Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Overview:

The Costa Blanca enjoys a perfect Mediterranean climate and has miles of excellent beaches and pine-covered coastal hills and cliffs. This coast of Alicante Province has become one of Spain's most popular holiday areas which has encouraged the development of some large resorts (such as Benidorm) but much of the building in the area has been restricted to private villa development.

The coast between Calpe and Denia is particularly attractive with its orange cliffs, sandy coves and pretty little resorts with good shops and friendly bars and restaurants. In the hills inland, just about 10 minutes' drive from the coast are some peaceful Spanish villages like Jesus Pobre.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Denia:

Beneath the dramatic Mount Montgo, at the northern end of the Costa Blanca, lies the seaside town and fishing port of Denia. The coast near Denia is particularly attractive with its orange cliffs, sandy beaches and hidden coves. It is a pleasant family resort with good shops, friendly bars and an excellent choice of restaurants. Our accommodation here is in villas with private pools or town houses with communal pools ideal for family holidays.

Located about halfway between Alicante and Valencia, Denia's old town has attractive buildings, a castle, colourful markets, interesting shops and restaurants, as well as 20km of seafront for all tastes. Regular ferry services run from the port to the Balearic Islands, or you can even charter a catamaran with us. A narrow gauge railway follows the coast down from Denia to Alicante.

A few kilometres north of Denia you will find the long sandy stretch of Oliva beach which is backed by an 18 hole championship golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Altea:

About 45 minutes' drive from Denia and 15 minutes' from Calpe, Altea is a delightful place to visit with its medieval cobblestone streets in the old quarter. It is perched on a hill and dominated by the blue tiled Moorish church. The name was derived from the Arabs who named it 'Althaya' meaning health to all. The new area of Altea is full of interesting shops and the sea-front has an array of bars and restaurants to choose from.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Javea:

From Denia, a pleasant drive over the mountain will bring you to Javea with its many bars and restaurants along the beach. The old town is about 2km inland.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Otihuela, Cartagena & Guadalest:

Orihuela is situated on the banks of the Rio Segura. Dozens of mature palms and beautiful old buildings give the old quarter a slightly decadent feel of bygone splendours. Although some of the old buildings are sadly neglected, there are several churches and a convent to explore, along with a museum of religious art which is housed in the old cathedral of San Salvador.

Cartagena is about half an hour away by car from Orihuela and is an important commercial naval port. It dates back to 223 BC when it was an Iberian settlement, and flourished under Roman rule. Nearby are the remains of the Roman theatre discovered by accident in 1987.

Guadalest is about 90 minutes' away by car from Orihuela, and once famous for its lace making, is one of the Costa Blanca's star attractions with its Moorish fortress dominating the village.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Benissa, Moraira & Calpe:

The three towns of Benissa, Moraira and Calpe form a triangle, with Benissa inland and Calpe and Moraira on the coast.

Once away from the main road, Benissa is a quite delightful small town. It has a well preserved old quarter and there is an interesting museum. The church is known as the Cathedral of the Marina due to its size, there is also a Monastery. Most days the tourist office arranges free guided walking tours.

Moraira has many good restaurants, serving a variety of food. The old Martello tower overlooks a small sandy bay where there are rocks to swim from.

Calpe is a pleasant seaside town with 2 beautiful immaculately maintained beaches. It is quite developed and dominated by the Gibralteresque Penon de Ifach, a towering monolith that juts out into the sea. The rock is now a natural park and there is a trail up it (332 metres high). There is a small fishing harbour where the fish is auctioned every evening or you can take a boat from here to Altea or Benidorm.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Monte Pego and Oliva:

For centuries, since the occupation of the Moors, orange groves and rice cultivation have long been the traditional industries of this area.

Pego is a small town with a very Spanish flavour. It has many traditional tapas bars where you can sample the local snacks or a menu del dia - a complete menu, usually including wine. There are also plenty of shops and and supermarkets for everyday shopping.

The town of Oliva is also very Spanish, with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. The almost unspoilt beaches south of the town are a delight with their natural wild sand dunes.

Costa Blanca, Valencia - Our holiday accommodation and service:

Travel with secretdestinations.com holidays and enjoy privileged, sophisticated holiday destinations on Valencia's Costa Blanca (including Alicante, Benissa, Benitachell, Calpe, Denia, El Saler, Jardin del Mar and Villamartin). Privately owned villas, apartments, villas with pools, hotels and Paradores, in beautiful coastal and rural locations hand-picked for an authentic taste of unspoiled secret Spain.

So, if you're looking for an activity holiday golfing, walking, cycling and trekking; exploring Valencia's fascinating villages and historic towns such as Castellon, Calpe, Denia and Alcossebre or the vibrant nightlife of Alicante; enjoying the tranquil beauty of the Orange Blossom Coast or a few rounds of golf at a country club or luxury spa hotel; fancy a spot of sailing, catamaranning, jet skiing, water skiing, SCUBA diving, wind surfing, swimming or simply sunbathing and relaxing on great beaches by the Mediterranean sea (much of Spain's south coast is also ideal for a spot of winter sun); or you just want to simply escape the tourist masses with a privately owned apartment, cottage or villa with a pool, call our holiday team today. We can also assist you with flights to Valencia and Alicante in southern Spain, catamaran charters, holiday car hire and insurance.