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Alicante, is the gateway to the Costa Blanca's popular holiday resorts such as Benidorm. A busy port, it offers the best of both of worlds -classic Spanish heritage and modern culture. The city has a long history, even boasting Roman remains from the days when it was known as Lucentum. Today's visitors will find plenty to keep them occupied – from golden beaches and lush parks to designer shops and street markets. Add a mountain-top castle, beautiful churches and palaces and a charming old quarter and it all makes for an alluring taste of typical Spain.Places to visit:
Castillo de Santa Barbara located on the summit of Mount Benacantil, overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea and boasting fantastic panoramic views, is the Castillo de Santa Barbara. With its high walls and domed turrets, it is home to many features, including the keep Torre de Homenaje, the Englishmen's bastion and the room of Felipe II. The castle also features a marvelous garden, stone passages, hidden passages and drawbridges.
Paseo Explanada de Espana with four rows of palm trees set down in gardens that run almost half a kilometer, is the most emblematic and impressive promenade in Alicante. The pavement consists of an enormous mosaic of 6,600,000 tiles of tri-coloured marble and its geometric shapes reflect those in the harbour square. Marking the eastern end is a monumental fountain designed by Carlos Buigas in 1960.
Museo de la Asegurada located in the Old Quarter and originally used as a prison and munitions store, it was chosen to host a collection of contemporary art donated by Eusebio Sempere. It is also home to the most important examples of 20th Century Art, comprising of paintings, sculptures, mixed technique and lithographs by artists such as Picasso, Dali, Miro', Gris, Kandinsky, Chagall and lesser-known Spanish painters.
Isla de Tabarca a guitar-shaped island located eleven miles south of Alicante, on the prolongation of the cape of Santa Pola, is the largest and the only inhabited island of the Comunidad Valenciana. Completely flat, 1,800m long and 450m at its widest point, was once a refuge for Berber pirates who raided the coastal villages. It is now perfect for a day trip, where a medieval fort, a walled precinct and a fortified village can be found, alongside a pleasant little beach and fine seafood restaurants.
Las Playas (beaches) Alicante's pride are the beautiful beaches, amongst which are La Playa de San Juan, La Albufereta and La Albufereta. La Playa de San Juan is a 7km open beach of golden sand and is considered to be the finest in Spain; La Albufereta is a secluded and intimate beach and La Playa del Postiguet is an urban beach with an attractive promenade and flanked by palms. With their fine golden sands and high levels of cleanliness, year after year, they are awarded the Blue Flag of the European Union, the maximum guarantee of their consistent quality.
Altea, is a beautiful mixture of old and new. The dome of Altea's church, blue with a white geometrical design, is one of the symbolic images of the Costa Blanca. Altea is situated on a hill whose peak rises above the white-tiled parish church. The magnificently jumbled and cluttered centre of the Old Town provides Altea with a special charm. When visiting, start at the Plaza del Convento and take the Pont de Moncau - this leads to the Vellaguarda district, an area of steep narrow cobble-stoned streets with balconies and small glorietas (circular intersections).
In the Plaza, the cultural and leisure centre of Altea is the Church of the Virgen del Consuelo (Our Lady of Solace). Altea's peacefulness and tranquillity have made it a paradise for artists and craftsmen and their shops and stalls are scattered throughout the Old Town Centre.
At the foot of the hill lies the wide sea promenade and the commercial street, the Avenida del Rey Jaime I. Altea has a 6 kilometer beach, with cliffs alternating with shingled bathing areas. Playa de la Roda is located adjacent to the old town centre. The main beach, Playa de Cap Blanch, is located to the south and runs into Albir's beach. The Playa de Cap Negret, a shingled beach ending in a small cove with black pebbles called the 'Cala del Soio', is located to the north. L'Olla is another much-frequented beach opposite a small island of the same name. Altea ends in the 'Mascarat point' and the Sierra de Bernia, where the La Barreta, La Solsida and La Galera shingled coves are located. In earlier times, Altea used to be situated on the road to the Sierra de Bernia and was called Altea la Vella - a small village intersected by a Way of the Cross that ascends to a Calvary surrounded by cypress trees. The Sierra de Bernia, with its Font del Garroferet and ancient fortress, are excellent reasons to visit the area.
Calpe, the artist's town. An oasis in the most popular tourist region of the Costa Blanca. Calpe is the town of connoisseurs, the town chosen by the whole of Europe as its summer retreat. A privileged enclave beside the calm blue waters of the Mediterranean, where outstanding natural beauty, gastronomy, culture, the sea and the mountains are part of the everyday life of its inhabitants all year round. There are Museums, picturesque little streets and squares and many bars and restaurants, most of them with a lively outside terrace, an ideal place to spend a pleasant summer evening. Calpe will surprise you with its daring contrasts, where modern buildings and wide avenues harmonize with an ancient fishing village, where locals are proud of their past, yet welcome tourists and visitors with warm-hearted hospitality.
