subject: Guide to the Costa Blanca Region of Spain [print this page] The Costa Blanca is served by 2 major airports, Alicante to the north, and Murcia to the south. The Costa Blanca coastline is fairly well developed, with popular resorts such as Benidorm and Torrevieja bringing in millions of tourists every year.
The Costa Blanca region is dominated by tourism, fishing and agriculture, with some of the major exports being oranges, lemons, olives (and olive oil), almonds, raisons and carob.
Below is a guide to some of the best known places of interest in the Costa Blanca.
Alicante
The town of Alicante is a resort which unlike Benidorm is very popular with Spanish tourists in the summer months. Alicante has a large sandy beach, but in summer the beach can be very crowded.
The town of Alicante has a good selection of shops and bars, and is a good destination to visit in the spring and autumn when it is less busy. The climate in spring and autumn in Alicante is similar to a pleasant British summer day, but with a lot more sunshine.
Denia
Formerly a small fishing village, Denia has grown to be one of the most popular family resorts in the Costa Blanca. Denia is overlooked by a 12th century Roman castle which is popular with visitors. The resort has around 20km of beaches, some of which are in small coves.
Benidorm
Benidorm is the largest and best known resort in the Costa Blanca. Benidorm was once a small fishing village, but during the 1970's it has developed into one of the busiest resorts in Spain. Benidorm's skyscaper skyline is more reminiscent of Manhattan than the Costa Blanca. The resort developed a tarnished reputation in the 80's and 90's with a "lager lout" culture exported from the UK during the summer months. However, today Benidorm is much quieter, and has once again become a popular family destination, although there is still a thriving nightlife.
Torrevieja
Torrevieja is one of the fastest growing regions of Spain. It is located midway between Alicante and Murcia airports. The Torrevieja region is a popular location for ex-pats from northern and eastern Europe, with property prices that provide incredible value.
Torrevieja has a number of resorts, including the very popular Villa Martin development, which has good beaches, an attractive shopping plaza and the excellent Villa Martin golf course.
Elche
Around a 20 minute drive from Alicante is the town of Elche (Elx in Spanish). Apart from being a busy industrial Costa Blanca town of over 200,000 inhabitants. Elche has the largest growing area of palms in Europe which date to Roman times. The area became a UNESCO world Heritage Site . The palm plantations are a legacy from when the Romans ruled the region, and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. Elche is located only 15km from the mediterranean coastline, so is easily accessible to holidaymakers. The Municipal Park in the centre of Elche has a sub-tropical garden containing many species of palms and cactus, and a museum.
