Costa Blanca means white coast, a name taken from the endless miles of beautiful sandy beaches which stretch from the cosmopolitan town of Denia in the north to the popular tourist resort of Torrevieja in the south. The northern part of the region is mountainous, relatively green and peppered with groves of orange and olive trees along with colourful orchards of almonds and cherries. The much flatter and drier southern end of the Costa is famous for having the biggest palm gardens and salt flats in the whole of Europe.
The Costa Blanca coastline stretches 170 miles along Spain's east coast centred on Alicante and runs from Valencia in the north to La Manga in the south. It is famous for the resort of Benidorm which has a reputation for being a unique family resort. The countryside at the north end of the Costa Blanca is attractively mountainous and rocky. All the resorts have plenty to offer for tourists and have a wide selection of accommodation both near the beach and rising up the hillside.
Costa Blanca is not only a beautiful place to live, it is also one of the healthiest options. It enjoys more than 315 sunshine days a year and an average temperature of 18-19C so it's easy to see why the World Health Organisation once named it as having one of the healthiest climates in the world. Thousands of people have come on holiday here, fallen in love with the place and made it their permanent home.
It is a region which offers all things to all people, a paradise for golfers and gourmets, sun worshippers and serious party people, families and fun-loving 18-30s. There are big, brash beachside resorts with skyscraper hotels and all-night discos and there are delightful mountain villages where life seems hardly to have changed for centuries.
If you take a tour along the coast you'll find international tourist resorts intermingled with traditional Spanish  towns and villages. Start at Denia, a lovely town dominated by an impressive castle, where a bustling commercial centre and port blend comfortably with a thriving tourist industry. The next-door resort of Javea, reached by a somewhat hairy drive over the impressive Montgo mountain, is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Costa Blanca. It attracts visitors from all over the world along with wealthy "Madrileños" who buy second homes here to escape the blistering summer heat of the Spanish capital.
Next is the small and very pretty fishing port of Moraira with its modern yacht marina and hillside developments of whitewashed holiday villas. Calpe is a modern beach resort but has an attractive old quarter and the distinctive Gibraltar-style Peñon de Ifach rock which dominates the skyline for miles around. Then comes Altea which is one of the most beautiful towns on the Costa Blanca with its steep, winding, medieval cobbled streets leading up to the blue-domed church and plaza which affords one of the best views in the region.
There are 38 blue flag beaches on the Costa Blanca coast, more than any other destination in Europe. Blue flags are designated by the European foundation for Environmental Education as having clean water and top facilities. Much of a holiday on the Costa Blanca will be spent on one of the wonderful beaches and there are hundreds of miles of them. Most of the major resorts have facilities for water sports such as skiing, boating, jet-skiing etc and several have diving and snorkelling available. Scuba-diving has taken off in a big way on the Costa Blanca. Wind surfing is one of Spain's fastest growing sports and on this coast it is very popular.
The 'White Coast' has so much more to offer with its rich cultural heritage and natural landscapes. The traditional towns and villages awash with history and breathtaking scenery. Towns where the traditions and culture of their inhabitants are as alive and kicking today as they were hundreds of years ago. Inland from the beaches lies one of Spain's most fertile areas, well known for the citrus trees that supply fruit worldwide, almond trees that blanket the ground with rich blossom and date palms in massive forests.
The area is well serviced by Alicante and Murcia (San Javier) airports. Alicante is a holiday resort in itself and offers a wonderful city with great shopping. Just south of the airport lies the resort of Torrevieja with it's sandy beach and lively market, several golf courses and wonderful accommodation. Near Cartegena is the well known sports and golf complex of La Manga.
The Costa Blanca - where everyone can find their place in the sun, from cosmopolitan towns where life goes on 24 hours a day to sleepy little villages where the peace and tranquility is unique.
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