Today Torrevieja produces about a million tons of salt, mostly exported, making it the prime European salt-producer. Salt and sea are the two inseparable elements that have marked the history and determined the present-day circumstances of Torrevieja. The lakes have been declared a Nature Reserve due to their wetland ecosystem and for the ecological habitat they provide for migratory and nesting birds.

There are several magnificent sandy beaches. The southernmost beach, the Náufragos beach, offers a range of amenities. The Cura beach is situated between the Levante dock and the Punta Carral. Across from the Punta Carral is the Los Locos beach. The longest and most northern beach is the la Mata from where excursions can be made to the tourist vantage point of the Moro Tower, one of the medieval towers that give Torrevieja its name.