Where is Arenales del Sol?
Arenales del Sol, also written Los Arenales del Sol or Els Arenals del Sol, sits on the coast just south of Alicante city. Alicante is around twenty minutes away by car, and the airport is closer still.
It can be confusing at first: the town is part of the municipality of Elche, not Alicante. Arenales del Sol beach is within the municipal area of Elche, even though Elche city centre is further away than the airport.
Its immediate neighbours are the village of El Altet to the north and Gran Alacant to the south. Between the two lies the Clot de Galvany nature reserve, a wetland sitting between the urban areas of Arenales del Sol and Gran Alacant.
What is it like to live in Arenales del Sol?
It is a seasonal beach town, and you should know that before you buy. In high season the population of the resort grows eight to ten times over. July and August are busy and sociable. Winter is mild and very quiet, and some bars and beach businesses close.
Day to day life happens along the promenade and the streets behind it, where you will find restaurants, cafés, small shops and ice cream parlours. There is also a street market on Tuesday and Friday afternoons between 15 June and 15 September, with local growers selling fresh produce alongside clothes and shoe stalls.
Housing is mostly flats and villas rather than big hotels. Accommodation here is mainly apartments and villas, many of them in residential complexes with communal pools, and a number of apartment buildings sit very close to the beach with frontline sea views.
Buses are useful if you do not want to drive everywhere. There are regular services linking the town with the airport and Elche, and a coastal route running through Gran Alacant to Santa Pola in one direction and Alicante in the other.
What is the beach like in Arenales del Sol?
This is the main reason people fall for the place. The beach runs for almost three kilometres of fine pale sand and is one of the most valued on the Alicante coast for water quality and marine life, backed by a full range of dune types.
It holds Blue Flag status, has a wide choice of services, and is adapted for people with reduced mobility. There are large car parks, a sunbed and sunshade service, beach bars and a tourist information point, plus a marked-off area for windsurfing with equipment hire.
The dunes are protected, so you reach the sand on wooden walkways rather than tracks. These boardwalks protect the dune system, make a pleasant natural promenade in themselves, and the beach is wide enough that even in August it rarely feels crowded.
Nature is close by too. The Clot de Galvany municipal natural park connects directly to the beach and is a wetland refuge for migratory birds and native plants, with walking trails. The Carabassí dunes lie just along the coast, with a quieter naturist section.
How much does property cost in Arenales del Sol?
We hold only a small number of homes here at any one time, so treat our own figures as a sample rather than a full market picture.
At the time of writing (September 2026), the homes we have in Arenales del Sol are resale three-bedroom apartments of around 150 m² built, all with access to a pool, priced from roughly €450,000 up to just under €800,000. These are large, well-placed flats close to the sea, not entry-level holiday studios.
Across the town as a whole, prices vary a lot with location. Smaller one and two-bedroom resale apartments a few streets back from the beach are considerably cheaper, while frontline blocks with direct sea views and detached villas sit at the top of the range.
On buying costs: resale purchases in the Valencian Community carry 9% transfer tax (ITP), rising to 11% on the portion above €1 million from 1 June 2026. New build purchases carry 10% IVA plus 1.4% stamp duty (AJD).
How far is Arenales del Sol from the airport and the beach?
Most of the town is within a walk of the sand. From the streets nearest the promenade it is a few minutes on foot; from the outer edges of the urbanisation, allow ten to fifteen minutes or drive and park.
- Alicante-Elche airport (ALC): about 5 km in a straight line, so roughly 10 minutes by car.
- Alicante city and Playa de San Juan: around 20 to 30 minutes by car, depending on traffic.
- Santa Pola: around 15 minutes down the coast road.
- Región de Murcia airport (RMU, Corvera): about 72 km in a straight line, so roughly 50 to 60 minutes by car.
Being this close to an airport is a genuine advantage if you fly in and out often. It has one honest downside: residents do hear the occasional aircraft, something most people get used to and set against the convenience of landing and being home very quickly. Spend an hour in the street you are considering before you commit.
Who buys in Arenales del Sol, and is it good for renting out?
The buyer mix here is different from the resorts further south. Spanish families from Elche, Alicante and Madrid own a large share of the summer flats, which is what drives that seasonal swing in population. The resort is also popular with British and Scandinavian buyers.
That suits two kinds of purchaser. If you want a real Spanish beach town with a busy summer and a calm winter, Arenales works well. If you want year-round international social life and golf on the doorstep, look at Gran Alacant or further down the coast instead.
For letting, the pull is the beach and the airport. Demand is strong in summer and around school holidays, thinner in midwinter, so budget on a seasonal income rather than a full twelve months. Check the community rules and register for a Valencian tourist licence before you count on holiday lets.
If you would like a second opinion on a specific street or block, our office is in Cabo Roig and we are happy to talk it through. Otherwise, do have a look at the homes listed above.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arenales del Sol get noisy from aircraft?
You will hear planes now and then, as the airport is only a few kilometres away. How noticeable it is depends a lot on the exact street, so it is worth visiting at different times of day before buying.
Is anything open in Arenales del Sol in winter?
Yes, but far less than in summer. A core of shops, bars and restaurants stays open for year-round residents, while some seasonal beach businesses close until spring.
Are there golf courses in Arenales del Sol?
No, there is no course in the town itself. The nearest courses are on the Alicante side of the airport, roughly 20 to 30 minutes by car.
Where are the nearest hospital and international schools?
The nearest large public hospitals are in Elche and Alicante, both around 20 to 25 minutes away by car. International and bilingual schools are also found in the Elche and Alicante area rather than in the town itself.
Can I get around without a car?
For the beach, local shops and restaurants, yes. Buses connect the town with the airport, Elche, Gran Alacant, Santa Pola and Alicante, but a car makes big shops and days out much easier.
Is Arenales del Sol better than Gran Alacant?
They are different. Arenales is flatter, closer to the sand and more Spanish in feel, while Gran Alacant sits up on the hill with more villas, more international residents and wider views.