mata has a fantastic 2.3 km sandy beach and the Las Lagunas nature reserve right next door, but lacks its own centre with restaurants, shops and a market in the way Guardamar does. Guardamar is a complete town with its own services; La Mata is more of a residential area.
Choose La Mata if you want maximum tranquillity and the feeling of a small coastal community. Choose Guardamar if you want similar nature but with more town life and services.
| Aspect | Guardamar | Torrevieja | La Mata | |--------|-----------|------------|---------| | Population | ~20,000 | ~100,000 | ~1,300 | | Beach | 11 km, 8 beaches | Several, shorter | 2.3 km, one beach | | Nature | Sand dunes, pine forest | Salt lakes | Nature reserve | | Services | Good, own municipality | Complete | Basic | | Prices (€/m²) | 2,300–2,650 | 2,400–3,000 | 2,600–2,750 | | Character | Spanish, historical | International | Quiet, local | | Nightlife | Moderate | Wide offering | Minimal |
Fastigheter
Utforska tillgängliga fastigheter i guardamar
Se aktuella bostäder i området och jämför lägen, prisnivåer och boendetyper i lugn och ro.
Kontakt
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Snittpriset i Guardamar del Segura ligger runt 2 300 till 2 650 euro per kvadratmeter (2025/2026). En tvårumslägenhet kostar från cirka 85 000 euro i standardskick, medan strandnära lägenheter med havsutsikt kan kosta 180 000 till 280 000 euro. Priserna har stigit med cirka 5 till 10 procent per år de senaste åren.
Guardamar har totalt 11 kilometer sandstrand fördelat på åtta stränder, från Los Tusales i norr till Les Ortigues i söder. De mest populära är Playa Centro, Playa de la Roqueta och Playa del Moncayo, alla med fin guldsand och blåflaggad kvalitet.
Dunas de Guardamar är ett 800 hektar stort skyddat naturområde med sanddyner och pinjeskog som sträcker sig längs kusten. Området planterades med över 600 000 träd mellan 1900 och 1930 för att stoppa sandens framfart mot staden, och är idag ett unikt ekosystem med vandringsleder och rik biologisk mångfald.
Det tar cirka 35 till 45 minuter att köra från Guardamar del Segura till Alicante-Elche flygplats via AP-7 motorvägen. Avståndet är ungefär 40 kilometer.
Ja, Guardamar har en stor onsdagsmarknad som hålls vid La Redonda-parkeringen och omgivande gator. Här säljs frukt, grönsaker, kläder, hantverk och lokala specialiteter. Det är en av de mest populära marknaderna i södra Costa Blanca.
Sources
Everything about La Mata near Torrevieja: 2.3 km sandy beach, nature reserve with flamingos, property prices, lifestyle and tips for those looking to buy on the Costa Blanca.
Everything you need to know about Orihuela Costa on Costa Blanca: areas, property prices, climate, beach life and tips for buying property in southern Spain.
Ciudad Quesada: property prices, climate, Scandinavian community, golf and tips for those looking to buy near Torrevieja — guide for Swedish buyers 2026.
