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.

Bird-watching

The Costa Blanca region is a paradise for bird-watchers. The salt lagoons in Calp, Torrevieja, Santa Pola and Calblanque attract numerous aquatic birds, and the sierras, particularly the Regional Park of the Sierra Espuña, are home to eagles and other birds of prey.
Bird-watching

The salt lakes in the Regional Park of Calblanque attract numerous birds, as do the protected salt flats around Lo Pagán, on the northern shores of the Mar Menor.
Birds of Prey

Eagles, hawks and vultures wheel silently above the more remote sierras of the northern Costa Blanca.
Blue Flags

Blue Flags are awarded to beaches which have achieved a high standard of cleanliness and offer good facilities.
Blue Room, Alicante

This sophisticated bar in Alicante’s Hotel Melia offers perfectly mixed cocktails in a formal yet comfortable setting. Sink into an armchair and sip your drink as the resident jazz pianist tinkles away.
Bocairent

Unexpected steps and tiny passages link the steep streets of Bocairent, piled up on a hill in the Sierra Mariola. Almost every house is surrounded by pots of ferns and geraniums. In 1843, an extraordinary bullring was hacked out of the rock. It now regularly hosts summer concerts.
Bodegas 1890

One of the oldest and biggest wine producers in Spain.
Bodegas Agapito Rico

Excellent reds under the Cachelo label.
Bodegas Balcona

The red Partal Crianza 2001 is the one to go for here.
Bodegas Bleda

Try the award-winning Castillo de Jumilla Crianza 2000.