My new home, my new business base, Playa Flamenca

Zen-Sations Mobile Massage, Spa and Beauty Therapy Service will be based in a lovely little town, Playa Flamenca. As a mobile therapist I will travel in and around the Orihuela Costa, the most southerly part of the Costa Blanca in the province of Alicante on the east coast of Spain. I will be willing to travel further, i.e to Benidorm for group bookings.

I first came across Playa Flamenca and the stunning surrounding areas 9 years ago when I came to visit my dad who had recently moved to the area and I instantly fell in love. Instead of looking out of my window at greyness I start every day looking at the different lovely colours of the houses and beyond where the beautiful blue sky meets the sea.

It's not a big tourist area, which suits me mighty fine, it is a quiet residential area, non-commercialised, but near to holiday facilities, such as gawjus blue-flag beaches, go-carting, aqua parks, water sports, championship golf and a mile from the large shopping complex, La Zenia Boulevard

The Weather Playa Flamenca has, as expected, a typical Mediterranean climate averaging a rather hefty 325 of sunshine per year, of yeh!. Temperatures range from around 10C in the winter months (in a bad year) to above 30C in the summer months.

Bars

There are many, many bars in the area. My local bar, Cafeteria Las Mimosas, known to the locals as the Spanish Bar or The Shack has a clientèle of mainly British, but also Spanish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Moroccan and Algerian and more. This is the hub for the locals, where you will find a local, builder, plumber, electrician, mechanic, translation service, web designers, whatever you need it can be sorted here. A fabulous, diverse group of people run by the equally fabulous Rosa, otherwise known as my Spanish mummy.

Shopping

The area has several mini markets and supermarkets close by. Saturday is market day, where you can buy clothes, bags, shoes, fruits and vegetables, freshly cooked chickens, paellas and tortillas and of course lots of tat. Shops, bars, cafes and restaurants are often placed together in what are known as commercial centres and there are a few within Playa Flamenca including Flamenca Beach, La Mosca, Zenia Mar, Citrus and Via Park 1 and 2. They were rammed when I first started going to Playa Flamenca, but are much quieter now, partly due to people holidaying elsewhere in cheaper, none Eurozone countries and partly due t the opening of the biggest of the commercial centres, La Zenia Boulevard, which is like a shopping village; as well as the usual shops, restaurants etc, it has a supermarket, a large DIY store, a children's play area, an arcade and a bowling area and in December and January an outdoor ice rink. Not quite Central Park, but fab all the same!

Beaches

Playa Flamenca has its own small beaches, as well as several more beautiful beaches along the coastline that are nearby, including La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Punta Prima and Campoamor. A 20 minute drive away are the amazing lo Pagan Mud Baths at Mar Menor, which are known for their curative properties which are said to help with conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis, dermatological problems and heart and respiratory complaints. I spend a day there every time I visit and intend to go once a week when I move as it's the best spa treatment I know and its all free! After covering myself in the smelly mud, followed by sitting and exfoliating in the salt bath and washing it all off in the hot shallow salty waters, my skin feels fabulous!

Golfing

The area is a golfers dream! Within a 10 minute drive there are three championship courses, including Villamartin, often a venue for the Mediterranean Open, Campoamor and Las Ramblas Within a 30 minute drive there are another eight courses including the world famous La Manga and La Finca courses.

I obviously hope to build a good client base over time and therefore spend a lot of my day working, but its a great place for me to do my main hobby, running! I'm hoping to find some lovely coastal routes as well as getting to know the nooks and crannies of the place weaving in and out of the streets. I can keep up my fitness routine and add to it by taking long walks along the coastline and cycling.

It's an outdoor life for me!!!