Hospitals, clinics, and Dutch doctors on the Costa Blan

Hospitals, clinics, and Dutch doctors on the Costa Blanca

For many people considering emigrating to Spain or buying a home on the Costa Blanca, the quality of healthcare is a key factor. Fortunately, the Costa Blanca has an extensive network of public hospitals, health centers, private clinics, and international medical facilities.

In addition, many Dutch, Belgian, and other international residents live in this region. As a result, there are Dutch-speaking doctors, nurses, and patient care coordinators working in various locations. This can be a welcome source of reassurance, especially if you live in Spain permanently, spend the winter there, or plan to spend your retirement in Spain.

Would you like to learn more about how the Spanish healthcare system works in general? Then be sure to read our detailed explanation of healthcare in Spain.

How is healthcare organized on the Costa Blanca?

The Costa Blanca is part of the Valencian Community and has an extensive network of health centers, public hospitals, and private healthcare facilities. The type of care you are eligible for and how it is covered depend, among other things, on your residency status, insurance, and personal circumstances.

People who move to Spain permanently often face a different healthcare situation than those who only spend a few months a year at their second home. That’s why it’s wise to review your insurance coverage and find out what healthcare facilities are available near your future place of residence before you move.

You'll find major medical facilities in and around Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Elche, Alicante, Benidorm, Dénia, and surrounding areas.

Public Health Care on the Costa Blanca

In Spain, the public health care system operates largely through local health centers. Your centro de salud is usually your first point of contact for primary care. If you need specialized care, the health center can refer you to a specialist or a hospital.

There are several large public hospitals on the Costa Blanca, including hospitals in or around:

Torrevieja
Orihuela
Moose
Alicante
Denial
Benidorm and Villajoyosa

For example, people who live in Ciudad Quesada, Rojales, Guardamar del Segura, or La Marina use the healthcare services in the southern part of the Costa Blanca.

On the northern Costa Blanca, Calpe, Altea, Jávea, Dénia, and L'Alfàs del Pi are among the popular places of residence for international residents.

Private hospitals and clinics

In addition to the public healthcare system, the Costa Blanca offers a wide range of private healthcare options. International residents, in particular, make regular use of these services—for example, because they have Spanish private health insurance or because they want to get an appointment with a specific specialist more quickly.

Well-known private hospital and clinic groups in the region include:

HCB Hospitals
IMED Hospitals
Euro Clínica Rincón
various independent international medical centers and specialist practices

Private hospitals are located in and around Benidorm, Dénia, Alicante, Elche, and Torrevieja, among other places.

Many of these facilities are accustomed to treating international patients. As a result, in addition to Spanish, English, Dutch, German, French, or Scandinavian languages are often spoken there.

Dutch Doctors on the Costa Blanca

For residents of the Netherlands and Belgium, it can be helpful when a doctor or other healthcare provider speaks Dutch. This helps ensure that important information is not lost due to a language barrier, especially when dealing with complex symptoms or medical examinations.

Dutch-speaking healthcare providers and international medical centers are mainly found in areas with a large foreign population.

Dutch Doctors on the Northern Costa Blanca

The northern Costa Blanca is home to a large international community. There are several international medical practices operating primarily around Jávea, Moraira, Calpe, Altea, Albir, and L'Alfàs del Pi.

Examples include Clínica La Lluca near Jávea and international medical centers around Altea, Albir, and Alfaz del Pi.

HCB Hospitales also has a strong presence in the northern part of the Costa Blanca and focuses specifically on international patients.

Dutch doctors in the Benidorm and Alfaz del Pi area

The area around Benidorm, Albir, La Nucía, and Alfaz del Pi has been home to a very large Dutch, Belgian, and Scandinavian community for many years.

As a result, a relatively large range of international medical care has also emerged here.

Euro Clínica Rincón, for example, is known for its care of international patients. In addition, several locations of HCB Hospitales offer support to foreign patients.

For people who are moving to this region permanently, the availability of such amenities may be an additional reason to consider, for example, living in Benidorm, Alfaz del Pi, or La Nucía.

Dutch Doctors on the Southern Costa Blanca

There is also a very large Dutch-speaking community on the southern Costa Blanca.

This is especially true for Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales, Guardamar del Segura, and La Marina.

This region is home to several international clinics and medical centers that are accustomed to treating Dutch and Belgian patients.

Examples include international medical centers in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa and healthcare providers that offer services in multiple languages.

Health Care in Torrevieja

Torrevieja is one of the largest towns on the southern Costa Blanca and has a very international population.

The city has public health centers, a hospital, private medical centers, dentists, physical therapists, and numerous other healthcare providers.

Because of the large foreign community, many medical practices are accustomed to treating patients who do not speak Spanish.

This makes Torrevieja popular not only as a vacation destination, but also among people who move to Spain permanently.

Health Care in Orihuela Costa

Orihuela Costa also has a wide range of private and international healthcare providers.

The various residential areas, such as La Zenia, Playa Flamenca, Villamartín, and Cabo Roig, have a strong international focus. As a result, the immediate vicinity is home to general practitioners, dentists, physical therapists, pharmacies, and private medical centers, among other services.

Anyone who buys a home in Orihuela Costa will also be living in a relatively central location with respect to the larger hospitals in the southern part of the province of Alicante.

Healthcare in the Ciudad Quesada and Rojales Area

Ciudad Quesada and Rojales are particularly popular among Dutch and Belgian homebuyers.

In and around Ciudad Quesada, you'll find pharmacies, dentists, physical therapy clinics, private doctors, and other medical services. For more comprehensive hospital care, Torrevieja and the surrounding areas are easily accessible.

