DK Travel : Costa Blanca : Editor's choice

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Punta Negra

Perched over a tiny bay with unusual dark sand, this lighthouse stands at the western end of the beautiful Regional Park of Calblanque. Walking trails splinter off in all directions, and there’s a spectacular hike along the cliffs.
Rice

Rice has been grown in the Calasparra region for more than a thousand years, and it now enjoys its own D.O. (denominación de origen ), which guarantees the quality. Most of the rice produced here is of the small, plump, bomba variety, which is often used in the traditional fisherman’s stew caldero . Bomba rice is ideal, as it soaks up the fish broth to perfection.
Rice Dishes

Alicante is famous for the breathtaking variety of its rice dishes, ranging from the pungent arroz negro , cooked in squid ink, to arroz a la banda , similar to paella and made with many different kinds of fish. (Dársena serves almost 200 types – (see Dársena, Alicante (Alacant)).)
Santa Pola

Santa Pola holds a huge outdoor market on Saturdays, with everything from local produce to clothes and shoes.
Seafood

Like so much of the Mediterranean coast, Murcia’s fishing villages provide a wealth of wonderful fresh seafood. The famously sweet prawns from the Mar Menor, sea bream cooked in rock salt (dorada a la sal ), and a highly spiced version of the caldero (see Caldero) are all typical of the region.
Seafood

The abundance and variety of seafood on the Costa Blanca is astonishing. Fish is often simply grilled or fried, or used in the many rice dishes. Dorada a la sal (sea bream baked in rock salt) is common and delicious. Try Dénia’s famous and very tasty prawns.
Stews

Murcia has lots of wonderful traditional stews, including the olla gitana , a hearty chickpea and vegetable stew from the fertile Segura valley, and the zarangollo murciano , a tasty mixture of pumpkin, onion and tomato.
Tartera Caravaqueña de Cordero

This lamb pie is a typical dish from Caravaca de la Cruz.
Turrón

Anyone with a sweet tooth will be in heaven in the Costa Blanca, which is famous for turrón , the delicious local nougat made with honey and nuts. There are two kinds: a soft version made in Xixona (Jijona), the biggest producer of turrón , and a crunchier kind made in Alicante.
Xàtiva (Játiva)

A delightful, sprawling street market, with everything from food to socks, takes place in the old town.