Costa Blanca
The Costa Blanca is an amazing region in Spain that I had the opportunity to visit in December 2023. It was wonderful to escape the winter weather to sunny Spain. Costa Blanca means White Coast, which has almost 250 km of Mediterranean coastline. The beaches range from sandy to pebbly, and some are surrounded by majestic mountains. The Costa Blanca is rich in beautiful views and sunny weather all year round. The climate here is fantastic, people are smiling and love to hold parades and celebrate various occasions together outdoors.
Where is the Costa Blanca?
The Costa Blanca is the part of the Mediterranean coast between the city of Denia and the city of Murcia.
Weather
The Costa Blanca is characterized by a mild Mediterranean climate. The sun shines here almost all year round! The warmest months are from June to September (25℃ to 32℃) and the coolest from December to February (10℃ to 17℃).
The climate on the Costa Blanca is more pleasant than in other areas of Spain, thanks to the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the mountains to the west, which work as a buffer that protects the coast from conditions coming in from both the sea and inland, keeping the weather good.
The region has been selected by the World Health Organization as one of the few places on Earth that has an exceptionally human-friendly climate, which is why the people in Spain live a long, healthy life.
Alicante
Alicante is one of the most beautiful towns on the Costa Blanca, with its original promenade, Explanada de España (also called Paseo de la Explanada). It’s a 500-meter-wide promenade that runs along the marina and the shoreline and is made of a marbled corrugated mosaic in red, black, and white, symbolizing the waves of the sea. The design was created by city architect Jose Guardiola Pico in 1867. In the first half of the 20th century, the promenade was rebuilt and then renovated in the 1990s. Explanada de España is called the heart and soul of Alicante, as this is where life – both locals and tourists – takes place. Walking along the promenade, you will come across an artisan market where you can buy unique gifts and admire amazing handicrafts made by local artists. There is also a stage near the promenade where there are concerts during the summer and on holidays.
The Castle of Santa Bárbara (Castillo de Santa Bárbara) is located on a hill and cannot be overlooked. It is a symbol of the city of Alicante and there is a gentle climb up to it. There is also an elevator option. Entrance is free, but it’s a good idea to check the opening hours in advance (they are shortened from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the wintertime). At an altitude of 166 meters above sea level, we can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. The view is gorgeous. The castle is divided into three zones with viewpoints. The top-level (La Torreta) is the oldest foundation of the fortress from the 11th century. The middle level is the most extensive, and here you’ll find parts of the fortress from the 16th century, and the army barracks and church ruins. The last lowest level of the fortress is from the 18th century and is located close to the parking place. The castle is named after St. Barbara’s Day, on which it was recaptured from the Arabs by Infanta Alfonso de Castilla. The castle was rebuilt during the reign of Philip II. It was bombarded several times in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and in 1963 it was opened to visitors.
Walking around the city, we will visit the oldest district of Santa Cruz (Barrio de Santa Cruz). It is formed by a maze of narrow and quaint streets decorated with flowers and buildings that date from the 12th century. Another lovely place is El Carrer dels Bolets street (calle San Francisco), where walking down the street you are moved to a fairy-tale land, thanks to almost 4-meter-high mushrooms and other creatures. It is a very original place and delights not only children. Our apartment was located just on this street, and it is worth recommending because its location is perfect. The only downside was the noise in the evening coming from the street due to people enjoying themselves. You can rent the apartment by Airbnb (check here). While exploring Alicante, you can meet the beautiful Casa Carbonell building. It stands out from the rest of the buildings and is located opposite the Marina. It was designed by architect Vidal Ramos in 1925, at the request of Don Enrique Carbonell. The building is impressive and delights architecture. Nowadays, it is occupied by offices and apartments, so the interior of the building is not open to visitors. Just behind the Marina is another promenade, Passeig Volado, which is similar to our Polish pier.
Playa del Postiguet is a wide and sandy public beach in Alicante, just below the hill on which St. Barbara’s castle is located. During the season, you can rent deck chairs and umbrellas. There are also palm trees on the beach, which give some shade, and you can enjoy a delicious sangria. For kids, there are playgrounds and a gentle descent to the water. It is a perfect place for a family holiday.
