Pilar de la Horadada | |
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Municipality | |
Motto: Mar y Montaña (Sea and Mountains) |
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Location of Pilar de la Horadada in Comunidad Valenciana |
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Location in Spain | |
Coordinates: 37°52′N 0°47′W / 37.867°N 0.783°WCoordinates: 37°52′N 0°47′W / 37.867°N 0.783°W | |
Country | Spain |
Autonomous community | Valencian Community |
Province | Alicante |
Comarca | Vega Baja del Segura |
Judicial district | Orihuela |
Government | |
• Alcalde | José Fidel Ros (2012) (PP) |
Area | |
• Total | 78.10 km2 (30.15 sq mi) |
Elevation | 35 m (115 ft) |
Population (January 2014) | |
• Total | 21,588 |
• Density | 280/km2 (720/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Pilareño -a |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Postal code | 03190-03191-03192 |
Official language(s) | Spanish |
Website | Official website |
Pilar de la Horadada (Spanish pronunciation: [piˈlar ðe la oɾaˈðaða]) is a town and district in the Province of Alicante, in the southeast of Spain. Located 66 km south of Alicante, the city is the southernmost of the Valencian Community, only 1 km north of the regional border (with the Province of Murcia) The town and its neighbouring villages (Pinar de Campoverde and Torre de la Horadada) are home to thousands of British, German and Northern European expatriates. San Javier Airport (Murcia) is within close proximity.
The district boasts great ecological value, with an abundance of hawthorn, globularia, mastic, Kermes Oak and chamaerops.
There are many birds of prey to be found in the region, such as peregrine falcons, golden eagles, European sparrowhawks and kestrels.
The town has been the site of many battles because of its location at the historical frontier between two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Murcia (Castilla) and the Kingdom of Valencia. Pilar de la Horadada was a town with dry farms and few houses known as Campo de la Horadada. After various centuries of agricultural economy, its tourism breakthrough came with its independence from the Orihuela municipal district in 1986. Co-operative societies such as 'Surinver' and 'Teresa Hermanos' use many of the local fields for vegetable growing. Pilar de la Horadada is placed between the sea and the mountains and has a typically Mediterranean climate.