If you'd like to learn more about daily life in this area, you can also check out our comprehensive guide to living in Ciudad Quesada.

Health Care in Guardamar del Segura and La Marina

Guardamar del Segura and La Marina are also conveniently located near medical facilities on the southern Costa Blanca.

Guardamar has its own primary care services and several private practices. For specialized hospital care, Torrevieja and Elche, among other places, are within easy reach.

La Marina is conveniently located between Guardamar and Santa Pola and, thanks in part to its large international community, has several healthcare providers in the immediate vicinity.

Health Care on the Northern Costa Blanca

On the northern Costa Blanca, the distances between towns are sometimes greater than in the densely populated south. When looking for a home, it is therefore wise to consider the route to the nearest hospital.

For example, anyone living in Dénia has access to extensive medical facilities in the immediate vicinity.

For residents of Jávea, Moraira, and surrounding areas, Dénia also plays an important role.

There is also a wide range of public and private medical care available in the areas around Calpe, Altea, Benidorm, La Nucía, and L'Alfàs del Pi.

Seeing a Family Doctor in Spain

In the Spanish public health care system, you normally go first to your assigned centro de salud. That is where your family doctor, the médico de familia, works.

If further treatment is needed, your primary care physician can refer you to a specialist or a hospital.

With private healthcare, depending on your insurance plan, you can often make an appointment directly with a specific specialist.

Anyone moving to Spain from the Netherlands or Belgium would therefore be wise to find out in advance which type of health insurance is right for their situation. This is especially true in the case of permanent emigration to Spain.

Pharmacies on the Costa Blanca

Pharmacies are easily recognizable by their green cross and can be found in virtually every town.

Outside of regular business hours, Spain operates a system of farmacias de guardia. This ensures that there is always a designated pharmacy available in every region for urgent medication needs.

In larger towns such as Torrevieja, Alicante, Benidorm, Dénia, and Elche, the selection is naturally greater, but pharmacies are also well represented in smaller towns.

Emergency Medical Care

For serious medical emergencies in Spain, you can call the general emergency number 112.

For less urgent situations, depending on where you live, you can visit a health center, urgent care clinic, or hospital.

If you’re buying a second home or moving to Spain permanently, we recommend that you find out where the nearest hospital and health center are as soon as you arrive. When you actually need emergency care, you don’t want to have to figure that out on the spot.

Private Health Insurance in Spain

Many foreign residents choose private health insurance in addition to or instead of public health care.

This gives you access to the insurer’s network of doctors, specialists, and hospitals. Depending on your policy, appointments may be available sooner, and you may sometimes be able to choose a specialist directly.

When taking out insurance, don't just focus on the premium; also consider:

which hospitals are part of the network;
whether a copayment applies;
coverage for pre-existing conditions;
any waiting times;
emergency care;
coverage outside Spain;
and whether the insurance is suitable for your living or residency situation.

For more general information, see our guide on health care in Spain.

Healthcare for Retirees on the Costa Blanca

The Costa Blanca has been popular for years among people who want to spend their retirement in Spain.

For this group in particular, proximity to medical facilities can be especially important.

That's why a place to live with a family doctor, a pharmacy, and a hospital nearby may be more practical than a remote finca, no matter how beautiful its location may be.

Places such as Torrevieja, Ciudad Quesada, Orihuela Costa, Benidorm, Alfaz del Pi, Calpe, and Dénia are popular with international residents, partly for this reason.

Consider Medical Facilities When Choosing a Home

When buying a home in Spain, the first things to consider are, of course, factors such as location, property type, price, number of bedrooms, outdoor space, and distance to the sea.

But if you plan to live there permanently, we would also want to consider practical amenities.

For example:

distance to the nearest health center;
distance to a hospital;
pharmacy in the immediate vicinity;
accessibility without a car;
availability of private healthcare;
and, if necessary, medical care in Dutch.

For a vacation home that you use for a few weeks a year, these factors may not be as important. For someone who is moving to Spain, however, they may be key considerations when choosing between different places to live.

Which towns on the Costa Blanca have good medical facilities?

Medical care is available almost everywhere along the Costa Blanca, but, as one might expect, the range of services is more extensive around the larger population centers.

On the Costa Blanca South, for example, you can check out:

On the Northern Costa Blanca, these towns, among others, are among the well-known international residential areas:

Benidorm
Alfaz del Pi
La Nucía
Altea
Calpe
Moraira
Jávea
Denial

Of course, which place is the best fit for you depends on much more than just healthcare. In our guide to the best places to live on the Costa Blanca, we compare various options.

Health Care and Moving to the Costa Blanca

Good medical care is just one part of a much larger emigration process. When you move permanently, you’ll also have to deal with paperwork, taxes, education, finding a place to live, and registering in Spain.

On our page about moving to Spain, you'll find more information about the various aspects involved in such a move.

Are you still trying to decide where you want to live? Then be sure to check out:

Living in Ciudad Quesada, living in Torrevieja, buying a home in Orihuela Costa, living in Calpe, and our general guide to living on the Costa Blanca.

Buying a Home on the Costa Blanca

Are you planning to move to Spain permanently, spend the winter there, or buy a second home? If so, Casas Palmeras can help you find a location that suits you—not only in terms of housing but also in terms of everyday amenities.

View the current listings of homes for sale in Spain or read more about moving to Spain, health care in Spain, and retirement in Spain.

The combination of modern hospitals, private clinics, local health centers, and a wide range of international healthcare services makes the Costa Blanca a practical region for many foreign homebuyers—not only for vacations, but also for long-term or permanent residence.