What to eat and where?
The second Spanish dish to try is paella. The base of this dish is rice with saffron and various additives fried and cooked in a metal pan with two handles.
Car rental
When we rented a car we started exploring the Costa Blanca.
Denia
The city is dominated by low-rise buildings in light colors with red roofs.
The tourist attraction of this region is the almost 15 km coastline, divided into two parts: Las Rotas, which is characterized by rocky and little-visited coves, and Las Marinas are long sandy beaches.
An additional attraction in the city is ferries that travel from Denia to the islands of the Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Mallorca, Formentera). The distance between Denia and Ibiza is about 100 km.
Javea
Javea (also called Xabia) has 20 kilometers of coastline that includes both sandy and pebbly beaches and coves. We visited the pebbly beach, which did not show all its charm on a cloudy day.
In addition to the coastline, which is located 2 kilometers from the city center, you’ll find a historic center for walking and unlimited opportunities for relaxing in nature.
Calpe
The main attraction for which Calpe is famous is the 332-meter-high Peñón de Ifach rock, which is also called Little Gibraltar. Thanks to a 50-meter-long excavated tunnel, you can easily climb to the top of the rock.
A great place for a walk is the old town located on the hill and the promenade along the coastline with its surrounding skyscrapers. Playa Calpe beach is long and wide with a beautiful view of the Peñón de Ifach rock.
Altea
Altea is a beautiful, charming white town that you must visit while on the Costa Blanca. The town impresses with a great climate and beautiful views. Low-rise buildings and traditional architecture are characteristics of this place. The fronts of the houses are white, and the whole town is narrow, cobblestone streets with the distinctive blue and white dome of the church on Plaza Iglesia and the beautiful beach.
Villajoyosa
I fell in love with Villajoyosa at first sight, thanks to the beautiful colorful houses, the wonderful beach, and the smell of chocolate in the air. The literal meaning of the word Villajoyosa means happy town. Villajoyosa is located between Alicante and Benidorm at the mouth of the river Amadorio. It is a small resort and fewer tourists here than in Alicante. The town has still retained a natural fishing atmosphere, and you will not find skyscrapers here. The colorful houses were meant to make it easier for sailors to recognize their homes from a distance when they were at sea. When a wife lit an olive lamp in the window, it meant that the sailor was coming home for a meal. There are several beaches in the city, and next to the colorful development is a beach called Playa Centro with well-developed infrastructure 30 meters wide and 1,380 meters long. It is a beach with golden sand, accessible to people with disabilities, with a children’s playground, and we can rent sun loungers and umbrellas in the summer season. We visited Villajoyosa on December 2nd, and on that day it was a beautiful sunny day with an air temperature of 20℃, and the beach was almost empty. I missed the sun and preferred to spend time at the beach rather than visit the chocolate museum (Museo de Chocolate), which is located in the city. Entrance to the museum is free, but it’s a good idea to check the entrance hours in advance, as they are at full hours with an English or Spanish guide (check here). There are other chocolate factories in town. When we visited Villajoyosa, we didn’t have much time. This may be a good reason to return there;)
Torrevieja
The main attraction in Torrevieja is the Pink Lake, which is unique in the whole of Europe. It is a salt lake with an area of more than 1,400 hectares in the Lagunas de la Mata and Torrevieja Nature Park, and the pink color is due to the microalgae, halobacteria, and crustaceans. The most beautiful pink color can be seen in summer when the sun’s rays fall at just the right angle. The salinity of the lake is 350 grams per liter of water, which is similar to the Dead Sea (370 grams per liter of water). Bathing in the lake is banned. About 800,000 tons of salt are mined each year and exported to Europe and the United States for industrial and food purposes. During summer, we can see pink flamingos around the lake.
There are several beaches in Torrevieja, and the most beautiful beach is La Mata, which is long and wide with golden sand. It is a place loved by tourists and locals. Bars and restaurants are located near the beach.
Below is a summary of the trip from an aerial view
Costs for two people
- Flight tickets WAW-ALC-WAW Ryanair 1427 PLN
- Apartament 1470 PLN (4 nights)
- Car rental for 2 days 100 EUR
- Fuel 39 EUR
- Food 1000 PLN