The Best Places to Visit on The Costa Blanca, Spain

Fiestas
When it comes to fiestas and festivals, there are so many Spanish Festivals on the Costa Blanca, you are bound to see one wherever you are, whatever time of year. As with the rest of Spain, one of the most important events is the Semana Santa or Easter Week. These deeply religious celebrations are somewhat overwhelming.
Abdet has two main Fiestas - one at Easter and one during August.
The Passion of Christ, or Easter Week, known in Spain as Semana Santa is the most important Spanish celebration in the country. The festivities begin with the Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and end with Lunes de Pascua (Easter Monday). It is a celebration of life itself and the whole country comes alive.
Each area, city and town has it's own accent on it's celebrations. They all differ but in common they all portray life, colour, culture, music and dance, all with a very religious meaning.
Everywhere, processions make their way through the streets, carrying religious icons and symbols of their faith. In Seville alone there are over 100 of these such images.Semana Santa has to be experienced first hand to be fully appreciated and no words can begin to describe the emotions that flow like water, wherever you go. If you have the opportunity to sample these festivities, one thing is sure, the images will stay with you forever.
In major cities such as Alicante, the processions go on for miles and will last until the early hours of the morning, every night through the Easter week. Children as young as 3 or 4 take part and crowds will swell into hundreds of thousands.
The Fallas festivity is held in March, in which monumental statues are ceremoniously put to the flames.
Saint Joseph's day is celebrated on 19th March. The Fallas festival runs for a week up to the weekend nearest this date.
Where to go: Valencia is the capital of Fallas, and the hotel prices reflect this. By contrast, Denia is big enough to have the atmosphere but small enough to watch almost every crema. Costa Blanca towns which have Fallas festivals include: Benidorm, Bunol, Calpe, Denia, Gandia, Oliva, Pego, Sueca, Valencia.

Towns of northern Costa Blanca, Spain

Denia

Midway between Valencia to the north and Alicante to the south, Denia is located on the Mediterranean with some 20km of beach and a backdrop of pine clad hills and mountains. The climate is one of the best in Spain, and Denia was voted as the 3rd healthiest place to live, once visited you can see why. With the temperature rarely dropping below the mid teens in the winter and averaging 19 degrees throughout the year, Denia's climate is both mild and dry, ideal for both holiday makers and the orange and lemon groves surrounding the town.

More of a family resort, this quiet town is based around the tiny fishing port, where the daily catch is still unloaded and sold at the fish market or straight from the fishermen in some cases around the harbour.

Dating from the time of the Romans, the town's history can be seen at the castle which doubles up as the museum of archaeology.

Most holiday makers will head for the water and the water sport activities that are mainly based from the large marina, though golfers are well catered for at La Sella, an 18 hole golf course with golf hotel resort and luxury golf urbanisations.

Javea
Set in an area of outstanding beauty, the holiday resort of Javea has an historic past, which is still evident throughout this small town devoid of the high rise apartment blocks of the resorts further to the south. A walk through the ancient streets reveals a town steeped in history and the old town is beautiful to behold with its traditional buildings, with their small balconies looking out towards the main Javea beach of Playa del Arenal with its long stretch of sand. Like Denia and many of the other smaller towns along the coastline of the northern Costa Blanca, Javea still has a small fishing port, where the daily catch is delivered as it has been for centuries.
Bars and restaurants can be found alongside the Avenida del Mediterraneo alongside the Javea harbor area. Holiday accommodation is plentiful with many of the Javea accommodation rentals having spectacular views from the hills overlooking the town of Javea and its beaches.
Arenal beach is the main beach of the town with its vibrant promenade and the place to visit for the town's modest nightlife. Golfers will not be disappointed with the Javea Golf Club course set within pine and orange groves not far from the town.

Moraira
With its backdrop of hills rising upwards to the upper valley of Jalon, Moraira is about 1 hours drive from the international airport of Alicante. Alicante airport car hire is reasonably cheap, though it pays to book online before you arrive to get the best deal and be certain that a vehicle will be waiting for you.
Arriving in Moraira will bring you to a climate that has an average yearly temperature of 18 degrees and 325 days of sunshine each year. A low rise resort built around the small fishing town, Moraira has 8km of coastline to explore and associated water sports to enjoy. The towns fishing port history can still be seen at the interesting fish auction from Tuesday to Sunday on the harbour side, with many of the fish caught ending up on a plate in one of the excellent restaurants and bars around the modern marina and port.
An attractive resort, there are many vacation rentals here, set within pine forests. Most are private villas each having their own pools, though you will find beach front apartments for those wishing to stay in the town.

