Oropesa
Oropesa del Mar is a typical Mediterranean village of the Orange blossom coast. The good climate, the natural beauty of the calm beaches of fine sand, the good food, including some lovely fish dishes, the history of their monuments, the open and extroverted fiestas, the complete tourist infrastructure, the picturesque old villages, are just some incentives for all the family which makes this an ideal holiday resort.
HISTORY
Down through the centuries, Oropesa del Mar, with its attractive and strategic position on the Mediterranean served as a settlement for many people occupying the peninsula. The first remains found at Cau d Én Borras date from the Old Stone Age.
During the Middle Ages Oropesa del Mar belonged to the military order of the Hospitalarios, whose castle was later taken by James I in 1233. The village comes under the protection of various lords in subsequent years, with Jofré de Thous being the governor who re-fortified the castle and the town walls. Due to frequent attacks by Barbary pirates - the most notorious of which was the raid by Read Beard - , Pedro I the Antequera commissioned a defensive tower to be built on the coast, which was later reformed by Felipe II and given its present-day shape.
Oropesa del Mar also suffered attacks during the Independence War, when the troops of Field Marshall Suchet blew ups the castle and part of the wall in an attempt to put down the stalwart resistance of the town folk.
NATURAL LANDSCAPE
The scenic variety of the Oropesa del Mar coastline is the first thing that strikes visitors to this area. On the northern side of the cape of Oropesa are the extensive sandy beaches of Les Amplaries and Morro de Gos, which are ideal for sunbathing and water sports, running down to the south side bay known as the Bahía de la Concha, which ends at the seafront esplanade. Between the Concha beach and the last spurs of the Sierra de Oropesa reaching down to the sea, a pleasure port has been built offering modern facilities and capacity of 668 berths. Further south, the coast abruptly changes to present a beautiful landscape of cliffs and coves topped with pine trees and Mediterranean shrubbery. Here, the tranquil beaches of Bellver and Renegá are located, flanked by a picturesque residential area.
Further inland, the Sierra de Oropesa rises up to mark the limits of the municipal area and provide protection against the winds from the interior, thereby creating a particular pleasant year-round climate. Between the coast and the mountain barrier lying inland is a stretch of agricultural land where oranges and market vegetables are grown. On higher, non-irrigated ground, almonds and olives are grown, and also vineyards providing grapes for the well-known muscatel wine from this area.
FIESTAS AND LEISURE
When in Oropesa, you can participate in a variety of activities organized during the feast of the patron saint - competitions, processions, garden parties, stage shows and so on. July 25th marks the feast of St James, and the first Sunday in October is the festivity in honor of the patroness, the Virgin of Patience. The name of this feast comes from the story of the icon of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was partially destroyed in the 17th century by pirates and was only restored after a patient wait of many years, hence the name of the Virgin of Patience. On the Monday following the festivities of the patroness, there is a paella competition, during which visitors can taste this traditional disk steaming-hot from the wood fire.
Oropesa has many restaurants and bars to choose from – supplying a variety of choice from typical Paella dishes , locally caught sea food, shell fish, chicken and lamb dishes. In addition to the well-known paella you might like to try other types of rice dishes such as arrós negre ("black" rice, i.e., with squid ink), caldoso (a more liquid version of the paella) or arrós al forn (oven-baked rice).