Reasons to visit Alicante

The coast of Alicante province is one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations; known as the Costa Blanca due to its miles of white sandy beaches, many of which have been awarded the prestigious blue flag. The region boasts a wide variety of sports facilities, golf and sailing being most popular, and for families a visit to the Terra Mítica theme park near Benidorm is recommended. Be warned, the coast gets very busy in high season and some areas are very built-up, but Little Hotels has gone to great lengths to find hotels in quieter locations.

You can head inland to the quieter non-touristy villages or go north to the coast near

Going south, there are other places that make Alicante so attractive. A little inland, Benimaurell is notable for being the last bastion of the descendants of the Moors when they were expelled in 1609. In fact, legend has it that these moriscos threw themselves from the precipice of Cavall Vert, preferring that to being captured by Spanish forces. The village is surrounded by excellent mountain scenery, superb for hiking (with various marked routes), abseiling and caving (there are several with prehistoric paintings). The Fuentes Del Algar waterfalls are a place for enjoying the water away from the coast.

Calpe is a coastal town sitting at the foot of the Peñon de Ifach (Ifach Rock) like a mini-Gibraltar. The ruins of Los baños de la Reina (the Queen's baths) are well worth a look. There are some excellent beaches along this stretch of Alicante. It is not far north of Benidorm, so it is within range of the attractions that this has to offer, whilst being comfortably away from the tourist hubbub, in a more scenic and less-discovered spot.

All around here, there are some fine landscapes to explore. Guadalest is a picturesque mountain town with a spectacular castle perched on the hilltop. There is also a museum of torture instruments(!) and the Museum of Miniatures by Manuel Ussa, featuring such oddities as the Guernica of Picasso painted on a seed and the Statue of Liberty in the hole of a needle.

The former fishing town of Altea is endowed with a church which has a marvellous blue Byzantine-style dome, found in the old quarter. There are plenty of whitewashed buildings and limited development, keeping it beautiful for those who wish to appreciate Spain as it long has been, with all the benefits of Costa Blanca sun, but away from soulless resorts.

Further inland are the towns of Biar and Petrer. The former has a walled castle from the 12th/13th century Almohad dynasty, plus a mediaeval aqueduct. Meanwhile, of interest to visitors to Petrer are the Catholic church, Arab castle and hermitages of San Bonifacio and Christ. The Moors & Christians festival here also attracts a lot of people to the area.

As for the city of Alicante itself, it is one of the most popular along the Costa Blanca with its Moorish castle of Santa Barbara dominating the town. It has an impressive seafront promenade stretching around the harbour shaded with palm trees and lined with shops and cafes. There are a number of interesting museums to visit, one of which is the Hogueras Museum which is dedicated to Alicante's most famous festival, the Hogueras de San Juan (St. John's Bonfires).