Moraira has 4 golf courses in the vicinity, so golfers are well served and a weekly town market held near to the main beach selling farm products, souvenirs and local specialities.

Calpe
Calpe is dominated by the towering Penon de Ifach, a vertical sided rock that protrudes from the Mediterranean over the town. The town, once an ancient fishing village, is now one of the most popular resorts in the northern Costa Blanca with its quaint Valencian charm and beautiful sandy beaches. The town still has its fishing port, where you can watch the daily catch, though next door a stunning marina houses dream yachts.

A glimpse of Calpe's past can be viewed from the old town walls beside the Moorish quarter, used to defend the town against the pirate attacks. Calpe's Roman heritage can be seen at the remains of the Roman villa next to the Paseo Maritimo, and more at the towns Museum of Archaeology. Self catering Calpe comes in many forms from frontline beach apartments on Calpe's beaches to luxury villas overlooking Calpe and the Penon de Ifach.

Between Calpe and Moraira is the small village of Benissa with its not to be missed Cathedral of the Marina Alta.

Altea
Altea is without doubt one of the prettier villages along the Costa Blanca coast and yet only 7km north of the resort town of Benidorm, with its vibrant nightlife and towering holiday apartment blocks. Situated less than 1 hours drive from Alicante airport where most of the Alicante car hire is found, Altea is a fishing village that maintains it beauty with low rise buildings preserving the skyline and ancient history of the port. Remaining small, has also meant that Altea is a much more family orientated resort with a modest nightlife mainly centred around the restaurants along the beach front and the old town centre with its tapas bars and cosy atmosphere and cobbled streets. As well as the well maintained beaches, most with sun loungers and eateries, the town has the backdrop of the Sierra Bernia mountains to either explore of behold, especially around sunset.

Accommodation in Altea comprises of both private villas and resort complexes with all their holiday facilities.

Benidorm

Benidorm is not really the ideal place for a quiet holiday, the largest resort on the Costa Blanca, the skyline is full of high rise hotel apartments that are full to capacity during the summer months. However, Benidorm has come a long way from the days of the bucket and spade brigade and has improved its image considerably, becoming quite chic in the process. For nightlife the resort cannot be beaten and there is something for everyone, and for those of you who think that eating out in Benidorm is all pie and chips, think again. Benidorm has an old town which has still kept its Spanish culture and the flavour of Spain in its cuisine.

Being set on a wide and long crescent bay, Benidorm's beach is perfect for families and provides safe bathing for children under the supervision of the parents.

Not far away from the resort is the theme park of Terra Mitica, based on the legends of the ancient civilisations that ruled the Mediterranean. Rivalling Euro Disney for its thrills, Terra Mitica, is a loud and exciting addition to the Costa Blanca and worth the visit.

What Makes Costa Blanca Capture Your Heart?

For anyone that wants to enjoy some fun and sun in Spain, the Costa Blanca region that is close to the Mediterranean Sea would be the best place to visit. Costa Blanca is a part of the Alicante Province that begins with the little town known as Denia and ends up at Torrevieja, which is another popular tourist destination. Costa Blanca or ‘white coast' has some very splendid beaches that both residents as also the many tourists come to enjoy.

On a visit to Costa Blanca you might want to check out a few important and well liked holiday spots where you can unwind on the beaches including Altea, Javea, Moraira as well as Benidorm, Torrevieja and Guardamar. And, there are many wonderful villas that serve as ideal accommodation and are a favourite among tourists with something of special interest in each one. To reach Javea that lies about ninety kilometers from Alicante on the east coast of Iberia and a hundred kilometers from Valencia, you can take a plane and land at one of the international airports in either of these two cities. Or, if you are planning to drive down, then you can travel the A-7 from any part of Europe.

Javea is particularly exciting and well worth visiting having some of the best mountains including the peak of Montgo along with many wondrous landscapes and of course the excellent beaches. Such is the attraction that Costa Blanca holds for tourists that millions of them converge here to enjoy the beautiful beaches every year, especially the towns of Denia and Javea. You would also find Elche another attractive hot spot and this place is known as the palm capital of the world.

