Valencia was appointed host city of the 32nd America’s Cup in 2003, the third major sporting event of the world, after the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. This date was the starting point of a spectacular change. The city of Valencia has experienced an air, land and sea metamorphosis that will not fail to impress anyone passing by. The continuous urban growth, the wide variety of leisure offerings and the technological avant-garde that our city boasts have been a key element to choose Valencia as host city among other cities, such as Lisbon, Marseille and Naples. Since then, Consorcio Valencia 2007 which consists of the three public administrations of the region (General State Administration, Comunitat Valenciana Regional Government of Valencia, and Valencia City Council has carried out an ambitious urban remodelling program to host an event whose economic impact will be of approximately 2,500 million Euros and 10,000 new jobs.

The choice of Valencia as host city of the America’s Cup Is important at a national level, but also at a continental level, as it is the first time in the history of this competition the first regatta was held 155 years ago that a European city hosts it, after being harbored in New Cork, Newport, Freemantle, San. Diego and Auckland. In recent years, Valencia has led a dizzying urban transformation, especially around the area of Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, towards the northwestern exit of the city, as well as at the Avenida de Francia, which offers a wide variety of sports and green areas. Communication infrastructures have also improved considerably thanks to the underground extension, the long-awaited construction of a second runway at the Airport, and the improvement of the access to the port, especially the great remodeling of Avenida del Puerto.

All these changes have brought benefits for and have given Valencia international renown. The port is the main setting of the America’s Cup, so its adaptation has been one of the priorities. The inner harbor has been remodeled to provide it with the entire infrastructure necessary to transform the city and its waters into the perfect venue for the sailing competition. The new inner harbor has gained 425,000 square meters from the sea. The project included the building of a channel that links the inner harbor to Malvarrosa beach and a new waterfront road measuring 80 meters wide and almost 600 meters long, that allows the boats taking part In the event to reach the race course in only 15 minutes.

The south harbor is equipped to install a provisional water surface that will harbor around 1,000 high draft vessels during the sporting events. This action takes up an area of 300,000 square meters fitted with floating gangways, anchorage buoys and maritime signaling. One of the major emblems of the Port remodeling is the guest building named “Veies e Vents”, designed by the architects David Chipperflel and Fermi’n Vazquez. This building has been constructed in only nine months and offers a privileged view to the race course through its glassed terraces.

“Veles e Vents”

It is the only building erected for the sporting event that will stay once the America’s Cup comes to an end. Its name pays tribute to Ausias March’s work and person. This building opened during the preregatta stage held last May and it has become the America’s Cup architectural milestone in Valencia, as well as a real link between the city centre and the port area.

The building consists of four enormous terraces: two of them open to the general public who wishes to contemplate what happens on the race course from a privileged location; while the third one is exclusively reserved for the sponsors of the event; and finally, the fourth terrace is for VIP guests of ACM (Ame¬rica’s Cup Management, the company that organizes the event). The America’s Cup’s square, called AC Park, which expects about 40,000 visitors a day during the regattas, will be linked to the building through a ramp. The surrounding vegetation is not just a fortuitous selection of shrubs, but the product of many months of research and deliberation. Finally, this area will include on an area of palm trees with 180 specimens to bear the strong wind blowing from the sea. it is expected that the guest building will receive the crowd going to the inner harbor, so that thousands of visitors will be able to watch the competition from such a privileged location.

However, quietness was one of the goals for the architects, and it seems it has been achieved. Pedestrian routes have been arranged at different levels to that end. Furthermore, the square will allow walking around to the northern dock of the exterior estuary, whose moorings were awarded quite a while ago. The south area of the AC Park will border on the channel and there is a two-story covered car park. Although at first it was expected to provide space for 800 VIP cars, currently the possibility of granting half the space for public car park and the rest to rotation is being considered. If in spite of everything there is not enough parking, an area at level ground located at the promenade will be used as a car park.

The building has a maximum capacity of 8,000 people and houses shops, several stages and about twenty leisuretime establishments, as well as giant television screens to follow the regattas live, in all, 41 establishments with a wide offering for visitors and bystanders will open from 9 to 2 AM, according to what the organization finds necessary. On June 23rd 2007 the regattas for the winner of the 32nd edition of the America’s Cup begin. When this day comes, millions of people from all around the world will have their eye on Valencia and will gaze upon the great changes carried out in this city with one goal: to offer inhabitants, as well as vi¬sitors, the best image of a Valencia devoted to the America’s Cup.

12rent has got a lot more Benidorm Apartments for rent by Folies Vacances, a very professional renting agency in Benidorm.

All the apartments are in mint condition and just very close to the sea and beach. Most of the apartments are fond close to Benidorm´s Ricon de Loix, where is also the famous Benidorm Palace and the waterpark Aqualandia.

Folies Vacances has a very professional crew waiting to help you with any questions regarding the apartments, Benidorm itself or any other aspects of your Benidorm Holidays.

At the moment you are enjoying your well deserved Costa Blanca holiday, after the fist couple of days in your holiday villa or apartment you might wonder, where to find a nice restaurant at the Costa Blanca ?

The first part of the evening you will have to search a nice restaurant, if you are in Altea, or if you want to visit this beautiful place, you will find some very nice restaurants.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, there is a very nice restaurant at the first line of the beach in Altea called “Tutti Frutti”, you can gat a pizza, but I really would advice a very nice salad, served in an eatable bowl, the menus are good priced and very nice. From the terrace you can overlook the Mediterranean, which will provide you with a nice cool breeze.

Near the Altea church, moving down from the churches square in the direction of the Sierra Bernia Mountain you will find a busy street with some very nice restaurants. In “Estromboli” you can eat very good Italian food and they have very nice smashed tomato sauce, from grandfathers own garden.

