Spanish Cities and Towns

Once you have selected your preferred region of Spain read up on some of the towns and cities to narrow your choice for a property purchase. The most popular of these are described in the following pages.

Alicante, Almeria, Altea, Andalusia, Aspe, Barcelona, Baza, Benalmadena, Benidorm, Benitachell, Blanes, Calpe, Cartegena, Castilla la Macha, Catalonia, Crevillent, Denia, Elche, Estepona, Fuengirola, Granada, Guadix, La Romana, La Vega Baja, Lorca, Malaga, Mar Menor, Marbella, Mazarron, Mijas, Murcia, Nerja, Orihuela, Puerto Banus, Quesada, Salinas, Salou, Sitges, Sotogrande, Spanish regions, Tabarca, Taberno, Tarragona, Torremolinos, Torrevieja, Tossa del Mar, Valencia, Valencian Community, Zurgena

Benidorm

Benidorm. The biggest holiday resort on the Costa Blanca. Nowadays the 6km of beach area along Benidorm' s frontage attracts an average 180,000 people. It hasn't always been like that though. It was once a sleepy fishing village - before the holiday boom of the 70's. The area is now a mass of high rise hotels and apartments and a haunt of the package holiday. Local officials are in the process of cleaning up the image of Benidorm and trying to rid it of the lager-lout reputation it once had. The council now provide such things as free jazz and classical concerts. Families from all over Europe flock to Benidorm in the summer and in the winter, the hotels and apartments fill with pensioners, enjoying the climate for the winter months. The shopping areas are typical touristy shops offering all manners of goods. Benidorm has two crescent shaped beaches with golden sand that is always well cared for and clean. This makes it an ideal family holiday resort. Whether you love it or hate it, Benidorm has become a holiday phenomenon and most of the restaurants serve everything from bacon and eggs to fish and chips and 'tea like mum makes'.

The old part of Benidorm sits on the piece of land that divides the two beaches and is about the size of a postage stamp. A fort stood here until 1812 when the British and Spanish troops blew it up whilst expelling the French. The greatest concentration of shops and entertainment is to be found here. This point that divides the beaches is called Canfali Hill.

In Benidorm you can entertain yourself on the beaches, sample go-karting, ten-pin bowling or take in two theme parks, the water features at Aqualand or watch a dolphin show. Located just north of Benidorm is Calpe a resort worthy of a visit. Further north is Denia which is again very much a family resort. A quiet little town that was once the centre of the region's raisin growing industry. Although tourism has taken over, raisins are still grown here and remain to be a local delicacy. The main avenue in Denia is the Plaza de la Constitucion where you can sit and watch the world go by. Here you will find a wonderful 17th century church. The area around Denia has been voted the third healthiest place to live by the World Health Organisation.

Altea. Another quaint little town north of Benidorm is Altea where careful development and planning has maintained the tranquil atmosphere and character. There are no high-rise hotels here and for the energetic there are 257 steps up to the old town from which a wonderful view can be had. Inland from Benidorm
The mountains you see on the horizon are fragrant with wild lavender and herbs and in July and August blackberries are abundant, ready for the taking. Drive south on the motorway to Villajoyosa then take the smaller road to Sella. The countryside is bland until you look down to see the blue waters of the Amadorio Dam, a fisherman's favourite. From Sella, the road winds higher through a terraced hillside, filled with vines until you reach the Safari Aitana, one of the largest safari parks in Europe. From here make for Guadalest (25km from Benidorm), where you will find the famous fortress built by the Moors some 1,200 years ago.

The fortress is only accessible through a 50 feet long tunnel through the rock. From here take the Parcent road for 2.5km to stumble upon the El Algar Waterfalls. Leave your car in the car park and walk to the 80 foot falls. It is possible to swim in the cold waters beneath them or take a donkey ride round the area. 10km further along the C3318 is Tarbena, an extraordinary mountain village, famous for it's delicious sausages.

There is no doubt that within just a short drive from the coast you can see such a diversity of different landscapes and cultures which makes the Costa Blanca an ideal destination for any kind of holiday.