Local Information about the Costa Blanca, Spain from the Anglican Chaplaincy

Local Information about the Costa Blanca

The Holy Spirit Chaplaincy of the Costa Blanca is situated in the south-east of Spain. Costa Blanca means the White Coast. The chaplaincy area currently covers the area from Alicante in central Costa Blanca through to Gandia in north Costa Blanca (just south of Valencia).

The Costa Blanca covers a strip of coast, hundreds of kilometres long from just south of the city of Valencia in the north to Torrevieja in south Costa Blanca. The capital of the Costa Blanca, Alicante is in the central coastal area.

The Costa Blanca is blessed with a warm temperate climate providing plenty of sunshine and good year-round temperatures, making it a favourite destination for holiday-makers and international residents.

Many nationalities now live permanently on the Costa Blanca. In particular there are large communities of English and German people as well as the native Spanish population.

The Spanish population speak primarily the regional dialect called Valenciano (a form of Catalan) but also speak Spanish.

In large resort areas you will also find that most people who work in bars and restaurants can speak some English.

The numerous resorts along the stretch of coast include the well-known resort of Benidorm. There are many things that one can do on the Costa Blanca besides beach and bathing activities including three theme parks all of which are just outside Benidorm:

Terra Mitica (theme park with rides) http://www.terramiticapark.com/ingles_main.html
Aqualandia (water rides) http://www.aqualandia.net/gb/
Mundomar (sealife shows) http://www.mundomar.es/gbmundomar/sphome.asp

Benidorm also has a large choice of bars, restaurants and entertainment.

Other costal resorts such as Javea, Denia, Calpe, Benissa, Moraira, Teulada Altea, Villajoyosa,
El Campello etc also have good amenities for tourists.

Other days out can include trips inland to the old mountain fortress of Guadalest, the natural water bathing fonts of Fuentes del Algar and the tropical gardens of Huerta del Cura in Elche. There are also many walks inland, primarily on hilly or mountainous terrain in beautiful settings.

Markets are held in most local towns at least one day per week and offer a wide range of things to buy including fruit and vegetables, clothes, household items etc. Details can be found at http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/info.html

A trip to Valencia is also definitely worth considering if you are staying for any length of time. Valencia is Spain´s third largest city, contains attractive architecture and provides a good feeling of culture. There is also a large choice of shops, bars and restaurants. The Valencia region is also very well-known for its production of citrus fruits and its Paella. The city is approximately 2 hours away from most areas by car and is serviced by a motorway link along the entire coast.

Locally, one can get about by using the Alicante to Denia train link. It provides scenic views on its winding journey through mountainous areas and stops at many key towns along the way.

For more information about the Costa Blanca (more comprehensive links can be found on the links page):

Visit the tourism website at http://www.costablanca.org/eng/index.asp
The Net Guide at http://www.costablanca-netguide.com
For more general information about Spain, visit http://www.idealspain.com
Comprehensive telephone listings visit http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/info.html
Map of the Costa Blanca visit http://www.infocostablanca.com/uk/map%20cb.htm

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