Punta de la Víbora in Torrevieja is not a new spa. It is a €9.66 million plan, approved on 19 December 2025, to rebuild the streets and services of Torreta III and create a 35,000 square metre park beside the salt lagoon. The unfinished mud baths building may become a viewpoint, if approved.
What is Punta de la Víbora?
Punta de la Víbora is the name in Torrevieja's General Plan for Agreement C-2, an area most people know as Torreta III. It is a residential urbanisation on the edge of the Salinas de Torrevieja Natural Park. The council says it dates from the early 1980s and that it is in poor condition.
You may have seen headlines about a new spa, or a health resort that will change the area. We looked at what the council actually approved, and the picture is more modest and more useful. This is mainly a long overdue repair job, with a real park attached.
What has Torrevieja approved?
On 19 December 2025 the Local Governing Board approved the redevelopment project, with a budget of €9,656,250. Here is what that covers, and how firm each part is.
| Part of the plan | What it means | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Road network | Road paving and reformed pavements across the sector | In the approved project |
| Utilities | New drinking water, sanitation, electricity and street lighting | In the approved project |
| New park | A 35,000 square metre green area next to the natural park, intended to host a public facility | First phase |
| Mud baths building | Rehabilitation for compatible uses and a future viewpoint over the lagoon | Separate proposal, needs reports from two authorities |
An earlier council notice from April 2023, when the design contract was awarded for €525,870, spoke of a 75,000 square metre green zone and a link to the Torrevieja greenway. The approved figure is 35,000 square metres. If a sales brochure quotes something bigger, ask for the date.
Is Torrevieja getting a new spa or mud baths?
As things stand, no. Nothing the council has published describes a working spa.
The building at the centre of the story is known locally as La Caracola. According to Alicante Today, it was a Toyo Ito design launched by the council that sat unfinished for more than 15 years, with over €1 million spent without the necessary coastal permits. On that account it was never finished, and it has since been heavily vandalised. A wildfire in the natural park on 19 July 2025 started close by. The Leader reported in May 2026 that the building is damaged and abandoned, and that the latest of many suspected arson attacks came that April.
The council's proposal is to recover the building for "compatible uses" and as a viewpoint over the salt lagoon. That depends on favourable reports from the state coastal authority and the regional natural environment department. The public documents do not say what those uses would be.
Can you swim or take mud baths in the pink lake?
No. Torrevieja's official tourism site says swimming in the lagoon is strictly prohibited, and that collecting salt, plants or other natural items is not allowed.
Mud baths have the same history. In April 2019 the state property authority refused a request to allow them, and the park's governing board confirmed the ban. Two reasons were given: protecting the environment and safety. Salt extraction uses underwater machinery that officials warned could cause fatal injuries. Fines of €60 to €600 were reported at the time.
If mud is what you are after, The Leader noted that nearby San Pedro del Pinatar authorises mud baths in specific areas.
When will the Torreta III works start?
We cannot give you a date, and nobody should promise you one. The council aimed to put the works out to tender in the first half of 2026. When we last checked in October 2026, we could not find a published tender.
The Leader's report of 25 May 2026 described dirt and gravel streets, failing services and a single new stretch of pavement. It said the works still needed approval from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the regional government, because the park borders coastal public land. It also said that renewing about half of the roads and basic infrastructure was expected only in the medium term.
What does it mean if you are buying near Torreta?
Buy for what is there today, and treat the plan as a possible bonus. Here is how we would weigh it up.
What counts in its favour
- A protected lagoon and its birdlife, flamingos included, close to home
- A public commitment to new streets, services and a park
- A link to the Torrevieja greenway in the earlier design brief
The honest minuses
- Unpaved or poor streets in parts of the urbanisation today
- Water and sewage pipes that run beneath terraced homes, according to The Leader
- No confirmed start date, and likely disruption once works begin
- Wildfire risk in the dry scrub of the park, as in July 2025
What to ask before you offer
- Is the street you are buying on included in the first works?
- Will any of the cost be passed on to owners? Ask the town hall directly.