Calpe is a town which is full of history and culture. Its strategic location on the coast has attracted many voyagers and settlers throughout history. Remains of Iberian tribes were discovered around the Rock of Ifach. Later, the Romans founded a prosperous colony on the coastal plain whose main activity was commerce in dried, salted fish. During the Medieval period, the farming population was spread out in a number of independent settlements. Christians and Moors lived peacefully for a time, but the local population suffered continual attacks by pirates during the 14th to the 17th centuries. Calpe entered a period of redevelopment during the 18th century, consolidating the town in the 19th century and laying the foundations for its current prosperity as a major attraction for both national and international tourism. In the ancient town center, next to the Moorish quarter (Arrabal) there is a group of monuments comprising the Torreo de la Peça, the Town Walls and the church known as the Iglesia Vieja, the sole surviving example of Mudejar-Gothic architecture in the province of Valencia. Along the coast, there is the Moli Tower and the remains of an ancient Roman salted fish industry which have only just recently been found.
The town of Calpe with 11 km of calm blue water of the Mediterranean where outstanding natural beauty, gastronomy and culture are part of the everyday life of it's inhabitants who welcome tourists and visitors with warm hearted hospitality.
The spectacular Rock of Ifach, the symbol of the Costa Blanca, now a nature reserve, soars 322m high and dramatically divides Calpe's two famous beaches and the bustling fishing port. Sailing and scuba diving are without doubt two of the sports par excellence in Calpe. Hiking and climbing have and enthusiastic following as do tennis and bowls, also there are excellent golf courses to suit all abilities and handicaps.
Javea, is a town of great beauty, magical landscapes, a haven of peace and serenity. Here, Nature has been so generous and splendid that it is difficult to find a similar place. The sea is pure blue, clean and revealing. The mountain, washed by the Mediterranean sea, offers us lush vegetation and many local species of flora and fauna.
Jávea framed by the Capes of La Nau and Sant Antoni on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. The town occupies an area of 68.4 km2. in the north of the Costa Blanca and is protected from continental winds by the mountainous barrier of the Montgó. It has a varied landscape, both along its 25 kilometres of coast and inland, a mild climate throughout the year with an average temperature of 18 ºC, careful urban planning and much to offer tourists - all waiting in this beautiful town which has conserved all the charm of traditional seafaring communities.
The coast of Jávea, 25 kilometres long, with beaches and creeks which stand out because of their natural beauty, their transparent waters and the Mediterranean forest which surrounds them.
From north to south, the Capes of Sant Antoni, Sant Martí, Negre and La Nau mark the coastline. Jávea has a great variety of beaches to choose from:
Pebble or rock beaches like "La Grava", "El 1º Muntanyar", "Calablanca", "El 2º Muntanyar" or "Benissero" are ideal for water sports such as jetski, windsurfing and canoeing, and are all protected by vigilance services.
The bustling "Arenal" beach offers fine and shallow waters. Its many services include: vigilance services, play areas for children, natural and artificial shade, small motor boat and skate hire, restaurants, cafés and ample parking facilities. There are also small coves with smooth stones or rock, located in unique, privileged places, like the "Tangó" or "Pope", "La 1ª Caleta", "La Barraca" or "Portitxol", the paradisiacal "Granadella" creek which is ideal for diving, and "Ambolo" (naturist). Other coves are only accessible on foot or by boat, such as the "2ª Caleta", "Cala del Francés" or "Cala Sardinera".
Jávea´s coast also hides a series of caves which are accessible by boat, such as the caves of "Tabaco" and "Orguens" around Capes Negre and La Nau, and the "Cova Tallada" on the Cape of Sant Antoni, which can also be reached on foot.
Frequent attacks from marauding pirates forced Jávea's inhabitants to settle 2 km from the coast in a walled town - these walls remained standing until 1877. The enclosure formed by the former walls now forms Jávea's historical centre, which is situated around the Gothic Church of San Bartolomé surrounded by whitewashed houses with iron grilles and lintels made out of golden porous 'Tosca'clay. In this area the Ayuntamiento, the Food Market, the Cultural Centre, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the Chapel of Santa Ana are all located within easy walking distance. The marine and port area, known as the Aduanas del Mar, is located 2 km from the old town centre and is the place to see the Church of Our Lady of Loreta, constructed in the shape of a keel. The Arenal area, with the Costa Blanca's only National Parador, contains Jávea's most popular beach -the Playa del Arenal - and is reached by following the road that runs parallel to the Playa del Benissero. Jávea has a 20 km coastline that stretches from the Cova Tallá to the Cala de la Granadella. There is an interesting mixture of beaches with soft sandy beaches (Arenal beaches), small, shingled beaches bordered by pine trees which are suitable for diving (Granadella beaches), and naturist beaches (Ambolo beaches). There are also small coves: Portichol and La Sardinera. A more traditional Jávea is found inland with riu-raus and orange groves that are protected from the harsh continental climate by the natural barrier formed by Montgó, which extends to the north of Jávea and serves as a border between Jávea and Dénia.
