DK Travel : Costa Blanca

Sun, sea and sand are excellent reasons to visit the Costa Blanca, but its attractions don’t stop there. Inland, you can explore magnificent Natural Parks, wild sierras and remote hill villages, or visit historic towns with fascinating museums and a wealth of fabulous architecture. The engaging capital cities of Alicante (Alacant) and Murcia are crammed with great shops and tapas bars, and a string of lively resorts along the coast offers splendid beaches, fantastic nightlife and plenty of opportunities for fun. Best of all, there’s always a secret cove or rugged cape to be discovered if the crowds get too much.

Iglesia de San Martín, Callosa de Segura

Once one of the most affluent cities of the old Kingdom of Valencia, Callosa de Segura possesses one of the finest Renaissance churches in Spain.
Iglesia de Santa María, Alicante

This delightful church was built on the ruins of Al-Lekant’s main mosque before the Reconquest. The soaring interior is in the purest Gothic style. The frothy façade was added in 1713.
Igor Astarloa

Cycling is a Spanish passion, and Igor Astarloa is currently the world road cycling champion.
Isabella I (1451–1504) and Ferdinand V (1452–1516)

The Catholic monarchs held court at Orihuela in 1488, with the city at its most influential.
Isla de Benidorm

The natural beauty of this curious, triangular island in the middle of Benidorm Bay is best appreciated underwater, for the Isla de Benidorm is a marine reserve and home to a fabulous array of sea life, from sea anemones to octopus, stingray and scorpion fish.
Isla Tabarca

The tiny island of Tabarca is rimmed with rocky coves and sandy beaches, and the surrounding marine reserve is a paradise for snorkellers and divers.
Isla Tabarca

Tabarca, the only inhabited island on the Costa Blanca, has beautiful pebbly coves, a sandy bay, and a charming old town complete with a winsome little church right on the water’s edge.
Isla Tabarca

The secluded coves at the western end of this pretty island (see Isla Tabarca) are perfect for picnics. If you need to work up an appetite, you can always go swimming or snorkelling first.
Isla Tabarca

The island of Tabarca, 2km (1 mile) long and 450 metres (492 yards) wide, sits just off the coast of Santa Pola. Wild, pebbly coves and delightful little bays pucker its shoreline, and the clear waters have been designated a marine reserve. In summer, regular ferries make the enjoyable short journey from Santa Pola or the slightly longer one from Alicante, but many tourists simply make for the seafood restaurants clustered around the port, leaving the little town and the furthest coves to more intrepid explorers.
Islas de Escombreras

A few islets are strewn around the entrance to the enormous port at Cartagena; a lighthouse, visible from the cape below Escombreras, gives early warning to ships.