Costa Blanca, land of coves and cliffs
The Costa Blanca, or "White Coast", has been a favorite spot among foreign vacationers. Corresponding roughly to the modern province of Alicante, this region is made up of two clearly differentiated scenic areas: to the north, a curtain of mountains runs parallel to the sea, descending at times to form cliffs; to the south a vast plain of sand patches, palm trees and salt deposits make up the back-drop for beaches that seem to stretch on forever. As a visitor, you will find cafés and restaurants to satisfy your every craving, but venture inland and you soon enter a world that is still quintessentially Spanish, where fields of almond trees, vineyards, fruit orchards and magnificent palm trees dominate the landscape.
For most tourists, Spanish as well as foreign, Benidorm remains the largest attraction. Like a huge "holiday playground", it is a tourist magnet in the true sense of the word, offering sun- and fun seekers every amenity and diversion under the sun. Above all, however, it is the string of pretty little resort towns and ancient fishing settlements hugging bays and coves that give the northern Costa Blanca, Spain its charm and character.
Denia, capital of the Marina Alta district, is a charming cosmopolitan town with a medieval castle at its heart. Its 20-kilometre coastline is made up of both fine sandy beaches, interspersed with beautiful little coves and craggy enclaves, and a series of beautiful white cliffs from which the region takes it name. The Montgó Natural Park, situated on the border between Denia and Javea, occupies the most spectacular part of the coast, where cliffs, sculpted by the winds of time, provide a landscape of endless variety of texture and form.
Rounding this part of the coastline, one comes to the broad, open bay of Javea, with the charming resort town itself sloping down the hillside to the sandy beach that extends far beyond it to the south. With a pretty marina and a quaint old town, Javea offers an excellent mix of peace and liveliness.
In the 1930s, writers such as Hemingway spent their summers in Calpe. In the wake of such illustrious visitors, the town's first hotel was established next to the famous Peñon rock: the Ifach Parador. The Peñon is the symbol of Calpe, the highest rock in the entire Mediterranean, and it divides Calpe's shoreline into two distinct parts. 332 meters high, it penetrates one kilometer into the sea, creating a visual spectacle that changes with each nuance of light and shade. Visiting the summit of the rock, which is possible only in organized groups, is certainly worthwhile, as the views it offers of a large section of the Costa Blanca are truly awe inspiring.
The dome of Altea's church, blue with a white geometrical design, is another symbol of the Costa Blanca. The town, whose magnificently jumbled and cluttered old streets give it a special charm, is situated on a hill whose peak rises dramatically above the white-tiled parish church.
Its tranquility draws artists and craftsmen, and their shops and stalls are scattered throughout the old town center. Set within their landscape of craggy cliffs, sheltered coves and the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, these are the places that epitomize the unique charm of the Costa Blanca.
