Pilar de la Horadada: a place that exudes history and charm

An interesting town with a lot of history, Pilar de la Horadada is the perfect location for your COSTA BLANCA HOLIDAYS. The town of Pilar de la Horadada can trace its history back to the ancient Iberians. Built on the Mediterranean coastline it was often attacked by the infamous Barbary Pirates. In order to warn the locals of an imminent attack, they built a 15th century watchtower near Torre de la Horadada from which the town got its name. These pirates raided the coast from the 14th to the 15th century capturing whole families to be sold at the slave markets in Africa.

Pilar de la Horadada is situated in the southern part of the Alicante Province. Pilar de la Horadada occupied a strategic location between the Kingdoms of Valencia and Murcia: as a result, for centuries there were many battles fought over the area.

The different civilizations that have occupied this area include the Iberians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans and Moors. The history of these different civilizations can be traced in the Archaeological-Ethnological Museum through the relics they left behind.

To give you some idea of the towns strategic location, first it was built on what was the Roman town of Thiar on the Roman road called the Via Augusta. The road was originally known as Hannibal's Path linking Elche and Cartagena. Pilar de la Horadada was an important port for the Romans who shipped agricultural and industrial products to the vast Roman Empire. This shipping activity is supported by the Roman shipwrecks found along the coast.

The Romans were displaced by the Moors who ruled the area for some five centuries. The Moors were finally removed by the Christian's Reconquest in the 13th century. The biggest fiesta celebrated along the Iberian Peninsula is the reenactment of the Christians victory over the Moors. The most important date for the locals is July 30th 1986 this is when Pilar de la Horadada gained its independence from Orihuela fostering a celebration of this event each year.

For generations Pilar de la Horadada's economy was based, for the most part, on agricultural. But with the influx of ex-pats who fell in love with this charming place, Pilar de la Horadada has slowly moved its economic base to tourism, especially after their independence.

Fiestas and Festivals play a big part in everyday life in Pilar de la Horadada which includes the independence cerebration on the 30th of July. There are a number of other celebrations such as the ones dedicated to the Virgen del Pilar and the Pilar Blues Festival. It is best to look online to find the festivals that interest you and the dates they are celebrated. This way you will not be disappointed or you may want to schedule your holiday during the off season for some peace and quiet.

When visiting the seaside resort of Pilar de la Horadada on your COSTA BLANCA HOLIDAYS, you will find that the town is divided into two separate areas. These separate parts are located on both sides of the N-322 coast road and include the main part of town and the beach area. The seaside resorts of Cabo Roig and San Pedro del Pinatar can also be accessed by this coastal road.