Valencia
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The city of Valencia was founded in 138 B.C. by the Roman Consul, Decimus Junius Brutus. It fell under the rule of the Visigoths, Byzantines, and later Arabs, until, in 1238, Jaime I the Conqueror incorporated it in the Kingdom of Aragon. It was established as the capital of the kingdom that takes its name, and had its own laws that subsisted for nearly five centuries. It was during this long period that Valencia forged and consolidated her material and spiritual personality, erecting magnificent monuments and creating cultural and judicial institutions. |
Stroll through the old city center , visiting the Lonja, the Central Market, the Cathedral, the Palau de la Generalitar, the Palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas, the Serranos and the Quart towers.
In the evening, go for a boat ride on the Albufera. Don't miss the beauty of the sunset over the lake.
Order a genuine Valencian paella, a dish of 'all i pebre' (eels in garlic and pepper sauce) in 'El Palmar', and a freshly made orxata in Alboraya.
Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. The largest complex for leisure and culture. It is part of the Science Museum and Planetarium.
TennisThere are numerous tennis courts within the area, mostly attached to residential developments, and some allow non-residents to hire for a small fee. There are also plenty of council-owned and private leisure facilities that include tennis courts. In Moraira the Sol Park Tennis Club offers five courts, as well as mini-golf and other facilities.
In Calpe there is a Tennis Club that provides numerous facilities including flood-lit courts, tuition, pool, bar, restaurant etc.
Go-Karts
There are quite a few Go-Kart racing tracks located within most resorts. They are primarily well-run and include other facilities on-site - such as children's track (with tiny two-stroke engines), viewing granstand, bar, restaurant etc, and plenty of parking .
Windsurfing, Dinghies and other Water Sports
Summer winds are mostly thermals, coming up around midday, peaking between 4 and 6 in the afternoon and dying away in the evening. The mornings are usually very calm but occasionally Summer storms blow for several days from the East or Southwest providing excellent conditions for experienced sailors in all areas.
Under normal conditions the thermals off Calpe, Moraira and Javea beaches seldom exceed force 4 with around 2.5 being the average. Hiring facilities are available in most resorts, and windsurfing schools offering professional tuition.
The local "Hot-shots" load up their cars and head for VERGEL where the Monte Pego mountains induce thermals practically every day in excess of force 4 and, on a good day literally hundreds of surfers will be out.
Rock ClimbingThe Costa Blanca has become the largest and most popular area in Spain for visiting climbers. The wealth and variety of climbing in the area is truly staggering, and for every partially developed crag there are at least two other slightly less accessible ones which haven't been touched yet. But it is the variety in the climbing which keeps people coming back here. It is not just roadside clip-ups since there are huge trad routes on the Puig Campana, and in the Echo Valley, and majestic, fully-bolted, multi-pitch extravaganzas on places like the Peñon and the Ponoch. You can switch from doing one long route in the mountains on one day to ticking a dozen routes on a crag three minutes from the car on the next. In the Costa Blanca the weather and general holiday atmosphere which are also part of the attraction. There is something uniquely appealing about climbing a route on Christmas Day, on a superb cliff in the blazing sunshine, while staying in an apartment in a nearly-deserted Benidorm or Calpe and relaxing afterwards with a few beers on the beach. The routes cover all grades and styles with probably the widest choice of lower-grade Winter-Sun-Rock available in Spain. But there is also lots of hard stuff, adventurous stuff and esoteric stuff. If you explore the area a bit, you will be rewarded.
Jet Skiis
Available to hire in most resorts.These are noisy and exciting but its quickly over. They are available for rent in most resorts. The modern ones actually circle back to get you if you fall off and the older ones just stop (no, you don't have to catch them!).
Water-skiing & Parasailing
These are available in Calpe. They take groups out to a raft for a 15 minute ski or flight around the beach and boats can be hired in Javea (in the canal alongside the Arenal Beach) fully equipped for skiing.
Scuba Diving
The rocky headlands and bays offer excellent sub-aqua sport for the snorkel or scuba-diver.
Sea Fishing
The Spanish Mediterranean coast, on the whole, has been "plundered" for years by the commercial fisherman. Fortunately now this is better controlled and there can be some quite good sport with bass and conger for the beachcaster, especially at night. There are some quite good Grey Mullet particularly in Calpe harbour and in Javea the fishermen allow anglers to fish off their moored boats in the evening. Fishing is prohibited in Moraira marina.
