Costa Blanca Holidays in Denia

When choosing a Costa Blanca holiday most people opt for a resort with wide sandy beaches, plenty of bars and restaurants, and good hotels, villas and apartments.  Another very popular option is a golfing holiday and the Costa Blanca has many such courses to choose from, but what about if you want both types of holiday?

Denia in the northern part of the Costa Blanca is able to offer both types of holiday. Denia itself is built on the coast at the foot of the Montgo Mountain.  The lower slopes of the Montgo, or elephant mountain, are lined with self-catering holiday villas with impressive views over Denia and out to sea.  Many of these are available to rent and make an excellent base for a beach or golfing holiday.

The 18 hole La Sella golf course is the closest course to Denia.  The course itself is set in the grounds of the five star Denia Marriott Hotel.  If you want to try out different courses then the Olive Nova golf course is a little further up the coast towards Valencia (a city that is worth visiting in itself).  The course was designed by the international golfer Seve Ballesteros and provides a challenge for golfers of all standards.  There is also the Javea Golf Club, Ifach Golf Course near Calpe, and the Club de Golf Don Cayo near Altea, all within an hour’s drive of Denia.

When you want a rest from the golf courses, you can enjoy the Spanish sun on Denia’s 20km of beach.  With this amount of sand overcrowding is not something that you will need to worry about, and you are always within easy reach of a beach bar or restaurant catering to all budgets.  You can choose between rocky coves or long wide stretches of sand.  With all this choice, it is like sunbathing on a different beach everyday.

Many of the car rentals companies have offices in Denia, so if you did not rent a car at the airport you can still pick one up locally to explore the local countryside or visit one of the golf courses.

For holidaymakers who would rather not drive themselves, Denia is ideally placed for public transport.  Denia Port has a number of ferries and boat trips to take you to other Costa Blanca holiday resorts such as Benidorm, Altea, Calpe and Javea.  Larger ferries can take you to the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

While on the subject of transport, getting to and from Alicante is very easy from Denia.  Just over the road from the Port is the Railway Station.  Trains regular run from Denia to Alicante, and you can use the trains to visit other towns in the area such as Calpe, Altea and Benidorm.

Shopaholics will love Denia.  The main shopping street and all its side streets can take a whole day to explore with their department stores, boutiques and pavement cafes.  For an even bigger choice, you can take the train to Alicante, but it is best to go early to have enough time to explore the city.

No matter where you are in Denia you cannot ignore the Castle with has protected the town since the 11^th century.  Inside are a number of museums, the Church of the Assumption, and views over the sea and the surrounding area.

If your family cannot agree of what type of Spanish holiday you want between golf, beach, shopping, culture, then try Denia.  It has all these things in abundance to keep you whole family or group happy during your Costa Blanca holiday.

Costa Blanca Holidays: Why visit Valencia ?

While enyoing your Costa Blanca Villa or Costa Blanca Apartment a visit to Valencia may not be missed on your Costa Blanca Holidays !

Every city has a past … and all cities should have a future. Valencia has, for centuries, revelled in its history. But only recently has it begun to lay the foundations for the years ahead.

The city has experienced a remarkable rebirth over the last decade, transforming itself from an industrial sprawl into a ‘must-visit’ European destination. This renaissance has allowed Valencia to grow more than any city in Europe. The financial investment has been staggering. But it has been wisely spent, allowing Valencia - for so many years in the shadow of Madrid and Barcelona - to once again go head to head with the big boys.

Now is the ideal time to enjoy the revamped Valencia. Meander through ancient streets and glimpse a landscape that rejoices in progress and celebrates the past. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento provides an attractive starting point. It contains the imposing Town Hall, a building that reflects the city’s capacity to seamlessly merge the old and new, with parts of the edifice dating back to the 18th century, but the majority - including the glorious facade - constructed in the early 20th century.

Make sure you also allow a few minutes for the station. Yes, the Estacion del Norte, a few hundred metres down Calle Ribera, next to the city’s bullring. This is no ordinary railway station. Inaugurated in 1917, it’s a shining example of Valencian modernismo, full of decorative touches so often neglected in purely functional buildings. The other great square in the city is the Plaza de la Virgen. Surrounded by stunning architecture, it’s a pleasing location for a coffee while you take in the sights. At night the place is a hive of activity, with rollerbladers entertaining the crowds.
Food is a serious passion for all Valencianos and, in fact, it is difficult to ever witness the locals without some item of food being fed into their mouths. There are, unbelievably, seven eating periods in a typical Valencian day. But, as with all cosmopolitan cities, there is a wide variety of restaurants to feed the habit. A popular place for a fine but reasonably priced meal is Pizzeria La Vita e Bella, located on Calle d’En Llop just off the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. This superb restaurant, sympathetically converted from an old draper’s shop, successfully recreates the ambience of 1920s Valencia. The tagliatelle in green pesto, by the way, is to die for.

