DK Travel - Top 10 Costa Blanca

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Clockwise from top: Penyal dIfac and Calp (Calpe) beach; La Explanada boulevard Alicante; Alteas blue-domed church, Murcia; castle overlooking Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia; detail of Murcia casino; Hort del Cura garden, Elx; Cathedral de Santa Mara door, Murcia

Fine beaches, endless sunshine and a lively after-dark scene: these are the best-known draws of the Costa Blanca, but they are only part of the story. Great scenery, good food and monuments galore lend variety to any holiday on this friendly and fascinating coast. With Eyewitness Top 10 Costa Blanca, its yours to explore.

The Costa Blanca and its southern extension, the Costa Clida, occupy the middle part of Spains Mediterranean coast. The cities of Alicante (Alacant), set beneath its magnificent castle, and Murcia, built around a famous Baroque cathedral, are where most of the action is, but legendary Benidorm, an extraordinary cluster of skyscrapers, is the largest and best-known resort here.

Up and down the coast, and inland, there are unmissable sights from all periods of history, including the Gothic mansion of the Palau Ducal in Gandia (Ganda), the picturesque mountain village of Guadalest, the ancient palm groves of the Hort del Cura (Priests Garden) at Elx (Elche) and Noveldas Casa-Museo Modernista, a restored Art Nouveau house.

If you want to get away from it all you can explore the nature reserves of Calblanque or Sierra Espua, take a boat trip out to the atmospheric Isla Tabarca or climb the Penyal dIfac (Peon de Ifach), an extraordinary crag looming over the sea.

Whether youre coming for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide brings together the best of everything the region has to offer, from the heaving nightclubs of Benidorm to the wild and lonely heights of the inland sierras. The guide gives you tips throughout, from seeking out whats free to avoiding the crowds, plus six easy-to-follow itineraries, designed to help you visit a clutch of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring photography and detailed maps, and youve got the essential pocket-sized travel companion. Enjoy the book, and enjoy the Costa Blanca.

Exploring Costa Blanca

The Costa Blanca and the Costa Clida, and their inland regions, offer an extraordinary variety of sights and scenery. Whether youre here for a short visit or a longer stay, these two-day and seven-day itineraries, starting from the coastal capital of Alicante (Alacant), will guide you round the very best places to visit.

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Two Days in and around Alicante

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Day 1

Morning

Take the lift up to the .

Afternoon

Drive to Novelda to see the Art Nouveau before returning to enjoy the nightlife of Alicante.

Day 2

Morning

Drive north past the skyscrapers of (Peon de Ifach) even the view of it from a distance is spectacular.

The pretty whitewashed village of Altea tumbles down a steep hillside to the Costa Blanca coast.

Afternoon

Turn inland to visit the pretty village of (Jijona) back to Alicante.

The picturesque mountain village of Guadalest is topped by castle ruins and overlooks a turquoise reservoir.

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Seven Days on the Costa Blanca

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Day 1

Spend the morning in (Calpe).

Day 2

Start early to climb the iconic (Jtiva) and its magnificent castle.

Day 3

Take the road through in Elx.

Day 4

A main road leads from cathedral and other monuments deserve a good few hours of sightseeing.

Day 5

Set off for .

Day 6

Along the coast from Cartagena is the seaside nature reserve of .

Cartagenas Roman amphitheatre is one of many historical sights that can be visited in this ancient coastal city.

Day 7

Take the morning ferry to the offshore for a stroll and a picnic. The boat will return you in the afternoon so that you are back in Alicante in time for tapas, dinner and nightlife.

The Isla Tabarca is surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of a marine reserve.