Local Area

Calpe

Calpe is a friendly, bustling seaside town with a working fishing port and beautiful, clean, golden sandy beaches, which always hold the European Blue Flag for cleanliness. The seafront is packed with dozens of restaurants, bars and clubs offering a wide variety of food, drink and entertainment.
Calpe is overlooked by the towering Penon de Ifach ("rock of the north"), which rises to 332 metres. It is one of the Costa Blanca's most famous landmarks and walking to the top of this huge, chalky rock jutting out of the sea is a rewarding experience as you'll be exploring Spain's smallest nature reserve. You'll pass through a tunnel into a protected world of rare plant species and thousands of sea birds including cormorants, peregrine falcons and a huge colony of shrieking seagulls.
We run a minibus down to the town 5 days a week, where you will find modern buildings and wide avenues harmonizing with an ancient fishing village, where locals are proud of their past, yet welcome tourists and visitors with warm-hearted hospitality. You can enjoy a morning browsing in the wide range of shops, from exclusive boutiques to Calpe's own Gallarias department store, relax with a coffee at a beach cafe, or stroll along the beautiful promenade to take in the activity at the busy fishing port and marina. On Saturday mornings most of the town centre is taken over by the lively street market which has something for everyone.
The town beach is at the end of the main shopping street, a large beach with safe swimming, football and volleyball nets. The harbour retains its fishing heritage, has a small sandy beach and is renowned for its outstanding seafood restaurants. The main beach is set in a large bay with safe swimming and a variety of restaurants, bars and shops overlooked by the Penon d' ifach or Rock of Ifach.
The town boasts a range of sporting facilities from golf and tennis to sailing or rock climbing.  There are the annual fiestas including the Moors and Christians and San Juan and and a cultural centre which holds many concerts and exhibitions.  Calpe also has a University of the 3rd Age to keep older residents on their toes.

Guadalest

Located on the CV-70, 25 km from Altea, is the village of Guadalest. Occupying one of the most stunning positions in Spain, this small village is precariously perched on the pinnacle of a granite mountain, giving fabulous views across the valley carved out by the River from which the village takes its name.
Getting to Guadalest by the twisting road that climbs ever upwards, passing through the village of Polop, is almost as spectacular as the position of the village, but the breathtaking views make the drive worthwhile even for the more nervous passengers!
On reaching Guadalest you can see why the Moors, who constructed castles to defend the area, considered this place a site of strategic importance.
Some of these castles were unconquerable and the remains of several can still be seen today, even though they were bombarded in the 18th century during the Spanish war of Succession.
However the building you will see on most of the postcards is the whitewashed bell tower of Penon de la Alcala which seems to cling to the mountain face.
Intriguingly the old village and castle is accessed through a tunnel carved from the rock and when you reach the other end and see the ancient houses, you seem to have been transported to another age.
Guadalest has plenty of museums, so you can learn more about its history, little crafts shops and places to buy a souvenir of your visit. Costing only a few euros the visit through the tunnel to the village is definitely worthwhile as the castle tour (starting at 10am) takes in the dungeon (great for the kids) and offers fantastic views across the valley from cobbled footpaths and lookout points.
The population of only 200 people now dedicates itself entirely to tourism, hence some of the area's best museums being located here. If you want to be transported to another world when land was fiercely defended, don't miss a trip to the village of Guadalest!

Moraira

Altea

Altea is a charming place where pretty white washed houses overlook the sea; it still retains an air of serenity.
The church of Altea with its beautiful dome is a must see visitor attraction, you can enjoy the walk to see this magnificent church through narrow and mediaeval cobbled streets that wind up to the old quarter.
You can admire the white washed buildings and stop at one of the restaurants or cafes for refreshments, browse around the small shops where local craft and gifts are on offer, explore the little back streets.
When you come to the church you can enjoy the splendid views of Altea Bay and the surrounding mountains, it is well worth the walk.
This charming town has a wide variety of restaurants where you can try typical local dishes. The seafront promenade which stretches to the port has plenty of cafes where you can relax and soak up the atmosphere.
There is a large weekly market held here where you may want to pick up a bargain!
There are about 6km of beaches around Altea mainly pebble and shingle, watersports are available, if you are looking for a more active holiday the beach at nearby Albir offers a good range of watersports and leisure activities.
There are no all night discos here yet, you can spend your evenings in one of the many fine restaurants and bars in and around the town.