Traveling the entire Costa Blanca is possible using the Carretera National Highway that follows the coast and provide you with the opportunity to also stop and take a break at the many small villages along the way. Among the more tourist oriented places, you would like the entertainment park known as Terra Mitica that is situated at Benidorm and there are also the bays of Altea as well as a place called Calpe. There are also the smaller towns that are very attractive and among them you should check out Villajoyosa that is close to Benidorm and to its south having an old town and plenty of yummy chocolates as well.

Anyone that wants to enjoy a good round of golf in these parts would love the Costa Blanca golf resorts of which there are many and you can locate individual ones by studying the maps that are available at the Airport or in downtown Alicante. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the Costa Blanca would no doubt emanate from the sea villages. Costa Blanca is also a place where tourists are tempted by the more than two hundred kilometers of coastline and rather unsurprisingly the tourist industry here is well developed and Costa Blanca is a hot favorite for many British and also German tourists and many other nationalities including the sun-starved Scandinavians that flock here for the ample warmth and plenty of sunshine that is available here.

Calpe in Spain, Costa Blanca.
Some interesting visits.
Algar Waterfalls This is a beauty spot that is run with the visitors participation in conservation and development of "Fonts de l'Algar" and its surrounding area. Visit the riverside, a walk along the paths and bathing in its various pools and waterfalls. Don't forget the bathing-wear.
First aid post, camping for one day with WC and showers, reception center, parking.
Tel.- Fax : 96/588.21.06 on the road to Callosa, 35 Km from Calpe and Benidorm

Alicante The Capital Alicante or Alicant is situated in a bay which is closed in to the north by Cabo Las Huertas and to the south by Cabo Santa Pola, and enjoys pleasant temperatures all year round with average of 18 degrees.

A tour in the city would usually start in the Paseo Maritimo, a promenade, or Explanada de Espana where both tourists and local people stroll under shade provided by two rows of tall palm trees.

The Iglesia de Santa Maria is in the square of the same name and is one of the city's most famous monuments.
Municipal Art Museum (tel.: 514.07.68) in the Casa de la Asegurada where paintings are on display.

The Symbolis Fortress, the Castillo de Santa Barbara, is located 200 metres up on Benacantil hill. This castle comprises three different enclosures each at different heights on the bare rock. The lower enclosure dates from the Bourbon era, the middle precinct from the sixteenth century and the upper is part of the site of the original fortress. The castle had drawbridges, dungeons, living quarters for the nobility, turrets, a gunpowder arsenal and the eighteenth century chapel, Ermita de Santa Barbara. It can be entered from Paseo de Gomiz through a tunnel 200 metres long which has been dug into the rock. At the end of the tunnel are two lifts which go up to the fortress.
Hemmed in by the port to the south and the Grossa mountains to the north, playa (beach) of Postiguet, in the heart of the city, is very popular in the summer.

Altea Hills Yachts Visit Altea Hills and enjoy a stroll around the Greenish Marina, probably the most exclusive and home of some of the biggest luxury yachts on the Costa Blanca. Join the N-332 near Calpe and follow it towards Altea, after the tunnels, pass the Astondoa yacht brokerage and turn left, down the hill just before the Planesia Supermercado follow the road until the marina near the apartments. Enjoy a meal or a drink at one of the bars inside the marina. You can charter boats from here and is also a diving excursion leaves from the marina.
Address is Marina Greenish, Altea hills, N-332.

Aqualandia Huge water amusement park for adults and children. Aqualandia offers you an unforgettable day for the whole family. Situated on the west site of Benidorm against a hill near Mundomar and Benidorm Palace. You have to visit this one, don't forget your sun cream.
Tel.: 96/586.40.06 or 07.

Aquascop Discover the fantastic underwater world in the waters of Benidorm's Island and Calpe.
Departures from the port and the street Rincon de Loix, first departure at 10.00 and go every hour. You can also visit the island Benidorm
Tel.: 96/585.00.52

Benidorm This is the city which best represents the phenomenon of tourism. With its fine sandy beaches, more than 300 hours of sunlight per year and humidity levels which never fall below 65 per cent, this is a wonderland all year round.
Those seeking Arab heritage, in addition to a sultan, should made for the old part of the town which is made up of a series of streets pointing towards the sea.
Discos and bars can be found along the Avenida de Filipinas and the surrounding area.

