DK Travel : Costa Blanca : Places of interest

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Gata de Gorgos

The little inland village of Gata de Gorgos is crammed with shops devoted to traditional wicker and straw crafts, from garden furniture to straw baskets and wonderful floppy hats.
Guadalest

Perched high on a crag in a sea of mountain peaks, the little whitewashed village of Guadalest is huddled under the ruins of an ancient castle. Once it was a strategic military outpost, but it lost its importance after earthquakes devastated the region and irreparably damaged the castle. Thanks to its stunning location and the picturesque charm of its old-fashioned lanes and squares, Guadalest is now the most visited village in Spain. Quirky museums, cafés and souvenir shops have sprung up, but although tour buses disgorge an endless stream of visitors in summer, Guadalest has hung onto its medieval tranquility and charm.
Guadalest

The most famous inland village in the Costa Blanca, Guadalest has a picture-postcard setting atop a jagged crest in a sea of mountains.
Guadalest

Little is left of Guadalest’s castle, but the ruins offer panoramic views.
Guadalest

Guadalest is packed with souvenir shops, offering delicate, handmade lace tablecloths, woollen blankets, slippers and traditional capes. You’ll also find a good range of local produce, from liqueurs to honey.
Guardamar del Segura

This is a small, family resort blessed with wonderful, wild dune-backed beaches.
Hondón

Blink and you’ll miss these two tiny hamlets in the middle of a vast plain with vines stretching in every direction. Hondón de las Nieves and Hondón de los Frailes are just off the Monóvar–Jumilla road. Their table wines are available from the large bodegas which line the road.
Ibi

Ibi’s long toy-making tradition is sadly now being supplanted by cheap plastics, but you can still pick up pretty replicas of old-fashioned tin toys at the delightful Museu Valencià del Joguet (see Museu Valencià del Joguet, Ibi).
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.
Jumilla

Jumilla, an unassuming country town piled chaotically on a hillside, is surrounded by endless vines. The Romans first introduced wine to the area almost 2,000 years ago, and it has been produced here ever since. You can find out about its history in the local Museo del Vino, or take a tour of the bodegas for a taste of what’s on offer. The old town has a pair of pretty churches and an unusual palaeochristian funerary monument, and is crowned by Jumilla’s much-restored 15th-century castle, which offers panoramic views of the vine-covered plain and distant sierras.