At the other side of the street you have the very nice restaurant “Ousteau”, which is brilliantly decorated and has a fantastic ambiance. The very friendly staff will guide you to your table, which with nice warm weather can be on a cosy outside terrace, but always will be nice situated. The food is very good, you can choose from a “Hollywood” card, making you doubt between a “Al Pachino” steak or a “Marlin Monroe” salad…

If you would like to spend some more, enjoying the good gastronomic life I will advice the restaurant “el Nuevo Alcazar” in La Nucia. A really good restaurant managed by people crazy about food.

Also a very high standard you will find at the restaurant “La Fusion” and “Los Dos Lunas” in el Albir, 2 more to put on your list to try.

If you like to have something tipical Spanish, Benidorm is the place to be.. In the old town of Benidorm there is a special street with a lot of typical “tapas” bars, here you will find the Spanish people enjoying all kinds of small snacks and nice wines.

Of course you will find as well Mc Donald’s as Burger king in Benidorm, but it is not recommended to go there unless you can’t really stop yourself. The Spanish food is really great to try, like a good paella you can try it in the “Chiringuito” in the beach of Albir, where the Spanish are all at large tables eating the paella. For those who absolutely despise of seafood there is a special paella type called “a banda” and one with only vegetables. Also there is a very large grill were they prepare some giant steaks.

Anyway, it’s the golden rule to see if a restaurant is good, look if there are enough Spanish people sitting there!!!

Enjoy your meal!!

One of the most favourite destinations in Spain is Benidorm. With hundreds of thousands of visitors in the summer months and more and more visitors during the winter months.

In the summer Benidorm is filled with life and joy, you can always find something to do at the beach and the large beaches make sure everybody has his or her own spot and if you don´t want to be packed all together you can go to the Levante beach where there is always plenty of place.

The last few years another beach, la cala de Finestrat at the south of Benidorm went to an extremely fast development with lots of new holiday apartments being build, so if you are going to rent an apartment there it could get a little crowded on the small beach. One of the nicest beaches to be is there just around the corner, at the end of the Poniente beach, called la playa de Benidorm.

The great advantage of the Benidorm beach is that in the winter you can even go to the beach while in other parts of Spain it is impossible. The temperature at the beaches of Benidorm is always a few degrees up compared with surrounding beaches, like Calpe, Altea or Villajoyossa. The first reason is because the whole valley in which Benidorm lies has a micro-climate and is already always warmer than the rest of Spain. The other reason is because the beach of Benidorm is very much south facing, and with over 300 high buildings reflecting the sun and blocking cold winds from the north it explains a lot.

The development in the Benidorm area was tremendous over the last few years. A wonderful family-park called Terra Mitica was realized behind Benidorm. It now also holds a Golf course and an outside zoo called Terra Natura. Of course there are the classic attractions like the wonderful water park Aqualandia and the water-ski track at the levante beach.

At night, you will not get bored. Although the town hall made a very big mistake illuminating the enormous Benidorm Boulevard with fluorescent white light, so everybody looks a little bit pale, and the boulevard most of the time is being flocked by elderly Spanish couples in the winter, Benidorm nightlife has many faces. With numerous pubs and bars with entertainment in English it is not very difficult to find yourself at home. If you would like to “taste” the real Spain you can go to the old town where there is a special street where the Spaniards eat there “tapas” every day at about 20:00 you can walk over the heads so many people and such a good atmosphere! If you are young, just shaved off all your hair because all your friends did you might like to go to “the English street” where there are a lot of bars and discos for equally minded. At the beach there are the more classic bars and discos like Penelope and KM.

Renting an apartment is easy, but not very cheap. Buying an apartment in Benidorm is really crazy, because prices have gone up so much…

Many of you will one day have the wish to live in Spain. Than the choices are many, do you want to live near the coast or inlands, more to the south or at the Costa Brava. Many choices are coming towards you and the whole thing is not getting any easier. Do you want to live in a place with a lot of Brits or do you prefer the silence of the Spanish inlands?

For the people who want it all there is Altea. Although the few among us who really want to live somewhere in the inlands, far away from the civilized world and internet connections we will not be able to help.

Altea is a real Spanish fisher village with a small harbor and a all-overlooking church on a small hill near the sea. It was build there together with the village because on this hill there is always a very nice and refreshing current coming from the sea, and air-conditioning was only invented a couple of years ago….

in Altea you will find a lot of nice places to visit also during the winter season, all the restaurants are open and at the boulevard there is always something going on. Unlike many other parts of Spain or even the Costa Blanca which are more quiet in the winter season.

Of course in Benidorm there is always something to do but that is more for the elderly people (and then I mean really old) In Altea, or La Nucia or L´Alfaz del Pi you can also come for the winter season. If you want to rent a place there are lots of websites ofering large collections of holiday villas and apartments; you can rent at a weekly base but also on a monthly base.

Normally you can rent an apartment or a villa in the winter for a month for the same price you rent it in the summer for a week!! If you are planning on buying a property it is the best way to do it because there is a lot of property on the market and you don’t want to make any mistakes. Buying a property is somthing else as buying a piece of bread or a cup of coffee!! You cannot do this in a week time ! I also advice everybody to not mix holidays with buying a property, it will ruin your holiday and in the end it will leave you with not enough time to look at Altea properties.

At the big hill called the “Sierra Bernia”; near Altea there are a few very nice urbanizations like Altea Hills or Sierra de Altea and Don Cayo which holds its own 9 holes golf course. From this mountain and these urbanizations the views to Altea and the further to the north village Alfaz del Pi are breathtaking.

In the old town at the village you find this typical Spanish small streets where you can find very nice cousy restaurants and bars. In the summer it is really busy at the square in front of the church which has been converted into one big terrace.

Have a great holiday and take my advice: do not go back.