Benidorm Palace Special and spectacular varied dinner show. Three-hour floor show and dancing with a orchestra. Doors open at 21.00.
Reservation: tel.: 96/585.16.60 or 61

Calpe Ifach The Phoenicians called the Rock of Ifach the Northern Rock to distinguish it from Gibraltar, the Southern Rock, as these were the only spectacular promontories they encountered in their travels to the western shores of the Mediterranean.
Ifach is indeed a large rock, measuring 332m in height. Today, it is been transformed into a nature park to protect its unique vegetation and over 300 species of animals, including colonies of sea birds that use it as a nesting area. Located here is a nature school where local carnations and even original Robertonian orchids can be admired. The park itself can be reached up a zigzagging track which is compulsory climbing for anyone anxious to get a panoramic view over the entire Marina Alta coastline. Mountaineers use the southern face for practice, as it drops straight down to the sea.

Calpe
Old Town For some years running in the summer, Arts and Crafts Fair is been held in the Old Town center of Calpe every day except Mondays. During June to September, the Calle José Antonio and the Plaza de Espana will present a lively scene in the evening, not only artists and craftsmen by putting up their stands but there are also workshops and live entertainment as well as an art exhibition.
The program of the week or for details : tel.: 965.732.269 English spoken.

Castillo Conde de Alfaz Return back eight hundred years to the Castle of the Count of Alfaz and enjoy a dinner typical of this age together with the Count. See how the knights fight on foot and horseback to defend their honor and save themselves from the Pit of Terror ... A place which you too can visit.. if you dare...End your night in the great disco "The Torture Chamber"
Tel.: 96/686.55.92 or 93 In Alfaz between Altea and Benidorm.
From Calpe : 17 Km. and Benidorm : 3 Km.

Cactuslandia A personal garden transformed into cactusland, 1.000 different species of cactus and other succulents, tropical fruit trees, several species of parrots, parakeets, exotic birds and others. A wonderworld of shapes and colors. Bar and sale of cactus. Also a collection of fossils, mineral stones, shells, butterflies.
On the road between Calpe and Altea. Entrance at the top of a hill, seaside.
Tel.: 96/584.22.18 - La Galera del Mar, 26 - Altea

Guadalest Monastery Visit the old fortified monastery in Guadalest, 22 Km. inland from Benidorm on the road 3313 to Alcoy. From Calpe take the road to Alcoy over Callosa.

Guadalest Museum The town of Bethlehem. Typically Spanish architectural scale models and doll's houses, all in miniature. Authentic and realistic, as their construction is not in plastic, plaster, cardboard nor paint. It is unique in the world. 15 Years in the making, possibly the highlight of your trip.
Museum Antonio Marco - C./.La Virgen,2 - Guadalest - Tel.: 96/588.53.23

Karting
La Font Santa
Teulada La Font Santa karting is one of the all time great tracks and is owned by the father of the junior champion of Espana, Adrian Valles. The track is near Teulada.
You can rent children kart, biplaza kart, leisure kart or 70mph prokarts, 90mph competition karts. It also has a shop dealing in karts and a bar and terrace overlooking this amazing championship course.
The adress is: Ctra. Moraira-Teulada km.3 - Teulada. Tel.: 96.574.14.69
Free transport to the track Tel.: 919.11.24.69

Limon Expres
Benidorm - Gata Traveling on the Limon Express is a pleasant excursion, along the Costa Blanca. It offers a five-hours journey through Benidorm, Altea, Rock the Ifach and Teulada and other naturals places you can't otherwise reach. The old tourist train stops in Gata de Gorgos where passengers visit a guitar factory and are shown typical handicraft. On the way back, going South, passengers can enjoy the wonderful west Mediterranean landscape from heights of this coast while sparkling wine is served.
Reservations - info : Tel.: 96/680.31.03 Fax.: 96/680.85.21

Mundomar Marine and exotic animal park near aqualandia. Mundomar is a unique adventure, its main characters is being beautiful with exotic marine animals. These can be observed in their natural environment. You will learn from them and enjoy yourself sharing with them the mysterious corners of a fascinating, enchanting park. The parrots will entertain you. They are as crafty as they are talkactive. Admire their flashy and exotic colors. Go through its outstanding landscape and cross its lakes. Penetrate deeply into its vegetation and explore its paths. You will see impressive waterfalls and sheer, precipitous rocks. Enjoy a fascinating encounter with the dolphins and seals. They are real stars of the park. These loveable and intelligent beings will surprise you with all their acrobatics.
West site of Benidorm - Tel.: 96/586.91.01 or 02 or 03

Pola Park Fun attraction park for children. 20 Km under Alicante on the road N-332 to Santa Pola and Cartagena. - Tel.: 96/541.70.60 . Near Rio Safari Park Elche.

