Anyone who has tried to drive through Torrevieja, find a parking space or get a spot on the beach during August probably already knows how busy the city becomes.
Now there are figures to show just how dramatic the summer increase really is.
Torrevieja may have around 113,000 people registered on its municipal population register, but the number of people actually staying in the city during August could reach 438,000.
That means Torrevieja effectively becomes a city almost four times its normal registered size at the height of summer.
The estimate comes from a technical report prepared for Torrevieja Town Hall. Officials need a clearer picture of the city’s real population because summer visitors place huge additional pressure on services such as rubbish collection, water, roads and healthcare.
More than 400,000 people in July and August
According to the estimates, Torrevieja’s population rises to around 414,000 in July.
August is even busier, with an estimated 438,000 people staying within the municipality’s 72 square kilometres.
The number remains high in September at around 348,000.
That creates a very different Torrevieja from the one suggested by official population figures.
The municipal register has around 113,000 residents. Meanwhile, figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute put the census population at around 100,000.
However, neither figure includes the huge number of people using second homes, holiday accommodation and other properties during the summer.
Rubbish and water help reveal the real population
Working out exactly how many people are in a tourist destination at any one time is difficult.
Torrevieja has relatively few hotel beds compared with the number of people it accommodates. The city has around 1,600 hotel places across 14 hotels.
The much bigger factor is residential tourism.
Torrevieja has more than 62,000 second homes and one of the largest capacities for this type of accommodation in Spain.
Officials therefore looked at two things that provide a much clearer indication of how many people are actually using the city: rubbish and water.
Both increase sharply during the summer.
Using 2025 figures as the basis for their calculations, technicians estimate that Torrevieja could again produce around 9.9 million kilos of household waste during August.
That is almost 10,000 tonnes in one month, or around 320 tonnes every day.
Summer pressure starts well before August
August may produce the biggest numbers, but Torrevieja now experiences a much longer summer season.
Last year, the city collected more than 7.45 million kilos of rubbish in June.
That rose to almost 9.86 million kilos in July and 9.91 million in August.
Even in September, the figure remained above eight million kilos.
The numbers help explain why overflowing bins and rubbish collection become such an important issue during the busiest months.
Torrevieja Town Hall pays around €25 million a year for its waste collection service.
The annual amount of rubbish has also increased considerably.
In 2025, Torrevieja generated around 88.9 million kilos of waste. In 2019, the figure stood at 56.3 million kilos.
The technical report links the increase to several factors. These include population growth, second homes, residents who have not registered locally, new developments and tourism.
Water use tells a similar story
Water consumption provides another useful way of estimating how many people are staying in Torrevieja.
The city supplied around 10.6 million cubic metres of drinking water during 2025.
In 2019, the figure was 8.8 million cubic metres. That represents an increase of 20.7%.
August once again recorded the highest demand, with consumption reaching around 1.35 million cubic metres.
For the first time in 2025, monthly water use also passed one million cubic metres during June and September, as well as July and August.
Technicians used an average consumption figure of 100 litres per person per day to help calculate the city’s equivalent population.
Roads, parking and health services feel the increase
The impact of several hundred thousand people sharing the city goes well beyond water and rubbish.
Traffic is one of the most obvious problems.
The N-332 and CV-95 regularly experience congestion during the summer. Parking also becomes much harder to find, particularly around the beaches and town centre.
Health centres face additional demand too, while water and sewage infrastructure must cope with a population far above the number officially registered as living in the city.
This difference matters when councils receive funding based largely on their permanent populations.
Torrevieja and other major tourist destinations have argued that they need additional financial support because they provide services for far more people than their official population figures suggest.
Beaches show just how busy Torrevieja becomes
The increase is particularly easy to see along the coast.
Playa del Cura, La Mata, Los Locos, Los Náufragos and Acequión attract large numbers of people throughout the summer.
At Playa del Cura, some visitors arrive extremely early to secure their preferred place on the sand.
Cameras operated by local weather service Proyecto Mastral have recorded people arriving with parasols before 06:00, with some reportedly heading to the beach close to 05:00.
The city’s attractions also bring additional visitors.
Thousands attended the first Torrevieja edition of Low Festival this summer, while the new Paseo del Mar leisure development at the port has become another busy destination.
Torrevieja effectively becomes a city of more than 400,000
The 438,000 figure remains an estimate rather than an exact headcount.
It is based on measurable indicators such as water consumption and waste collection. Officials believe this provides a much better picture than hotel occupancy or the number of people visiting tourist information offices.
There is another complication too. Some holiday homes accommodate more people during August than they would during the rest of the year.
The actual summer population could therefore be even higher.
Across the whole year, technicians estimate Torrevieja has an average equivalent population of 291,440.
That is still far above its official registered population.
For residents, the difference between winter and August hardly needs explaining. The traffic, crowded beaches, busy supermarkets and packed restaurants make it clear that Torrevieja changes dramatically during the summer.
The new figures put a number on that change. At its August peak, a city with around 113,000 registered residents may need to provide services for as many as 438,000 people.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Torrevieja could have around 438,000 people staying in the city on a typical August day.
- July’s estimated population reaches around 414,000.
- September remains busy at approximately 348,000.
- Torrevieja has around 113,000 people on its municipal register.
- The August population could therefore be almost four times the registered population.
- The estimates use indicators including rubbish collection and water consumption.
- Around 9.9 million kilos of household waste could be collected during August.
- Torrevieja used 10.6 million cubic metres of drinking water in 2025.
- The city has more than 62,000 second homes.
- The estimated average equivalent population across the year is 291,440.
- The summer increase puts additional pressure on roads, parking, healthcare, rubbish collection, water and sewage services.
