Moraira
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Moraira is a small coastal town part of Teulada, in the Marina Alta district lying 80 km north of the city of Alicante and 100 km south of Valencia. Moraira remains one of the most unspoilt resorts on the Costa Blanca, with 8 km of beautiful coastline backed by mountains, and a large vineyard covering 7 km2.
The permanent population is only 9,500, although this rises to 30,000 in summer. There is a high proportion of expats living here on a permanent basis, and the area is very popular with affluent retirees. The majority of visitors are a mixture of Spanish, German, English, French and Dutch.
Moraira’s roots as a fishing village have not changed much, and today the fishermen still go out in the early hours each day, bringing back a fresh catch which is sold by auction at the traditional fish market, one of the most popular in the Costa Blanca region. Moraira is also famous for the growing of Muscatel grapes for wine making.
Built in 1985, the Moraira Club Náutico has become one of the main nautical attractions of the Valencian Community and was one of the first to achieve the Blue Flag distinction for the cleanest shorelines in Europe.
Moraira is also seen as a culinary destination. Every year in December 11 restaurants organize together with the municipality a Gourmet week with international chefs, show cookings etc. Three restaurants are listed in Gourmetour (The Spanish Michelin Guide)being: Ca Pepe, Le Dauphin and La Sort. This makes Moraira very appealing to people who are into quality food of the Michelin star agenda as such a small place has three fantastic restaurants.
Tourism. The economy of Moraira is built around tourism. Little remains of the fishing cottages that once made up the little port that serviced the town of Teulada that stands at the head of the valley. To preserve its natural beauty, the Teulada council passed laws protecting the abundant pine trees and limited the height of buildings. The resulting development blended villas into the scenery creating a hamlet that retained the village atmosphere of its heritage.
