Costa Blanca South

The Costa Blanca South is different to the north of the coast. Palm trees align the many golden sandy beaches but the vegetation is a little more sparse. The south is also more developed than the north.

The area is served by 2 airports: Alicante International and Murcia (New route 7/7/05 -Easy Jet - Bristol to Murcia)

Alicante

Alicante became the capital city of the Costa Blanca in 1883. It is situated at the foothills of the Monte Benacantil and can be viewed from the Santa Bárbara castle found in the old city.

The seafront esplanade, formed from more than six and a half million small red, black and cream tiles, is one of the most enduring images of Alicante. The cathedral of St Nicolas, the town hall, the Museum of the Asegurada and the Church of Santa María can all be found in the old city.

The city has extraordinarily good connections with the coastal area via the N-332 and the A-7 motorway and the airport is only 11 km away.

Guardamar

Guardamar has a 14 km coastline dotted with long sandy beaches. A pine tree forest, planted to stop the advance of the dunes, leads down to the glorious beaches and has been declared an Area of National Interest.

The town is situated at the mouth of the Segura river and has an interesting historical heritage which is explained in the Archaeological and Ethnological Museum and the Municipal Arts Centre.

Guardamar's langostinos (giant prawns) are the said to be the best in the Costa Blanca.

Torrevieja

Torrevieja is located between the La Mata and Torrevieja lakes, which have been declared a nature reserve due to their wetland ecosystem that supports a large array of bird life including flamingoes. The proximity of the La Mata salt flats has led to the growth of the city and it is now the prime European salt-producer.

Torrevieja has several magnificent sandy beaches including Los Locos, El Acequión, Los Náufragos, La Mata and El Cura. From the most northern of these, Los Locos, excursions can be made to the tourist vantage point of the Moro Tower, one of the medieval towers that give Torrevieja its name.

Approximately 10 km away is the village of Villamartin, very popular with the golfing fraternity. This village grew up around the golf course which was created in 1972. Nearby are the golf courses of Las Ramblas, Campoamor and La Finca.

Elche

In the 11th century Elche was compared to Mecca due to its prolific palm tree groves. The town has over 300,000 palm trees of all types and sizes and they have become a symbol of its identity.

The town is also noted for its historic interest. Prehistoric cultures (from Neolithic to Iberian) as well as vestiges from the Romans, the Visigoths and the Moors and been found near to the present day Elche. The former location of Elche, which is 2 km away, houses a museum ( Archeological Museum of La Alcudia) where the archeological finds are on display except for a bust known as the Dama d'Elx, which is currently on display in the Archaeological Museum of Madrid

Santa Pola

This is a populous and seaside city with almost 15 kilometres of fine sandy beaches. It's past has always been intimately linked to the sea and it is now a lively fishing port. In ancient times this town was the port for Elche.

Nearby are the salt flats which have been designated a natural reserve. They extend over an 880 hectare area and produce 100,000 tons of salt per year. Large numbers of migratory birds can be found and they are also the natural habitat of herons and albatrosses.