Prehistoric natural cave Busot offers its visitor the Caves of Canelobre, situated at a distance of 24 Km. from the city of Alicante, 60 Km from Calpe, at a high of 700 m. on the northern side of Cabeco d'Or. The interior of the cave has got one of the highest vaults in all Spain, and is very similar to a cathedral. During a visit one can admire the varied and whimsical forms that the rocks have adapted: candelabra, animals and many other spectacular shapes. On certain occasions the unsurpassable acoustic and atmospheric conditions of the caves are availed of to provide entertainment whose main protagonist is music.
Tel.: 96/569.92.50 - Busot at Alicante, motorway A7 exit 67 to El Campello, exit the road N-332 near El Campello to road N-340 Alcoi-Xixona to the cave in Busot.

Prehistoric natural cave Visit this magnificent natural cave with at a length of more than 300 m. and its stalagmites and stalactites and admire the great numbers of domes which at times rice to a height of more than 20m. The cave is situated on the road between Pedreguer and Benidoleig, and still bears witness with many human as well as animal bones of an age more than 50.000 years ago.
Las Calaveras Benidoleig - Tel.: 96/640.42.35 - 03759 Benidoleig - Alicante
Situated inland between Gata and Ondara, surrounding area Javea - Denia

Safari Park
Aitana 35 Km. from Benidorm on the road between Colecha and Sella. Park is about 1.500.000 m² big at a altitude of 1.000 m. Bar and restaurant. It's OK.
Tel.: 96/552.92.73 - Penaguila

Safari Park
Vergel Enjoy a new sensation seeing the lions and tigers in complete freedom. Come on a safari and admire the leopards, jaguars, iberian wolves, primates and hundreds of totally free animals. Astonish yourself with serpents with examples of more than 90 kg. Various attractions: parrot show, elastics beds, boats, congo train, horses and exotic ride on a dromedary. Infantile park, restaurant service.
Tel.: 96/575.02.85 - Pego s/n - 03770 El Vergel - on the road C-3311 near Denia, motorway A-7 exit 61.

Safari Park
Rio Rio Safari Park Elche is the ideal spot to enjoy nature and to watch tigers, lions, camels, monkeys, hippopotamus,... from its boats. You can also visit the first farm exhibition with more than 200 crocodiles of all sizes. Rio's Safari's 6000 fully grown palm trees create an unique tropical setting.
A professional team records with a video camera your promenade by boat and in a few minutes they turn your visit into a great audio-visual montage.
Tel.: 96/663.82.88 - On the road from Santa Pola to Elche, 120 Km from Calpe.

Valencia
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias The largest urban complex in Europe for Cultural, Educational and Leisure Expansion. The Ciudad de las Artes Y las Ciencias, symbol of the Community of Valencia for the XXIst Century, has been designed as a site for relaxation, a place to learn by having fun.
It is to be a unique 350.000m² urban area, built alongside the former bed of the River Turia: its content and unique buildings, works of the architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela, will allow enjoyment with Art, Science and Nature.
A social and cultural complex with four large areas.
L'Hemisfèric: three remarkable productions on a 900m² concave screen, with a soundtrack in four languages and six-channel stereo: Planetarium, Dome Cinema and Laserium.
L'Oceanografic: an underwater city allowing visitors to enter into different marine habitats, in the centre the floating underwater restaurant. Two areas: a recreational area where all types of entertainment activities will take place, and a large aquarium comprising a series of lakes and lagoons with different water types, coasts and islands with coastal geological formations.
Museo de las Ciencias Principe Felipe: Science and Discovery. A magnificent 41.000m² construction is the house, international model and reference for the scientific development. A centre where the visitor will be able not only to look and touch, but also feel : a museum of sensations. The three fundamental pillars are: an interactive museum complex, an information server centre and an exhibition area for high-technology companies.
Palacio de las Artes: the flexibility of this multi-use area, dedicated to the creation and expansion of all the scenic Arts, will enable a wide variety of cultural uses. It is equipped with the finest and most modern equipment to perform great plays, operas and music spectacles. There are three auditoria: the main hall, chamber hall and the open-air auditorium.
C.A.C. , S.A.:Arzobispo Mayoral, 14-2° - Valencia - Spain.
Tel.:(34)963.525.507 Fax.: (34)963.526.023 info: 902.100.031 L'Hemisfèric

