INTRODUCTION
SURROUNDING AREA
- Jalon - Xaló
- The Coast
FAMILY FRIENDLY HOLIDAYS
WALKING IN SPAIN
WEDDINGS AND PARTIES IN SPAIN

PRICES
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The Costa Blanca Coast & Rural Spain

Valencia and the Costa Blanca
Valencia is famous for oranges, the rice dish paella and its fiestas that create a spectacle in every local town across the community. Historically this part of Spain has been shaped as much by Catalunya as Castilla, it has its own government, distinctive language, and resisted the authoritarian rule of Franco to retain much of its cultural identity.

Ruled by the Moors for 5 centuries, the area owes much of its agricultural heritage to this period. The Moors introduced citrus fruit, rice and almonds, and developed a sophisticated irrigation system. Once a richly prosperous economy trading in the Mediterranean basin, the removal of the Moorish and Jewish skilled artisan class by the catholic kings marked the beginning of centuries of decline.

The fiestas are a big event in towns across the whole regions, lasting from a few days to a fortnight, in most cases more than once a year. Each town will close down, cut off streets and celebrate all hours of the day and night. Bulls running through the streets, Moors and Christian parades, burning effigies, music, fireworks and giant paellas are typically part of the festivities.

The Costa Blanca, (white coast) has some of the best beaches in Spain attracting some 4.5 million visitors a year, mostly in the summer months and largely concentrated in the holiday resorts of Benidorm and Torrevieja. The resorts along the coast are clean, safe, family friendly, with a variety of restaurants which you can enjoy almost 24 hours a day during the peak season. Many people own second homes along the coast with an increasing number coming to move here permanently. The region has developed very good transport links making it easy to travel and enjoy the diversity of landscapes. Mountains, orange groves, vineyards and charming medieval villages balance some of the more recent development at the coast.

Denia
Named after its Roman temple to Diana the town has a history dating back to 200BC, the inhabitants of Denia are still referred to as Dianenes. The modern town is cosmopolitan and is dominated by the 16th century castle sitting 60 meters above the town. Inhabited by the Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Christians, its turbulent history is the subject to the popular annual Fiestas. These include Las Fellas (burning of the effigies) and the unique 'Bous a la mar', where the bulls are taunted by local townsfolk who try and entice the bulls to charge at them so that the bulls over-run off the quayside into the sea. This needs to be seen to be believed.

The castle was built during a siege of the Muslim town and refortified during the War of Independence, (know in Britain as the Peninsular War against French Napoleonic forces). It is now an archaeological site recording the town's ancient history.

The port has always played an important role in the town with the daily fish market, regular departures to Ibiza and Mallorca, and the new marina which can accommodate over 1,000 yachts. As Mediterranean trade declined with the discovery of the Americas, the town also backed the wrong side in the Wars of Succession and suffered decline until the port became increasing important for the export of locally produced raisins. Without any local industrialisation, the raisins helped finance the development of the local railway seen today.

Las Marinas is just north of the town and has sandy beaches stretching 15km, with a variety of water sports including dingy sailing, windsurfing, diving and fishing.

As the most established town in the area, Denia enjoys a diverse choice of restaurants, seafood and local traditions are prominent with some interesting variations of the Valencian Paella. The famous speciality is the red prawn, popular at Christmas when sometimes prices are known to reach 150 euros per kilogram.

There is an 18 hole golf course at La Sella.

The Montgo is to the south between Denia and Javea, a natural park that rises to 750 meters where you are able to survey the whole local landscape and look 70 km out to sea to the Balearic Islands.

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Javea
Javea, or Xabia in Valenciana is one of the most popular resorts on the Costa Blanca coastline. Stretching from the Montgo natural park to Cap de Nao, the most eastern point in Valencia, the bay is stunningly beautiful with beaches, coves, cliff walks and lookout points. The municipality can be divided into 3 areas, the old town, the port and the Arenal beach. An agricultural region until tourism took a hold, Javea has a strong cosmopolitan atmosphere with an all year round international community.

The old town is attractive with an old church, Tosca stone townhouses and many references to its agricultural heritage. Sited a couple of kilometres inland from the port to protect the town's people from pirate raids, commonplace on this coastline up to the 19th century.

The port is home to a small fishing fleet, and it is still possible to watch nets being repaired in the streets. Popular for eating out, boutique shopping and dramatic villas looking south across the bay, the port has a special feel beyond many areas you will find along the coast.

Arenal Beach has a long promenade, a variety of restaurants and best of all a lovely sandy beach. Away from the traffic, children can roam freely and enjoy the climbing frames on the sand while parents can either watch from a bar or the beach.

Unlike Denia, Javea backed the Bourbon kings against the House of Austria in the Wars of Succession and earned itself a coat of arms for its loyalty. Again in the Napoleonic Wars, Javea offered resistance when Denia was a French garrison, improving its status as a lowly village to a more significant entity.

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Moraira
South of the Cap de Nao is the resort of Moraira. Originally a fishing village, the square has a small church as well as an assortment of cafes, shops and restaurants. The area is popular due to its scale and there being no high rise development. El Portet has a small beach surrounded by cafes, restaurants and glamorous villas. Often yachts will be anchored in the bay adding to the beautiful scenery. The town has a modern marina with a lovely portside restaurant, a thriving market on a Friday and the restaurant bar at L'Ampolla beach does excellent paella. Well worth a visit

Heading out of Moraira is a winding road taking you to Calpe through the heart of some of the most attractive scenery along coast. Villas with beautiful gardens, high up in the hills above and right down below among the small hidden coves all looking out across the sparkling Mediterranean.

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Calpe
Further to the south is Calpe, another former fishing village that has grown out of all recognition in the past 20 years. The town has two long sandy beaches separated by a 332 meter high rock, the famous Penon de Ifach. Behind the Penon is the fishing port and close by is Las Salinas, an inland lagoon where flamingos are often seen.

Calpe now is a substantial town with a number of apartments blocks, villas and a significant permanent ex-pat population. Of the 18,000 people registered in Calpe, half are from outside Spain, a quarter originate from Calpe itself and the other quarter are Spanish who have moved to Calpe from other areas of Spain.

Calpe has a lot of entertainment for children, a diversity of restaurants and some of the best shopping in the area.