Villas in Costa Blanca, Spain

Those looking for sightseeing, sporting or tourist activities in the Costa Blanca will be spoilt for choice. You can pick from theme parks and nature reserves, enchanting caves and waterfalls to explore during your holiday.

Golf courses and watersports fill the coastline, along with a wide range of excursions. Explore inland villages, vineyards and fragrant citrus groves, or visit the historical churches dotted throughout the region. Travelling between resorts and towns is easy. Good road networks make car journeys stress-free and buses are both frequent and inexpensive.

The Costa Blanca’s main attraction is its stunning coastline, which is lined with Blue Flag beaches famed for cleanliness, pure waters and pristine white sands.

From well-known beaches to secluded coves and rocky bays, there’s a wealth of shoreline to choose from, some perfect for swimming and waterskiing, others for windsurfing, snorkelling and hiring pedalos. Numerous other beaches, mainly golden sand, can be found in the surrounding area. Local facilities cater superbly for every visitor, whether families or couples.

From jewellery and perfume to leather and lace and an abundance of shoes - shopping on the Costa Blanca is a real treat. The shop-lined streets of coastal towns and popular factory outlets offer an excellent choice of goods. Prices also tend to compare favourably with the rest of Europe.

Local markets sell essentials, arts, crafts and fresh produce – in particular, colourful ceramics and edible souvenirs. Why not pick up your own paella pan and create a typical Spanish experience back at your villa.

In the Costa Blanca, nightlife can be as leisurely, low-key or lively as you wish. A number of small, intimate village retreats offer traditional home-cooking and locally produced wine. Visit the region’s wealth of tapas bars for a true taste of Spanish flavours.

On the other hand Costa Blanca is also recognised as one of the Mediterranean’s top nightspots, you’ll find hundreds of bars and cafes throughout the region. The cabarets, clubs and pubs are all popular, while live music ranges from salsa and jazz to flamenco.

• View Alicante from the dizzy heights of the ancient Castillo de Santa Barbara, then take an evening stroll along the palm-shaded Explanada, stopping off for tapas and Paella Valenciana (the local speciality).

• Find a fiesta and join the party, whether it’s a mock battle between Christians and Moors, or Fallas (bonfires) where giant effigies are paraded and burnt.

• Join Romans, Ancient Greeks and Egyptians at the spectacular “World of Myth” Terra Mitica theme park.

• Head to the cool Sierra de Aitana mountains and visit the mighty Moorish castle of Guadalest.

• Splash out at Aqualandia – Benidorm’s biggest and best-known water park.