Freshwater Fishing
The interior of Spain boasts a wealth of waterways, mainly mountain rivers and streams and gigantic reservoirs. There is some very good sport for the trout angler but the best fisheries are controlled and day permits are required. All of the reservoirs contain the coarse species Carp, Tench, Barbel, Black Bass, Zander, Pike, Eels, Golden Orfe and Koi Carp.
Locally the reservoirs of Villajoyosa (30 mins drive), Guadalest (1 hour) and Beniarres (1 1/2 hours) offer reasonable carp fishing with specimens up to 30 lbs but with the average fish being about 4 lbs. Additionally Villajoyosa abounds with Orfe and Koi Carp - imagine a keepnet full of such colours! The two rivers of the Pego Marshes (3/4 hour) contain carp to 15lbs, barbel, black bass and the occasional sea bass. Unfortunately the locals have constructed "puestos" (-platforms) in the best swims and visitors are not allowed to use them. Please note that a permit is required for fresh water fishing for each autonomous region but the cost is only 1,500 pts for a full year. All that is required is your signature on the form and a photocopy of your passport. Licences can be obtained by any gestor but take about a week to arrive. You can go to the offices of the water authority in Alicante yourself and obtain one immediately or make prior arrangements via your Tour Operator or Rental Agency. The penalty for being caught is a stiff fine and confiscation of all tackle.
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What to do & see near to our villa |
Fiestas |
Markets Fun Excursions Operating Hours Places to visit Valencia |
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The area enjoys a fine reputation for its gastronomy, with restaurants spread throughout the region offering the visitor a wide variety of menus and prices covering local gastronomic delights as well as international cuisine. A good indicator of the quality of the local restaurants is the recommendation certain local establishments have earned in the prestigious Michelin guide - there are 8 Michelin recommended restaurants in the immediate area with three of them being star rated and not expensive either. |
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| The piéces de resistance of local cuisine are rice dishes, fresh fish, and white wines and Muscatel produced in the Saint Vicente Ferrer Agricultural Cooperative. Teulada is as rich in land-grown products as in those fished from the sea. This variety characterises and conditions its gastronomic culture. Rice dishes feature foremost on local tables with exquisite recipes such as "arrós a banda' (rice cooked in a rich seafood stock), "arrós amb fessols i naps" (rice with peas and turnips), "Paella amb sardines y espinacs" (sardine and spinach paella), or 'arrós negre" (rice cooked in squid ink). Fish, too, provides for distinctive and flavoursome combinations particular to Teulada, such as 'putxero de poip" (octopus stew), 'la sopa de peix' (fish soup), or varied salted fish products like .melva', "bull', or .anxova'. Teulada's wine is among the most renowned of the Alicante province, notably the white marina Alta or the award-winning and acclaimed Moscatel, the latter served as an ideal accompaniment to wash down the delicious home-made local desserts of almonds and raisins. Don't let "els patisets de boniato' escape your palate! There are too many restaurants of interest and good quality to list but we list those we have tried, or those that have been recommended to us, and a general list of restaurants in the area, within the login section accessed once you have booked accommodation with us. | ||
| There was a time when any self respecting golfer visiting Spain would head straight for the Costa Del Sol but over the last few years the standard of the existing courses on the Costa Blanca has increased and new ones have been created. At present there are 13 golf courses on the 'Costa Mediterranea' (as it is increasingly being known as) and 4 (described below) are within easy reach of Moraira. All are affiliated to the Spanish Federation and, consequently, can validate members handicap internationally; all have clubs for hire to visitors and provide coaching. |
Built in 1976, near Altea, and designed by the famous team of Gregorio Sanz & Pedro Barber Lloret, this is a very strenuous par 72, 9 hole, course of 3,078 metres which has superb views with plans to extend into the hills making it 18 holes with a cable car link from the existing course. Facilities include a magnificent clubhouse with bar and restaurant, social club, Billiards, Bridge lounge, swimming pool, tennis courts, golf classes, caddie-cart/buggy/club hire, putting green, practice ground and golf classes.
Situated on the coast road between Moraira and Calpe is this 9 hole, par 60, 3,540 m course, Green fees 24 Euros, set in a beautiful fertile valley with surrounding views of the most prestigious properties in Moraira, the Penon de Ifach and the sparkling blue Mediterranean. The world famous designer Javier Arana created the Ifach club to be short and tricky with numerous obstacles. Many experienced golfers have remarked how deceptively difficult it really is, making it ideal for the holiday golfer who has little time but appreciates the challenge. There is a club bar with snacks , the Micheta restaurant, a large swimming pool and tennis courts.
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