- How is the water and sewage connected to this particular home?
- Has the building been legally registered as it stands today? Our guide to the risks of cheap property in Spain covers this.
Nothing in the council's documents mentions property prices or rental demand, so please be wary of anyone who talks as if those are settled.
What do homes in Torrevieja cost?
For context, the average registered price in Alicante province was €2,267 per square metre in the second quarter of 2026. In our own listings in late October 2026, resale homes in Torrevieja had a median asking price of €222,500, or about €2,694 per square metre. Those are asking prices across the town, not Torreta alone, where we had very few homes listed.
Add up to 13 to 14 per cent on top of the listing price for tax and legal costs. On the Costa Blanca, resale ITP is 9 per cent since 1 June 2026 (it was 10), and our ITP guide explains it. You can see what is available in homes for sale in Torrevieja.
Is this a good area for winters?
Many of our British and Irish buyers come for winter, and the lagoon is one of the best things about this side of town. If you spend long winters here, remember that UK passport holders can stay 90 days in any 180 day period across the Schengen area. Irish citizens are EU citizens, so that limit does not apply to them. Our guide to wintering in Torrevieja goes through it, and if you enjoy being out on the old railway line, read about cycling the Vía Verde.
Frequently asked questions
Is Torrevieja getting a new spa?
Not on current evidence. The council approved a €9.66 million redevelopment of Torreta III in December 2025, covering streets, services and a park. The unfinished mud baths building may be recovered for compatible uses and as a viewpoint, subject to reports. No published document describes a working spa or mud baths.
What is La Caracola in Torrevieja?
La Caracola is the local name for the abandoned municipal mud baths building beside the salt lagoon. It was a Toyo Ito design that stayed unfinished for more than 15 years, with over €1 million spent without coastal permits. It has since been vandalised and damaged by suspected arson attacks.
Can you swim in the pink lake in Torrevieja?
No. Torrevieja's official tourism site says swimming in the lagoon is strictly prohibited. The lagoon is a working salt site inside a protected natural park, and officials have warned that underwater extraction machinery could cause fatal injuries. Visits are possible, and the tourism site explains the access conditions.
Are mud baths allowed in Torrevieja?
No. In April 2019 the state property authority refused permission for mud baths in the lagoon, and the park's governing board confirmed the ban on environmental and safety grounds. Fines of €60 to €600 were reported at the time. Nearby San Pedro del Pinatar authorises mud baths in specific areas.
Why is the lake in Torrevieja pink?
The colour comes from the very high salt concentration combined with microorganisms, including Dunaliella salina and Artemia salina. Torrevieja's tourism site says the lagoons sit within a protected area of 3,700 hectares, which is also home to many bird species, including flamingos.
When will the Torreta III works start?
There is no confirmed date. The council aimed to tender the works in the first half of 2026, but in May 2026 they still needed approval from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the regional government. When we last checked in October 2026, we could not find a published tender.
Curious about this side of Torrevieja?
Tell us what you want from a home here, and we will walk you through the streets that suit you and the ones that do not. We know this town well, with an office in Calle Ramón Gallud. Tripinvest ES is a licensed agency (RAICV 4221), and you get service in English from the first call to the notary. Our clients don't pay us commission.
Prefer to talk? Call us on +44 20 3888 0008.
Sources
Last checked: October 2026
- Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja: approval of the redevelopment project, 19 December 2025
- Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja: design contract for Torreta III, 2 April 2023
- Turismo de Torrevieja: the salt lakes
- Colegio de Registradores: Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria, second quarter 2026
- GOV.UK: entry requirements for Spain
- The Leader: La Torreta III, seven years of promises, 25 May 2026
- The Leader: mud baths ban, 18 April 2019
- Alicante Plaza: the state bans mud baths in the Torrevieja salt lagoon, 16 April 2019
- Alicante Plaza: Torrevieja approves the Torreta III project
- Todo Torrevieja: the council approves the Punta de la Víbora project
- Alicante Today: wildfire at the Torrevieja lagoon, 21 July 2025
