Alicante and its beachfront from above
Spain · Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca

Two hundred kilometres of coast either side of Alicante, most of it nothing like the bit people picture. Rocky coves, whitewashed hill towns and some of the driest, sunniest weather in Europe.

Flight2h 30m · ALC
Stay7–14 nights
Best monthsApr–Oct, and winter
Guide pricefrom £299pp

North of Benidorm the coast changes completely

Past the headland at Altea, the high-rise stops and the coves begin.

Benidorm is five kilometres of a two-hundred-kilometre coast. North of it, Altea is a whitewashed hill town under a blue-domed church, Calpe sits beneath a 330-metre rock rising straight out of the sea, and Javea and Moraira are low-rise resorts of pine-backed coves where the building height is capped. South of Alicante the coast flattens into long sandy beaches and quieter Spanish resorts. All of it flies into the same airport.

What to do

Coves, hill towns, and a rock you can climb.

Altea

A whitewashed old town on a hill under a blue-tiled dome, with a pebble seafront below. The prettiest place on this coast.

Peñón de Ifach, Calpe

A 330m limestone rock rising from the sea, with a path to the top through a tunnel. Two hours, capped numbers, and the view is enormous.

Javea & the Granadella

Pine-backed coves and clear water. Cala Granadella is regularly voted Spain's best beach, and parking is capped in summer.

Guadalest

A village built into a rock with a castle above and a turquoise reservoir below. Twenty-five kilometres inland and the best half-day here.

Tabarca island

A small car-free island off Santa Pola, and a marine reserve. Boats from Alicante and Santa Pola in season.

Alicante & the castle

A working Spanish city with a castle on a rock, a good market and a palm-lined esplanade. Twenty minutes from the airport.

Where to stay

North of Benidorm, Benidorm itself, or south of Alicante. Three different coasts.

Javea & Moraira

Low-rise & coves

Building height capped, pine-backed calas, and a quiet, largely expat feel. Where couples do best.

Altea & Calpe

Scenic

A hill town and a rock. Pebble beaches, good restaurants, and the prettiest stretch.

Benidorm

Facilities & value

Two big sandy beaches, everything on the doorstep, and the lowest prices. See our Benidorm page for which beach.

Torrevieja & the south

Sandy & Spanish

Long sandy beaches, salt lakes and a more Spanish feel. Flat, cheaper, and less scenic.

Five things worth knowing

When to go

April to October for beaches, and it works through the winter for everything else.

Summer is hot at 30–32°C and busy, particularly in August with Spanish holidaymakers. May, June, September and October give warm sea and far more room. Winter sits at 17–19°C, dry and sunny — one of the mildest parts of mainland Europe, and busy with long-stay northern visitors rather than beach holidaymakers.

Practical

Flights

2h 30m to Alicante (ALC), from nearly every UK airport year-round.

Transfers

20 minutes to Alicante, 50 to Benidorm, 80 to Javea. Worth checking before booking.

Currency

Euro. Cards everywhere.

Getting around

The narrow-gauge tram runs Alicante to Denia along the coast, slowly and cheaply. A car is better for the north.

Tell us your dates

We'll match the resort to what you want — coves or sand, lively or quiet — and write the payment plan out in full.

Questions people ask

Is it all like Benidorm?

No. Benidorm is five kilometres of a two-hundred-kilometre coast. Javea, Moraira and Altea are low-rise and completely different.

Which resort for families?

Benidorm for facilities and sandy beaches, Javea's Arenal for a quieter sandy option, or Torrevieja in the south.

Do we need a car?

In the north, yes — the coves and hill towns need one. In Benidorm or Alicante, no.

Does it work in winter?

Very well. Mild, dry and sunny, with golf and walking. Not swimming weather, and very good value.

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Costa Blanca packages

Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.

7 nights on the Costa Blanca

All inclusive · May–Oct
  • Return flights and private transfers
  • All inclusive throughout
  • What protection applies, confirmed in writing before you pay
from £329per person

10 nights on the Costa Blanca

All inclusive · May–Oct
  • Return flights and private transfers
  • All inclusive throughout
  • The extra nights cost proportionally less — fixed costs don't change
from £419per person

14 nights on the Costa Blanca

Half board · May–Oct
  • Return flights and private transfers
  • Half board throughout
  • Best value per night
from £499per person

Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.

Multi-centre itineraries we arrange

We don't currently run a ready-built itinerary that includes the Costa Blanca, but these are the multi-centre trips people ask about most — and we can build one around the Costa Blanca on request. Flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, with what protection applies, confirmed in writing before you pay.

See all 33 multi-centre itineraries →