Inland

Walking on the Costa Blanca is a popular past time for hikers of all tastes and abilities. This stretch of Spain's " White Coast" provides a rich and varied landscape with rugged peaks to test the most committed climber and spectacular clifftop trails to delight the casual rambler.
The awesome Sierra Bernia and Sierra Aitana mountain ranges, which loom over the bustling coastal towns of Calpe, Altea and Benidorm, offer a wealth of challenging walks and plenty of scope for rock climbers who will delight in the virgin crags, plunging canyons and towering peaks of this virtually untouched territory.
A 25 minute drive inland from the main tourist traps will transport you to another world where most foreigners fear to tread - an unspoilt land of pine-covered slopes, mountain villages where time seems to have stood still for centuries and lush valleys awash with orange, almond and olive groves. Specialist tour operators offer guided walks in these mountains, both for individuals and small walking parties. In some of the more remote areas, it's a good idea to employ the services of a local expert because even some of the marked trails can be difficult to follow. And the mists which suddenly descend on a bright sunny day can make independent mountain hiking in the area extremely hazardous.
But you won't need a guide to enjoy the many popular walks along or near the coast which can be undertaken as relatively easy half day excursions.

Jalon Valley

Set in this beautiful valley the villages of Jalon, Lliber, Alcalali and Parcent have much to offer. Surrounded by orange, almond and olive groves, vineyards and mountains the scenery is spectacular. Cycling is very popular here but the twisting mountain roads can prove a challenge. The valley is famous for its wine production and there are three bodegas in Jalon alone. A large weekly Rastro (flea market) is held every Saturday in Jalon and is very popular with locals and visitors alike.
The area is also well known for its large number and variety of restaurants and village tapas bars, ranging from sophisticated to well lets just say basic! Some of which are within walking distance of the accommodation. Higher in the mountains are many picturesque villages, Castell de Castells and Guadalest being among the more beautiful and interesting.
The Jalon valley is a walker's paradise, with routes ranging from a very gentle stroll to a walk around the Sierra Bernia mountains to the south of Jalon. In late January / early February the whole of the valley is covered with almond blossom. One can only describe the view as a magnificent blanket of pink and white.

Benidorm

The best nightlife on the Costa Blanca is in Benidorm and the shows at the Benidorm Palace are really top class, featuring not just top bands and singers, but also fairly genuine Flamenco shows. Our residents at the Colina Club go fairly often.
The 438-metre Sierra Helada mountain, directly behind the Costa Blanca's busiest resort town of Benidorm, offers a relatively easy but beautiful walk to visitors keen to escape the frantic activity of the seafront. The easiest route to the summit is along a well marked trail leading from Benidorm's northern promenade which skirts Levante Beach.
The kids will prefer a day out at Spain's biggest theme park Terra Mitica just outside Benidorm. The Paramount pleasure park recreates the lost civilisations of the Mediterranean - ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Iberia and the Islands. There are heart stopping thrill rides, water chutes, great indoor shows and some innovative street entertainment. Benidrom is also home to the wonderful waterworld of Aqualandia, the exotic birds and marine life centre, Mundomar and the new safari/water park, Terra Natura
As you would expect from such a popular resort there are a wide range of  UK and international shops, cafes, restaurants and services, as well as a large retail park, large hospitals and a cinema which shows all the latest films in English.

Javea

Denia

As the 'county town' of the Marina Alta, Denia offers a wide range of services and shopping. Both the shady Carrer del Marques de Campo in the town centre and the brand new La Marina shopping centre on the outskirts, provide a good range of boutiques and larger stores. The daily market is well worth a visit.There's a vast range of places to visit both in and around Denia - whether you're interested in the local culture, history, nature or you just want a fun day out. A visit to the 16th century castle that dominates the town is a good point to start and gives you a view of the whole area. Denia has 20 kilometres of beaches, which are awarded the European Blue Flag for their water quality and clean fine sand every year. To the north, the fine sand beaches of Les Marines; to the south, the rocky area of Les Rotes, with its spectacular coves of transparent waters, ideal for those who enjoy diving or snorkeling. Denia is as busy by night as it is by day. Not with discotheques, but the hundreds of bars and restaurants, many with live entertainment in the summer months, ensure that the town's more energetic visitors are kept entertained until the early hours of the morning.
To the north of Denia Vergel Safari Park is only half an hour's drive north of Calpe. There are lion and tiger enclosures, a fascinating collection of creatures big and small and you get the chance to swim with the sea lions.
Just inland For a spectacular display of stalagmites and stalactites, take a day out to the Cova del Rull at Vall d'Ebo. It's a beautiful trip into the mountains and when you get there, the contents of this huge cave will quite simply blow your mind. There's also the Cueva de las Calaveras (Cave of Skulls) at Benidoleig where the remains of prehistoric life have been uncovered.

Alicante

For a day's sightseeing and shopping head south to Alicante which is awash with museums, monuments and great shops and restaurants.
Alicante, the most important town on the Costa Blanca. The town is dominated by the vast Moorish castle of Santa Barbara, which offers superb views of the city. Excursions from Alicante include a run inland to Guadalest, a village perched like an eagle’s eyrie high in the mountains and accessible in the last stages only by donkey or on foot. Also of great interest are several historical sites, including the castles at Elda and Villena, and Elche, famous for its forest of a million palm trees, Botanical Gardens and Basilica, where a medieval Mystery play is performed to celebrate the feast of the Assumption (Aug 14-15).

Valencia