BEACHES & ACTIVITIES
Throughout the whole of Costa Blanca, each and every major town has a beach worthy of a visit - and with over 100 kilometres of sandy beaches and many having been selected as worthy recipients of the European Blue Flag, it is pretty tricky picking out the best beaches in Costa Blanca. A couple of the finest include Levante and Poniente beaches in Benidorm. The nature in this area also holds pleasant surprises for you, such as the Guardamar dunes; the Peñón de Ifach crag in Calpe; the Torrevieja-La Mata lagoons; the Nature Reserve of Tabarca Island and its marine fauna; and the Fuentes of Algar, a group of waterfalls and springs in Callosa d'En Sarrià.
Even though most time is spend on the sunny beach, do the region also offers a great choice for the sportsperson. Because of the varied countryside, from long, open flat stretches to steep mountain roads, professional cycling teams from all over northern Europe use the area as their winter training ground. The Sierra Aitana - the mountain range a short drive inland from Benidorm - has some of Europe's most testing free-climbing faces, and scuba divers are offered the opportunity of diving in unpolluted waters filled with scores of underwater life. Denia even has its own underwater way-marked trails. And the golfer isn't overlooked, either, with courses of every standard and complexity.
Because Costa Blanca is blessed with a spectacular micro-climate, which is a major part of its popularity with golfers; the spectacular coastline benefits
from more annual hours of sunshine than just about anywhere else in continental Europe. The region is made up of three provinces; together Valencia, Alicante and Castellon and boast some outstanding golf resorts and courses.
There are a great selection of golf courses on offer in the Costa Blanca including their first course, Villamartin, was inaugurated in 1972 and which was host to the 1994 Mediterranean Open which was won by 2012 Ryder Cup Captain José Maria Olazabal. Since then many more have been created and more recently as 2010 Las Colinas de Campoamor opened and has fast become one of the best golf courses in Europe which hosts the European Tour Q School.
Laid-back evenings with live music and shows are a given on the Costa Blanca. Head to the small bars near the Plaza de la Iglesia in Moraira to catch flamenco guitarists or try Avenida Severo Ochoa in Benidorm to see cabaret with bells on. In Javea, the after-dinner action hangs on the easy-going cocktail bars on Avenida Marina Espanola. And in Denia, the bars and jazz joints on Calle La Mar are the most recommended spots. If you’d rather chat, El Barrio in Alicante is the place to go. The cervecerias – beer cellars – here are great places to get on your soap box.
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