Where to visit in Costa Blanca

[chriscoates]

I am off to the Costa Blanca next week - have never been before so I have no knowledge of the best places to visit! Would also like to know some nice places that are not crammed full of tourists as I am not your stereotypical British holidaymaker (at least I think not ) I will be staying in Torrevieja.

Any help is appreciated.

[bestinshow]

Torrevieja probably isn't the best place to stay if you want to avoid British tourists. I've spent a lot of time on the Costa Blanca, in my opinion places like Javea, Denia and especially Moraira are nice places to visit. Alicante is also worth a look.

[chriscoates]

bestinshow said:

Torrevieja probably isn't the best place to stay if you want to avoid British tourists. I've spent a lot of time on the Costa Blanca, in my opinion places like Javea, Denia and especially Moraira are nice places to visit. Alicante is also worth a look.

I'm staying in a friends villa - cheapest way to do it so I had no choice over the location. Will be hiring a car though so I'm prepared to travel around a fair bit.

[RESSE]

bestinshow said:

Torrevieja probably isn't the best place to stay if you want to avoid British tourists. I've spent a lot of time on the Costa Blanca, in my opinion places like Javea, Denia and especially Moraira are nice places to visit. Alicante is also worth a look.

We have a home in Moraira and love the place.

Tourist website link:

http://www.info-teulada-moraira.com/teulada_e/tour...

A few pictures from our trip in June:














Club Nautico - lunch.
http://www.cnmoraira.com/

Molls - dinner or lunch.

Hotel la Sort - dinner
http://www.lasort-hotel.com/

Bar Kuba - drinks until the very (very) early hours.

Anything else, please ask.

I went to Moraira on honeymoon in 2000, and came back to the UK with a home in the resort.

[LuS1fer]

Moraira is quite nice. The tourist attractions are Terra Mitica theme park by Benidorm and in Benidorm itself they have a nice zoo and dolphin show - equivalent of Seaworld in effect. Not cheap though.

Most of the coast is very commercial and you have to drive inland to get the great roads and scenery.

[Jazoli]

The Caves at Busot are worth a look

http://www.cuevasdecanelobre.com/index.php?lang=en

As are the Guns of Cartegena

http://www.discoveringcartagena.com/guns.htm

I lived there for a while and always took visitors to see both of these places, they are a good day out

[chriscoates]

Thanks for the replies.

Have any of you been to the Aitana Safari Park - is it any good? Also, are there any other coastal towns/villages that haven't been commercialised and are still traditionally Spanish?

[LuS1fer]

chriscoates said:

Thanks for the replies.

Have any of you been to the Aitana Safari Park - is it any good? Also, are there any other coastal towns/villages that haven't been commercialised and are still traditionally Spanish?

Possibly uniquely, yes I have!

It's a nice drive up. When we got there I think we were the only people there but there may have been one or two others. The place is a little run down and can't take much money but I seem to recall a small cafe for snacks rather than meals. You drive through the park, the big cats are fenced obviously but the highlight was when the keeper told us to get out and go over and pat the three young (still huge) African elephants "up close and personal". whether that's because he was feeding them at the time, I don't know though they do tend to take feed round before the visitors so the animals are closer. Lots of horses and llamas and goats and stuff. Few monkeys floating round too.

So far as coast is concerned, the Costa Blanca is probably the most commercial of the Costas so quite developed. I found Javea quite crowded and commercial. Denia is better and a good tip is to head north behind the coast housing by les Marines and any of the side streets will take you to a very long and unspoilt beach with few people on it.

Calpe is a commercial resort but has the stunning Penon de Ifach and if you turn between Altea and Calpe to Maryvilla, you get a huge panorama of the whole coast.

NOTE - I've just noted that you're in Torrevieja - you know that's a lot further down. The safari park was quite a trek from Pedreguer where we stayed IIRC.

I can recommend the coast road down from Cartagena to Vera which is where you will find far more unspoilt villages and I recommend you pop in to Calabardina:

which is lovely. The unspoilt Spain lies south and you can go right down to the Cabo de Nijar Natural Park for more unspoilt Spain. The Cabo de Gata beach down by Almeria is totally undeveloped and there is a lake with flamingoes on though you'll need binoculars.

Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 12th July 20:13

[chriscoates]

LuS1fer said:

Possibly uniquely, yes I have!

It's a nice drive up. When we got there I think we were the only people there but there may have been one or two others. The place is a little run down and can't take much money but I seem to recall a small cafe for snacks rather than meals. You drive through the park, the big cats are fenced obviously but the highlight was when the keeper told us to get out and go over and pat the three young (still huge) African elephants "up close and personal". whether that's because he was feeding them at the time, I don't know though they do tend to take feed round before the visitors so the animals are closer. Lots of horses and llamas and goats and stuff. Few monkeys floating round too.

So far as coast is concerned, the Costa Blanca is probably the most commercial of the Costas so quite developed. I found Javea quite crowded and commercial. Denia is better and a good tip is to head north behind the coast housing by les Marines and any of the side streets will take you to a very long and unspoilt beach with few people on it.

Calpe is a commercial resort but has the stunning Penon de Ifach and if you turn between Altea and Calpe to Maryvilla, you get a huge panorama of the whole coast.

NOTE - I've just noted that you're in Torrevieja - you know that's a lot further down. The safari park was quite a trek from Pedreguer where we stayed IIRC.

I can recommend the coast road down from Cartagena to Vera which is where you will find far more unspoilt villages and I recommend you pop in to Calabardina:

which is lovely. The unspoilt Spain lies south and you can go right down to the Cabo de Nijar Natural Park for more unspoilt Spain. The Cabo de Gata beach down by Almeria is totally undeveloped and there is a lake with flamingoes on though you'll need binoculars.

Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 12th July 20:13

Thanks, really helpful! I didn't think to explore the southern areas, they look right up my street.
Google is saying 1hr 20mins to Aitana from Torrevieja which is fine, maybe it was a bit awkward to get to from Pedreguer.

[LuS1fer]

If I recall, it's more twisting mountain roads - no bad thing for a few hours. Sadly, I lost all my photos of the place on my last computer crash.

[Cupramax]

chriscoates said:

I will be staying in Torrevieja.

Any help is appreciated.

I'm staying just down the coast at pilar de horadada at the moment and made the mistake of visiting Torrevieja today, hookers on the main roads in broad daylight just what the doctor ordered, as mentioned it's a bit of a hole, we turned around and went back to our quiet resort.

[Rouleur]

LuS1fer said:

Calpe is a commercial resort but has the stunning Penon de Ifach and if you turn between Altea and Calpe to Maryvilla, you get a huge panorama of the whole coast.

Is this the headland overlooking Campomanes marina? I fancy going up there next time I'm in the area. Is it okay to just walk up there then?


OP - you must make the time to drive up into the mountains, you'll be stunned by the roads in that part of world!

[LuS1fer]

Rouleur said:

Is this the headland overlooking Campomanes marina? I fancy going up there next time I'm in the area. Is it okay to just walk up there then?


OP - you must make the time to drive up into the mountains, you'll be stunned by the roads in that part of world!

The unmissable rock shaped like a shark's head:
http://seriouslyspain.com/?p=57
Maryvilla gives you an even higher view over everything:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJx33FnmTSo

[chriscoates]

IPhone double post

Edited by chriscoates on Friday 15th July 07:26

[chriscoates]

Rouleur said:

OP - you must make the time to drive up into the mountains, you'll be stunned by the roads in that part of world!

Yes, having looked at a map of the mountains and seeing all those zig-zag lines, I'll definitely have a trip up there!

On a side note, does anyone know how much it's going to cost me to use the toll roads? Are they expensive?

[LuS1fer]

The tolls aren't particularly expensive and the cost depends on the distaance between booths. Again, south they have less tolls and down right south none at all.

[Dick Dastardly]

There is a great Tapas bar in Torrevieja. Look out for it close to the fairground and the steps onto the pier. Can't remember what it's called but it's on the corner of the opposite road and serves Cruz Campo Gran Reserve (my favourite beer).

[Urban Sports]

Quesada is nice , it has plenty of places to eat and drink and a golf course if you are that way inclined it's about 15 minutes from Torrevieja.