Santa Pola’s Museo del Mar is heading towards a record-breaking year after welcoming 133,145 visits so far in 2026. The figure is already closing in on the almost 150,000 visits recorded throughout the whole of last year, with the museum’s network of historic and cultural attractions continuing to draw visitors to the coastal town.

Museo del Mar approaches annual visitor record

Santa Pola’s Museo del Mar is heading towards a record year after attracting 133,145 visits so far in 2026, already approaching the almost 150,000 recorded during the whole of last year.

The museum complex includes its main exhibitions inside the Castillo Fortaleza, covering the history and ethnography of the sea and fishing, music, archaeology and local history.

The castle also hosts a changing programme of national and international art exhibitions, adding to the range of attractions available within the historic building.

Museum network extends beyond Castillo Fortaleza

Several external sites form part of the museum, including the Mediterranean Aquarium, the preserved Esteban Gonzalez fishing boat and Portus Ilicitanus, the Roman port which operates as an open-air museum.

Visits remain free, including guided activities, workshops, concerts and talks.

The combination of permanent exhibitions, archaeological attractions and cultural activities means the Museo del Mar extends well beyond a traditional museum building, with different sites exploring Santa Pola’s history and its close relationship with the Mediterranean.

Aquarium and fishing boat closed for improvements

Two attractions are currently temporarily closed. The Aquarium is undergoing improvements and new museum installations, while the Esteban Gonzalez is receiving major restoration work to its hull.

Both are expected to reopen in December.

Portus Ilicitanus has also experienced temporary closures during archaeological excavations and work to install a protective shaded structure over part of the remains.

La Picola will join museum network in 2027

The museum network is set to expand again in 2027 with the addition of the La Picola archaeological site.

The Iberian and Roman site is being prepared for visitors through a €1.25 million project fully funded by Spain’s Ministry of Industry and Tourism.

Its addition will give visitors another archaeological attraction to explore as part of Santa Pola’s growing museum network, while the strong visitor figures recorded during 2026 put the Museo del Mar within reach of surpassing last year’s total.

Elche is moving forward with plans to protect and showcase the historic Arab Baths at Plaza Menendez Pelayo, with construction reaching an important new stage. Specialist foundation work is now beginning around the archaeological remains, while progress is also being made on the neighbouring Central Market redevelopment, where new roof panels are being installed.

Foundation work begins around Arab Baths

Elche is moving ahead with the restoration and future museum development of the Arab Baths at Plaza Menendez Pelayo, as work continues on the wider Central Market redevelopment.

Construction has now reached the foundation stage for the structure that will eventually protect and display the archaeological remains.

Over the next three weeks, machinery will carry out excavations before installing micropiles measuring 200 millimetres in diameter. These will extend between nine and 11 metres underground until reaching stable ground identified by geological studies.

Micropiles will protect archaeological remains

The method has been chosen because it allows foundations to be created with minimal impact on the archaeological remains.

Once this stage is completed, work will move on to constructing the walls and installing the roof.

The finished building will recreate architectural features associated with historic Arab baths. The hot, warm and cold rooms will have vaulted ceilings designed to resemble those of the original period, while other areas will feature flat roofs with a central skylight.

Historic baths will become museum space

The project follows archaeological work carried out during recent months and will eventually allow the remains to become part of a museum space incorporated into the Central Market redevelopment.

The new structure is intended to protect the archaeological remains while allowing them to be displayed as part of the wider development of the area.

Central Market redevelopment also moves forward

Work is also progressing on the market building itself, where installation of glass panels on the roof has begun as the renovation continues.

The work on both the market and Arab Baths will eventually bring the archaeological remains into the redeveloped Central Market area, combining the restoration of an important part of Elche’s history with the wider transformation of the site.