Pinar de Campoverde | |
Settlement Type: | Municipality |
Motto: | Mar y Montaña (Sea and Mountains) |
Pushpin Map: | Spain |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Spain |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | ![]() |
Subdivision Type1: | Autonomous community |
Subdivision Type2: | Province |
Subdivision Name2: | Alicante |
Subdivision Type3: | Comarca |
Subdivision Name3: | Vega Baja del Segura |
Coordinates: | 37.9°N -0.8417°W |
Elevation M: | 160 |
Area Total Km2: | 3 |
Population Total: | 3000 |
Population Note: | (approx.) |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Blank Name Sec1: | Official language(s) |
Blank Info Sec1: | Spanish |
Timezone: | CET |
Utc Offset: | +1 |
Timezone Dst: | CEST |
Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
Postal Code: | 03191 |
Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
Leader Title: | Alcalde |
Leader Party: | PP |
Pinar de Campoverde (Pine Forest in/of the Green Field literally) is a small village located at the foot of the Sierra de Escalona mountain range, nine kilometres from Pilar de la Horadada borough council, in the province of Alicante, Spain. The town has around 3000 inhabitants and is ten kilometres from the Mediterranean coastline.
The town has only developed since the mid-1980s when many British, German, French and Scandinavian expatriates settled in villas. Originally, the area had been a large pine forest, next to the Río Seco river and had little agricultural importance until much of the wooded area was cleared for orange and lemon groves. The name Pinar de Campoverde or Pinar de Campo Verde derives from the fact that the area was once pine woodland (Pinar) and its impression on its first residents was a 'green field' (Campo Verde)
Since the recent advent of tourism, the majority of the population are expatriates, mainly from the United Kingdom and Germany. The traditional centre of the village is based on the two kilometre long Avenida del Pino which runs from the main Pilar de la Horadada-Orihuela road to the municipal sports fields (Polideportivo) at the Río Seco. This strip has numerous bars and restaurants, estate agents and shops. There is also a medical centre, dentist and veterinarian. On Sunday there is a small street market held in the centre of the village, close to the free car park.
The 'New' area, located to the west of the village has been in construction since the late 1990s and is almost exclusively inhabited by foreigners (although a few Spanish families do live amongst them). There is a second commercial area at the top of the village with a pharmacy and a few bars and shops, which have views across the countryside. Having been built on the side of the Rio Seco (dry river), the residential areas tend to be rather hilly and the 'old' area has very narrow footpaths in places. The Parque Central (Central Park) is located here.