Valley of Wine The Jalon valley is named after the Jalon river, it flows through the village Jalon, which lies some 7 Km. from Benissa, 15 Km. from Calpe. The famous Jalon wines, strong red and the sweet mistela or moscatel wine, are sold in two bodegas, where they encourage you to try out their product. You buy the wine by the liter, so take your bottle(s) along. The other bodega is privately owned, has an extremely pleasant renovated interior, and sells local wine as well as bottled wine.
Every Tuesday a market - vegetables, clothes, shoes etc. - is held in the square and the adjacent streets.
On Saturday mornings an enormous car boot sale and antique market is held on the waste land opposite the bodega under the huge eucalyptus trees, well worth going to.
Visit also my friend at " La Pension de Jalon ", single and double rooms with shower and toilet, garden, solarium, terrace, swimming pool. All year open. Very friendly Dutch people, know many languages. The pension is situated over the river-bridge, first road on the right and than again first road on the left.
Bruno & Beatrice Goffin - Cam.Castellet,5 - Jalon
Tel./fax: 96/648.01.71

Wax Museum 113 Sculptures : royal families, politicians, art, music, horror, cinema, far west, sports, toros ...
Tel.: 96/680.84.21 - Museo de Cera - Avda. Mediterranea,8 - 03500 Benidorm.

Fiesta de Moros y Christianos, Alcoy, Spain
(Battle of the Moors and the Christians)
Every year, the Moorish occupation and Spanish re-conquest of the Iberian peninsula is celebrated throughout Southern Spain. Nowhere is the re-enactment as spectacular as in Alcoy, 28 km from Abdet.
What Happens at the Fiesta de Moros y Christianos?

In late April each year, a papier-mache castle is erected in the town's main plaza and the townsfolk re-enact the confrontation between the Moorish (Muslim) and Christian leaders.
On the first day of the festival, the townsfolk flock to take part in the colourful parades which weave their way through the streets of Alcoy. They spend a great deal of time making their costumes together, and curiously everyone is vying to be a Moor, as their tribal costumes are the most colourful and exotic.
The second day of the festival is St. Georges Day. On this day, the religious aspects of the festival are remembered, when the relics of the Saint are removed from the Church of Santa Maria and returned with high drama to the temple. That evening there's a spectacular firework display and Valencien fallas or effigies are burned on huge bonfires in the town.

On the final day of the fiesta, a furious battle takes place on the streets of Alcoy. When the Christian leaders tear up the Moors' demands, a horse messenger spreads the word of impending war, and the battle begins. For hours the two armies flood through the streets letting off blunderbusses that are so loud they can be heard for miles around. Before noon the Moors succeed in seizing the castle. However in the afternoon, after a child dressed as Alcoy's Holy Patron, St. George makes an timely appearance on the battlements, the Christians re-gain control of the castle and the battle is won.
What's the history of the Festival?
This festival commemorates a famous battle held in this city in 1276 between the Christian ruler and the Moorish captain Al Athrak. The story goes that on the point of losing the city to the Moors, St. George appeared on a white charger and turned the Christians' fate around.
The proceedings have changed little for 700 years, closely following the sequence of events recorded immediately after the battle: the Moors seize the castle in the morning and the Christians win it back again in the afternoon.
One year, about 10 years ago, the Moorish team decided they were not prepared to give up the castle so easily and locked themselves in to celebrate their victory with plenty of food and drink. The outraged Christians were forced to call the police and the Guardia Civil so that the course of history wouldn't be altered forever.

Further List for Costa Blanca

Calpe Rock

The southern Costa Blanca, Spain

Flying into the International airport of Alicante, places you right in the centre of the Costa Blanca holiday region. To the south, the costal plane is fairly flat with long sandy beaches, many of them blue flag, ideal of your Costa Blanca vacation.

The region of Murcia has many golf courses to choose from, La Manga is probably the most famous, right at the southern most point of the Costa Blanca coast and next to the Mar Menor, an inland sea famed for its healing properties. The costal town of Torrevieja, with its port and new marina, is an ideal location for golfers to stay. Nearby are the golf resorts of Villamartin, Campoamor, Las Ramblas and Ciudad Quesada. Many people have visited this area from abroad, fallen in love with it and bought a home, either to settle down here or use as holiday accommodation or an investment.

