Where do your Costa Blanca swimsuits come from, and where can you find them?

Yes, there is a good chance: some of the swimwear sold in Spain comes out of workshops in Crevillent, an inland textile town in Alicante province, less than an hour from the Costa Blanca beaches. Long nicknamed the ciudad de la alfombra (carpet town), Crevillent branched its textile know-how out into swimwear and bikinis back in the 1980s. Here is that little-known industrial story, and where to find swimwear on the coast today.

Why does Crevillent make swimwear?

Because weaving is a tradition there that reaches back to the Middle Ages. The earliest documented references to the braiding of plant fibres, esparto grass and rush, date from 1411 in Crevillent, according to Wikipedia. This craft activity mechanised over the centuries, turning the town into Spain's leading centre for carpet production and export in the 20th century. Between 1950 and 1980, Crevillent lived through its industrial golden age: the town counted more than 80 carpet-related companies in the 1970s. Today the local textile sector has diversified, with 77 textile companies recorded in Crevillent, according to Informa. Since 1983, some of its workshops have been making swimwear and bikinis, among them Alma Fashion, which produces young women's and plus-size lines among other things.

This trajectory is not unique in the province: a few kilometres away, Elche and Elda built the same kind of history around footwear. The same industrial-valley logic, a different product.

Where can you find swimwear on the Costa Blanca?

More in the shops of the tourist towns than at the factory gate. Crevillent's textile output mostly flows through big brands and distribution, not through factory outlets open to the public: to kit yourself out, count instead on the fashion chains in the tourist areas (Benidorm, Alicante, Torrevieja, Dénia) and on department stores such as El Corte Inglés in Alicante, which stock a wide choice of swimwear brands in season. A practical tip: collections arrive from spring onwards, and the best size ranges sell out fast in July and August, so it is wise not to leave it to the last week before your holiday.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the swimwear sold in Spain made?

Some of it comes from workshops in Alicante province, notably in Crevillent, where several textile companies have diversified into swimwear since the 1980s.

Since when has Crevillent made swimwear?

Since 1983, with companies such as Alma Fashion, in a town whose historic textile activity (carpets, esparto) reaches back to the 15th century.

Can you buy directly from the factory in Crevillent?

That is not the norm: local production goes through distribution and big brands. To buy, it is better to go through the shops in the coastal towns.

Sources

• Wikipedia (Crevillente's textile industry)
• Informa (directory of Crevillent's textile companies)
• El Español (profile of Artesa, a Crevillent textile company)
• Specialist company listings (swimwear made in Crevillent)

Consulted July 2026.

Information verified in July 2026. The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human editorial review and responsibility.