Costa Blanca, Spain

10 June 2008

If you’re looking for a beach holiday with relatively short flights then try Spain’s Costa Blanca. If you’re feeling brave you can even drive to Spain. With the beautiful child friendly beaches as well as some stunning scenery if you find the right place to go you’re sure to find something for everyone.

Moraira and Javea are two particularly pretty places to visit. Both have the clean sands and crystal blue seas, but Moraira is slightly quieter, but still with plenty of shops and small bars and restaurants. There’s also a small marina where you can see fish happily swimming around the boats. There’s a small park nearby the beach too for a change of scenery.

Javea on the other hand has a long stretch of beach with various play equipment for the small children, teenagers and plenty of volley ball nets for all ages. As you’d expect the beach is spotless and the sea turquoise clear. Running along the beach are a host of shops selling the usual beach wear, games and the like. there’s an abundance of restaurants to suit all tastes from English cuisine to Chinese and of course some more traditional fare. It will cater for the fussiest of eaters.

Flights from the UK take about 2 - 2¾ hours and can be fairly inexpensive if you’re prepared to travel on a budget airline. From experience this isn’t a problem. You’ll get what you pay for. Don’t expect free meals, but you can take your own snacks or buy them on the plane. The flight’s so short there’s no real need for meals on board anyway. Keep a check on baggage as, again from experience, exceeding the allowance is costly!

Hiring a car for your stay is a great way to get around and visit places such as Guadalest, where you’ll find some historic Spain. There are the remains of a castle which you can explore and some lovely little shops and restaurants to have lunch.

Driving is generally OK. The roads may be steep in places, but are in good condition mostly. The motorways are as you’d find in the UK, but they do charge for some stretches via toll booths. The Spanish tend to always be in a hurry on the roads, which is most noticeable on the motorways, but don’t be put off by this, get yourself a car and take a look a little further from the beach for some great views, scenery and walks.

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