The Mercado Central occupies a proper market building in the town centre and functions as working Torrevieja rather than tourist Torrevieja. The fish counter is the first thing worth paying attention to: the variety reflects what the local boats brought in, and the quality is noticeably better than in the supermarkets. The salt products — coarse salt from the Laguna de Torrevieja, salt flakes, salt-cured fish — are sold here by the stallholders who know what they are talking about, and buying salt in the town that has been producing it for centuries feels appropriately direct. There is also good local olive oil, dried peppers, and the cheap, flavourful olives that you find in Spanish markets and not in northern European ones.
The market stalls at the back of the building and around the market perimeter serve simple food — bocadillos, grilled fish, tortilla española, freshly made juices — at prices that reflect the local clientele rather than the tourist economy. This is where Torrevieja's permanent residents eat breakfast or a quick lunch. The atmosphere is unhurried in the mornings before noon; things slow down further after lunch. Go on a weekday morning for the best combination of produce quality and atmosphere, and build in time to wander — the market is the kind of place where a ten-minute browse turns into forty-five minutes without any particular effort.