At the southernmost tip of the Costa Blanca is a small town known as Pilar de la Horadada. The population of Pilar de la Horadada is just under 25,000 people and the although the history of the town stretches as far back into time as the Stone Age, the town has only had its independence since 1986. The earliest inhabitants in this area may have been wandering hunters, but over the history of this region, far more deadly hunters were to arrive on the Mediterranean shores in the shape of the Romans, the Visigoths, later the Moors and finally the Christian conquerors.
The remains of the great Spanish – Roman road, the Via Augusta, are to be found close to the town and point to the fact that this area was once on the main arterial trade route that the Romans had built throughout Spain. The Moors, who had conquered this land and inhabited the area for over four centuries, brought with them their system of agriculture and irrigation which was to transform this land from the arid wilderness that it was, into what is still known as the Garden of Europe. These Moorish irrigation systems are still in use today and have provided the area with their much-needed agricultural water supplies. Anyone who comes to this area of Spain will notice that the fruit and vegetables are in such abundance and are so fresh.
Although the main economical contributor for the people of this area is agriculture, tourism is speedily growing in importance. With tourism comes the obvious construction industry that feeds from it. But, hopefully the town councils in Pilar de la Horadada can realize the mistakes of some of the larger cities in the area and can put forward strict limits on the size and scope of the more imposing building plans. There is so much to see and do in this area, not only in Pilar de la Horadada itself, but in the surrounding towns and villages. The cities of Torrevieja, Murcia, Alicante, Orihuela, and Elche are only a short distance away and can provide the tourist with a wealth of history and culture. You should visit The Olive Branch for a lot more information about dictionary and other cities, towns, and villages along the Costa Blanca.
