Barely 3 hours flight from your home, lies a small paradise on earth:
ALICANTE
Located on the Costa Blanca and surrounded by a typical Mediterranean hilly landscape, Alicante offers 330 days of sunshine a year.
Here, ENJOY is written in capital letters, be it while lying in the sun on the beach or walking along the promenade, during a tasty meal in one of the countless restaurants, or simply with a glass of wine or a coffee on a terrace in the sun.
In Alicante, besides the long seafront, there is a fortress, Santa Barbara, perched high above the sea on a craggy cliff – the way there: stairs, stairs, stairs, decorated with tiles from the Stations of the Cross of Christ. Do not worry, there is also an elevator.
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Similar to Valencia, a big fiesta with processions and papier-mâché figures takes place once a year. Here, they are called “Hogueras de San Juan” and take place in June on St. John’s Day.
Alicante has a marina, and an avenue of palm trees where over 6 million marble stones are trodden underfoot every day. In the Plaza Gabriel Miro there are cafes under huge ficus trees.
Towards the south, about 20 km. from Alicante, lies Elche – the palm oasis. The palm grove, consisting mainly of date palms since the time of the Moors, is the largest in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the Jardín Huerto del Cura – the priest’s palm garden – one gains a good overview and can look at the large imperial palm (with audio guide in English).
Other tips: A visit to the Xixona factory, where the sometimes creamy-soft, sometimes nutty-hard nougat specialties, the “turrones,” are produced for all of Spain. In the small town of Agost, the multitude of creative master potters is surprising – this craft has a long tradition here.
But also active nature lovers get their money’s worth: only a few kilometers behind Denia (90 km along the coast to the North), an old railroad line was converted into a hiking trail, which leads past waterfalls, through short tunnels and rock massifs to the small town of L’Orxa and with about two hours each way is a leisurely day excursion. Those who take time for excursions will be surprised by lush greenery, hidden waterfalls such as the Fuentes de l’Algar and the bizarre fortified village of Guadalest, which clings to the top of a rocky hill.
El Campello
Although it is only 13 kilometers from Alicante and 26 kilometers from Benidorm, El Campello is a very quiet place. However, thanks to the short distance to both metropolises, you will always have access to a wide range of leisure activities, among others to mention: Mundomar, Aqualandia, Terra Mitica, Terra Natura, AquaNatura as well as the Music Event Center “Benidorm Palace”.
Campello consists of many historic buildings and has been little changed by tourism. The relaxed atmosphere of a traditional coastal village has been preserved and there are few tall buildings.
Perhaps the most impressive structure is the Illeta watchtower, which overlooks the harbor.
It was built in the 16th century to protect against pirate attacks.
The port consists of two parts: the marina, where the “Club Náutico Campello” is located with more than 400 anchorages, and the adjacent fishing port with its fish market, where on weekdays the fish is auctioned.
Also, there is a great weekly market in Campello on Wednesdays and Sundays, where you can buy fresh and tasty fruit and vegetables.
Along the promenade there are colorful fisherman’s houses and of course a variety of bars, cafes and restaurants.
Around El Campello there are numerous beaches and coves, including the small rocky cove Coveta Fumà, coves with sandy beaches like Cala Venta and La Nuza, and wide sandy beaches like Carrerlamar and Muchavista, which is over 3 kilometers long and has fine, light sand.