To the south of Torrevieja is the rocky headland of Cabo Roig, often referred to as the jewel of the southern Costa Blanca with its hidden bays and blue flag beaches. Between Cabo Roig and Torrevieja are the resorts of La Zenia and Playa Flamenca with their family safe sandy beaches. Inland from Torrevieja are the salt lakes which have been mined for salt for centuries. The lakes are an ideal location for bird spotters as Flamingos can be seen here.

To the north of Torrevieja the sandy beach stretches some 17 km to Santa Pola and the resort village of La Marina. Both these vacation resorts are about 20 to 25 minutes from the airport at Alicante. La Marina and Santa Pola are near to the La Marquesa golf course at Rojales 8 km inland. The area is known as the market garden because of the numerous olive, orange, lemon groves.

Alicante is much more than just a setting for the airport. The town is steeped in history and has a beautiful promenade and excellent shopping district amongst the historic buildings. You can also catch a boat from here to the nature resort on the islands of Tabarca

The northern Costa Blanca, Spain

A holiday in the northern Costa Blanca is set within a greener and more rugged landscape than the south which is relatively flat and dry. The climate here is mild throughout the year with an average of 320 days sunshine each year, perfect for spending time lazing on the many Blue Flag beaches dotted along this coastline.

Apartment from Benidorm the area is not so commercialised as the south and though there are areas of construction, as in most of Spain, you can still find unspoilt Spanish villages and ports. Inland from the seaside resort of Denia and Javea, most popular with vacationers, you will find the Jalon Valley, a rural area of natural beauty and noted for its vineyards and wine. Further to the north the vineyards make way to citrus groves. The hills of the northern Costa Blanca are predominently covered in pine trees, which along with the citrus trees gives a distinctive Mediterranean fragence.

Benidorm has come a long way from its days as the being a bucket and spade resort, and is now much more upmarket. It still has 2 beaches giving 4 miles of soft sand, perfect for family holidays and the best nightlife on the Costa Blanca, though the resort has so much more to offer with its delightful Old Town and the theme park of Terra Mitica.

To the north of Benidorm is the white washed village of Altea set on the coast infront of an impressive backdrop of hills, the Sierra de Bernia. Altea is largely untouched by mass tourism and so still retains its old Spanish feel. Altea is famous for the church of Virgin de Consuelo with its blue dome, a symbol of this region. The beach here is 6km long, broken down into smaller bathing area by cliffs. A long promenade runs along the beach. A holiday rentals in Altea offers a more peaceful location, yet close to the resort of Benidorm for day trips.

Calpe is dominated by the towering Penon de Ifach, a vertically sided rock that protrudes from the Mediterranean over the town. The town, once an ancient fishing village is now one of the most popular resorts in the northern Costa Blanca with its quaint Valencian charm and beautiful sandy beaches. The town still has its fishing port, where you can watch the daily catch, though next door a stunning marina houses dream yachts.

A glimpse of Calpes past can be viewed from the old town walls beside the Moorish quarter, used to defend the town against the pirate attacks. Calpes Romain heritage can be seen at the remains of the Roman villa next to the Paseo Maritimo, and more at the towns Musem of Archeology. Self catering Calpe comes in many forms from frontline beach apartments on Calpes beaches to luxury villas overlooking Calpe and the Penon de Ifach.

Between Calpe and Moraira is the small village of Benissa withs it not to be missed Cathedral of the Marina Alta.

The small town of Moraira is set on the Mediterranean with a backdrop of hills, rising upwards towards the Jalon Valley. About 1 hour from the airport at Alicante, Moraira's climate averages 18 degrees over the year with an impressive 325 day average of sunshine.

The town maintain its fishing port history which can still be seen at the interesting fish auction from Tuesday to Sunday on the harbour side, many of the fishes caught ending up on a plate in one of the excellent restaurants and bars around the modern marina and port.

Moraira has 8km of shoreline to choose from, many of the beaches designated Blue Flag. Many of the Moraira holiday rentals are luxury villas with private pool set in the hills with outstanding vistas over this region.

Javea is set in an area of outstanding beauty. The town has an historic past and the old town is beautiful to behold with its traditional buildings with their small balonies looking out towards the main Javea beach of Playa del Arenal with its long stretch of sand. Bars and restaurants can be found alongside the Avenida del Mediterraneo alongside the Javea harbor area. Many of the Javea accommodation rentals on the site have spectacular views from the hills overlooking the town of Javea and its beaches.

