Costa Blanca holidays

The Costa Blanca has 200 kilometres of coastline to call its own. The richest pickings are to be found in resorts like Benidorm, Javea, Denia and Morair. Most of the swathes of sand in these parts have Blue Flag status.

Contenders for the title of biggest beach line up on the Costa Blanca. But the 4-mile Poniente Beach in Benidorm takes the name by a whisker. Not only does this sandy swathe have Blue Flag status, but Spain’s authorities have just spent 11 million euros to build a new promenade beside it.

No beaches in the Costa Blanca are strictly hush-hush. But some receive less limelight than others. Moraira’s offerings are a little quieter than those in Benidorm, for example. Bays and coves characterise this seaside town, and the fan base tends to be families.

Bargain-hunting on the Costa Blanca is a full-time profession. Markets selling traditional pottery and souvenirs like castanets take place every day of the week. Benidorm’s Wednesday market is held near the Pueblo Hotel on Levante Beach, Moraira’s Friday market happens in Carretera Moraira Calpe, and Alicante’s Sunday flea market fills up the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Malls are one of the Costa Blanca’s strong points. With 3 floors, La Marina in Benidorm is one of the largest. The high street shops here include Guess and Pull and Bear. The Panoramis Complex in Alicante’s marina is open 24 hours a day. Denia’s high street stores, meanwhile, are al fresco. You’ll find names like Mango and Zara on Calle de Marquesde Campo.

Designer labels are easy to find on the Costa Blanca. Wander along the Placa de la Creu and the Avenida Martinez Alejos in Benidorm, or the Avenida de Frederico Soto in Alicante, and you’ll find boutiques full of Cavalli, Moschino and Versace. If you’d rather decorate your home than yourself, make your way to Javea’s old town, where art galleries are sprinkled among the historical sites.

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.

You can dance and drink from dusk until dawn on the Costa Blanca. In Benidorm, some of the biggest clubs can accommodate as many as 5,000 people. You’ll find some of the real clubbing muscle around Avenida Almeria, Calle Gerona and Calle Mallorca. Javea throws its 10 cents into the nightlife pot with the cocktail bars and clubs on The Arenal. There’s even an open-air dancefloor here.

Fish is the bedrock of the Costa Blancan diet. In Alicante, traditional restaurants serve up this staple food as salazones. Translate the word and you’ll learn a little more about the dish’s identity. It means salting, so the fish is generously coated in salt and then fried.

There’s a story behind this dish. It was created by fishermen who needed to use up the lower-quality fish from their catch. It’s made by boiling the fish with onions, garlic and potatoes and pouring the stock over rice. These days, the fish used is too good to throw away, so it’s served as a side dish.

This dish is a hybrid of the Spanish omelette and paella. It’s made by cooking rice, chicken, sausage and tomatoes in stock. Then, at the last minute, an omelette mixture is poured over the top, and the whole thing is baked again.

Turron is Spain’s original candy bar, and it’s been made in Alicante for centuries. The sweet treat is made from toasted almonds, runny honey and egg whites. The end result has a similar consistency to peanut brittle and it snaps between your teeth as you bite into it.

This drink is a dead ringer for milkshake, but there aren’t any dairy products in it. It’s made by blending chufa nuts with water, sugar, lemon and cinnamon, and is served semi-frozen. You can order it in restaurants or buy it in bottles from the chiller cabinets in supermarkets.