The Costa Blanca extends south from Setla on the promontory of La Almadraba, at the end of the Costa del Azahar, to the Cabo de Gata, taking in the coastal regions of the provinces of Alicante and Murcia and part of the coast of Almería. It is mainly flat and sandy, with numerous beaches. Thanks to its excellent climate it attracts visitors in winter as well as in summer.
4km/2.5mi south of Jávea is the Cabo de la Nao, the most easterly point in the Cordillera Bética (Andalusian Mountains). Around the cape are beautiful beaches. From the tip of the promontory there is a view to the south of the rocky mass of the Peñón de Ifach (383m/1,257ft) rearing out of the sea off the Punta de Ifach.
This lagoon, with an average depth of just 7 m, is warm enough for swimming year round. Consequently the area along here features all kinds of tourist amenities.
The coast road runs northeast from Benidorm to the tourist resort of Altea, beautifully situated on the hillside to the left of the road, with fortifications built in the reign of Philip II. The village church is charming, with its white walls, pink roof tiles and blue domes.
Address: Altea Tourist Office, Carrer Sant Pere 9, E-03590 Altea, Spain
Once a small fishing village, Benidorm has now become an internationally known resort, one of the most popular holiday centers on the Costa Blanca ("White Coast").
C 3318 runs north through an agricultural region in which citrus fruits and medlars are grown. At Callosa de Ensarría C 3313 goes off on the left and traverses the Sierra de Aitana to Alcoy.
On this road, 18km/11mi from Benidorm, is the fascinating little village of Guadalest, built into the rock and accessible only through a tunnel driven through the hill. In 1609 this was the last refuge of the Muslim Moriscos before their final expulsion from Spain. An earthquake in 1744 almost completely destroyed the old Moorish castle, but the extraordinary situation and the views from the top make it well worth while to climb the crag on which it stood.
Address: Guadalest Tourist Office, Plaza de San Gregorio 1, Benidorm , Spain
The long beaches of fine sand and the warm climate (345 days with sunshine in the average year) attract three million visitors annually to Benidorm. In recent decades the town, which now has 250,000 beds for visitors, has completely changed its aspect. The seafront promenade is lined with hotels and high-rise apartment blocks, and entertainments of all kinds are available by day and by night. A rocky promontory crowned by a castle divides the beach into an eastern (Playa de Levante) and a western part (Playa de Poniente).
On the promontory is the old fishing village, with picturesque narrow streets. From a terrace in the Parque Castillo, in the grounds of the castle, there are fine views of the bay. North of the town is Aqualand, one of the largest water parks in Europe, with facilities for all kinds of water sports.
The road continues from Altea above the coastal cliffs, with magnificent views of the Peñón de Ifach and the sea; then through two tunnels and into a side road on the right to reach the little fishing town of Calpe (alt. 20m/65ft), on a site which was already occupied in Phoenician times. The town has old walls and a little church in Mudéjar style. Salt is still won from the sea in salt-pans.
Rock in Calpe.
The beach at Calpe.
Address: Calpe Tourist Office, Plaza del Mosquit, E-03710 Calpe, Spain
The 250km/150mi long Costa Cálida which extends southwest and northeast of Cartagena is frequented in summer by countless thousands of holidaymakers, who come here to enjoy the spacious beaches, most of them relatively quiet, which are interrupted here and there by rocky sections of coast. Along the coast are holiday villages, hotels, bathing beaches and a variety of other tourist facilities - all of which are largely deserted in winter.
Farther south of Denia, below Montgó at the mouth of the Río Jalón, is the little port and seaside resort of Jávea, with old walls and towers, the Castillo de San Juan and a fortified Gothic church (14th C.). Near Jávea are two stalactitic caves, the Cueva del Organo and the Cueva del Oro.
Cove at Javea.
Address: Jávea Tourist Office, Avenida del Pla 136 Residencial La Plaza, E-03730 Jávea, Spain
The principal landmark of Calpe and of the Costa Blanca is the great crag of the Peñón de Ifach (383m/1257ft), rising out of the sea like a lesser Gibraltar. It can be climbed on a good path in about 1-1/2 hours, and the climb is well worth the effort for the sake of the superb views of the coast, reaching east as far as Cabo de la Nao, and the coastal hills. Below the Peñón, to the left, is the beach of Playa de la Fosa.
Address: Peñón de Ifach Tourist Office, Calp, Alicante , Spain
From Callosa de Ensarría C 3318 continues to Tárbena, which was refounded in the 17th century by Majorcans, whose descendants have preserved something of the Majorcan dialect.
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Little Sea
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Tarbena, Spain
Guadalest, Benidorm
Archaeological Museum, Cartagena
Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante
Altea
Calpe
Resort, Benidorm
Guadalest, Benidorm