If you’re coming to Valencia for nightlife, you have certainly chosen the premier destination in the whole country. Valencia has always been a party town. The fiesta capital of Spain, the Valencianos are renowned for legendary weekends - when Friday runs into Sunday morning without a siesta in sight. Whether grooving in Barrio del Carmen, the real heart of the city, or chilling out at Playa de la Malvarrosa - a great atmosphere is guaranteed.
Malvarrosa is Valencia’s beach resort, where the city meets the coast. The hordes descend here en masse in the summer, with all the beautiful people hiding behind their Gucci sunglasses intent on eating the finest paella and making sure that lunch lasts for the rest of the day. If you fancy following in the footsteps of the legendary Ernest Hemingway, check in at La Pepica - the last in the line of restaurants in the Las Arenas area, north of the port.
If you are able to visit in March, you can enjoy the city’s world-famous Las Fallas festival. Lasting an entire week, with the papier-mache burning taking place on the last day, you will need a strong constitution to see out the whole fiesta. But many people do, and this is surely one of the greatest parties on earth.

Make sure you visit the City of Arts and Sciences, where you might consider spending a whole day in the best marine centre in Europe (L’Oceanografico) or in El Museo de Las Ciencias, a hands-on interactive science and technology experience. It is while you are here - surrounded by buildings at the vanguard of modern architecture - that you begin to understand what Valencia is all about: the perfect fusion of past and present, vision and inspiration … and fun for all of those who visit.

Have a Costa Blanca Holiday Stagparty !

Benidorm is also famous for it´s Stagparties, read this artikle by John Tarr on how to have a Costa Blanca Holiday stagparty!

Whether you are a participant at a stag party or you are the reason why one exists you are sure to have a good time. For those of you who do not know what a stag party is, another word for it is bachelor party.

Each stag party is designed for the particular group in mind. If you are in charge of putting together an event such as this you will want to keep in mind a few things. First and foremost you must respect the groom’s wishes.

The events that take place during a stag party depend entirely upon the soon-to-be married person’s preferences. For example, some grooms or brides prefer not to have strippers at their parties. Therefore, if you are part of the wedding party and you are planning this event you may not want to hire a stripper, or take your bachelor/bachelorette party to night clubs or strip joints.

Other stag party groups may prefer a more activity-oriented event. Therefore, they may decide to have an entire weekend booked. For example, they may spend a night in a different city and join in on some pain balling activity, or clay pigeon shooting. Other groups may decide to take part in off road racing in rented dune buggies, four-wheelers (quad bikes) or 4×4 vehicles.

Some stag parties take place on a beach, either at a private beach house or on a public one. Often will take place at these parties includes swimming windsurfing, and sipping cocktails-preferably not all at the same time.

There are some people who prefer to go out on the town and experience the night life. Therefore many stag parties occur at night time. In order to make these parties as safe as possible the stag party group is often encouraged to hire a limo driver. Usually alcohol is allowed on board for those who want to drink. Otherwise, at least the people who are passengers are allowed to ride from club to club in style.

The reason why most stag parties take place is for the groom or bride to enjoy what is often called one “last hurrah” before tying the knot. It is often a way to help an engaged person to be less nervous about approaching a wedding day-getting through cold feet syndromes with a bang, if you will.

Sometimes a stag party can prove to be a strong test for some people. If they make it through the entire night without having “too much fun” (Read between the lines.) then they may consider themselves ready to be married. However, this night is often more of a celebration of both the end of single hood and the beginning of the married life.

Entire stag parties can be planned without picking up the phone. However, if you have any questions you can often find the help you need online. You can either find this help by calling or by e-mailing a representative. You have quite a bit of choices when it comes to planning a stag party.

John Tarr is a copywriter for Stag Party Weekend across the UK and Europe. Learn more about Stag Party.

Costa Blanca Holidays: Finding a nice restaurant

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!!

Holidays in Benidorm

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…

Altea Holidays

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.