The beaches on the Costa Blanca
The Costa Blanca in the Alicante region is a dramatic stretch of coast featuring an impressive mix of mountainous landscape and beautiful beaches. In fact, the beaches here are some of the very best on the Mediterranean coast.
Costa Blanca means "the White Coast", which is a very apt name as the region has a great many beaches of fine, white sand. This section of the coast is around 200 km long and includes more than 100 beaches and inlets, of which almost half fly the EU Blue Flag. This is your guarantee that the water is clean and that the facilities are good quality. Close to several of these beaches, you will find grottos in the cliff wall, which can be fascinating to explore while snorkeling.
If you want to explore a number of different beaches, the easiest way is to get in your car and drive along the A7 motorway that winds its way along the entire coastline. If you are in no rush and would prefer to avoid the road tolls, you can also take the N-332 road, which runs parallel to the motorway. It is smaller and takes a little longer to drive as it passes straight through a number of small communities.
The best weather in the world
The Costa Blanca climate is considered to be one of the best in the world. It stands out from the climate on other parts of the coast because it is not as cold and wet as the Costa Brava in winter, and not as hot and humid as the Costa del Sol in summer. The region has attracted a great many tourists for this very reason, and it is now very different from previously, when small fishing towns were the only communities to be found lining this section of coast. Today, you will find a wide range of properties and apartments in several price categories. If you choose to settle here, it is likely that you will soon make new friends and acquaintances from other parts of Europe.
Examples of beaches and vantage points on the Costa Blanca include:
Alicante
Immediately north of the city you will find the Playa de San Juan, one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches on the Costa Blanca.
Calpe
Famous above all for the impressive cliff called Peñón de Ifach, which rises 332 metres straight up from the sea. Here you will find magnificent white beaches with clear, azure water, as well as small inlets with white pebble beaches.
Torrevieja
Beaches here include the impressive La Mata and the more centrally located Los Locos and El Cura.
La Manga
La Manga ("the sleeve", "the handle") is the name of the tongue of land that encloses the largest salt water lagoon in Europe: Mar Menor ("the little sea"). The water in the lagoon is rich in salts and minerals and is considered to be beneficial to health. The "outside" of La Manga is lined with magnificent Mediterranean beaches, some of which – including the Calblanque beach – are located in protected areas of nature.