Denia is much more a family resort, a quiet town based around a fishing port, where the daily catch is unloaded and sold at the town market. Voted as the 3rd most healthiest place to live, Denia climate, like most of the towns in this region is mild yet with long sunshine hours and an average yearly temperature of 19 degrees. This climate is ideal for the oranges and lemon groves around the area, as well as an ideal climate for holiday makers.

Much of Denia's history can be seen at the Castle, dating back to Roman times and open to the public, the castle is also the museum of archaeology. Inland from Denia is the golf resort of La Sella, where we also advertise many properties, perfect for the golfer amongst you. With over 20km of shoreline to relax on, a holiday villa Denia is a perfect place to stay for families looking for a quieter location.

Costa Blanca! Spain

Are you going to Costa Blanca in Spain? Make sure you see more than just the beach! Costa Blanca has so much to offer. We stayed near Alfaz del Pi, twenty minutes or so from Benidorm. It was a perfect location, since so many villages are close by.
We went to different locations every day, in a radius of 30 minutes of Alfaz. The first day we went to Moraira. Take the coastal through Altea and Calpe. Right outside Altea we stopped to take a look at Julio Iglesias new luxury spa hotel. It was beautiful, five store buildings around a three levelled swimmingpool. Artists held concerts here in the evenings, but I doubt you`ll se Julio himself performing!
We passed Calpe, a small fishing village. In the lake outside Calpe they used to grow rice. The Arabians brought the rice to Spain hundreds of years ago. And the Spanish women invented the Paella. They needed to find use for all the rice.
Between Benissa and Moraira you`ll find a great variety of restaurants, both local Spanish tapas restaurants and chinese among many others. If you`re on a budget try chinese. The food is excellent and the price is low.

Moraira used to be a small fishing village. However the tourists have discovered this unique place and it won`t be long before it`s crowded. Walk through the narrow streets and visit the boutiques and small stores. Take a rest at one of the many cafees while you watch people passing by.
Visit the market every Friday! Even if you don`t plan to purchase anything, it`s great fun to watch the nic nac and the traders!

Alicante – A Jewel In Spain’s Crown
Alicante or Alicant (Valencian Catalan) is the largest city in the Costa Blanca region of Spain and is one of the most beautiful places you could wish to travel to if you take the time and the effort to explore the region and some of it’s sheer beauty.

Located between Murcia and Valencia, Alicante has some of the best beaches in Spain with San Juan, Muchavista and Campello beaches being real gems with beautiful, clean sea and sand which appeal to both families, couples and surfers alike with calm days and days when the waves can be quite high due to strong winds of late.

Amongst the many varied and more popular attractions are the Castillo de Santa Barbara (Alicante City), Terra Natura (Benidorm), Terra Mitica (Benidorm) and Mundomar (Benidorm). There are also areas of outstanding beauty such as the mountains of Busot village situated just outside of Campello (also known as El Campello). Not only does Busot have it’s popular attraction Cuevas de Canelobre (Canelobre Caves) but it also has vast amounts of stunning scenery in complete tranquillity. To get to these spots you need to do some investigating, but it is well worth it because you will find yourself all alone on some breath-taking trails overlooking Campello and surrounding villages.

To see all that is on offer, you have to arrange car hire in Alicante from either the airport or from a local town or city and prices start at €10 per day for a small car and reserving before your visit is essential in busy periods of the year.

Where else but Alicante can you find such a diverse amount of activities, places of interest and things to do. In the morning you could travel to the Sierra Nevadas (Grenada) and be snowboarding and in the afternoon soaking up the sun, sea and sand on a beautiful, spacious beach. Not only this, but you can also get ferries to Majorca, Ibiza and Tabarca Island from Alicante harbour, so you will never have a lack of options available to you.

Real estate property in Alicante is another reason for visitors to come and like the rest of Costa Blanca, is a popular place where expats come to invest or to emigrate to. Property prices have rapidly increased over the years due to demand and the Euro being introduced, but if you are prepared to move inland slightly, or away from popular areas such as Benidorm and Javea, you can find some real bargains in comparison to the UK property market. Purchasing property in Spain is more expensive tax and legal-wise but it is still worthwhile as long as the Euro is weaker than the Pound.

Alicante’s hotels are varied and you have a wide variety of choice when coming to this region of Spain and if you do some research you will get a hotel to suit your budget and requirements, just remember to book early in high-seasons to ensure a beach-side location.

Getting cheap flights to Alicante has never been easier thanks to Alicante airport being such a popular international destination and it is expanding continuously with new airlines operating from there

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