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    DK Top 10 Costa Blanca
    DK Top 10 Costa Blanca
    DK Top 10 Costa Blanca
    Ebook448 pages2 hours

    DK Top 10 Costa Blanca

    By DK Travel

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    About this ebook

    An unbeatable, pocket-sized guide to the best of Costa Blanca, packed with photos and maps, insider tips, useful advice, and a laminated pullout map of the area.

    Top 10 lists showcase the best places to visit in the region, from the Castillo de Santa Bárbara in Alicante to the mountainous village of Guadalest. Six easy-to-follow itineraries explore the most interesting sights in the Costa Blanca--from the historic center of Orihuela to the beaches of Costa Cálida--while reviews of the best hotels, shops, and restaurants in Costa Blanca will help you plan your perfect trip.

    The perfect pocket-size travel companion: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Costa Blanca.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDK Travel
    Release dateMay 30, 2023
    ISBN9780744087796
    DK Top 10 Costa Blanca

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      Book preview

      DK Top 10 Costa Blanca - DK Travel

      Table of Contents

      Welcome to the Costa Blanca

      Exploring the Costa Blanca

      Top 10 Costa Blanca Highlights

      Calblanque

      Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante (Alacant)

      Guadalest

      Penyal d’Ifac (Peñón de Ifach)

      Casa-Museo Modernista, Novelda

      Sierra Espuña

      Hort del Cura, Elx (Elche)

      Isla Tabarca

      Palau Ducal, Gandia (Gandía)

      Catedral de Santa María, Murcia

      The Top 10 of Everything

      Moments in History

      Museums

      Churches and Cathedrals

      Medieval Towns and Villages

      Modernista Gems

      Resorts

      Beaches

      Wine Towns

      Areas of Natural Beauty

      Drives

      Outdoor Activities

      Walks and Cycling Routes

      Children’s Attractions

      Nightspots

      Culinary Highlights

      Tapas

      Restaurants

      Costa Blanca for Free

      Festivals and Events

      Costa Blanca Area by Area

      Northern Costa Blanca

      Southern Costa Blanca

      Costa Cálida

      Inland Murcia

      Streetsmart

      Getting Around

      Practical Information

      Places to Stay

      Phrase Book: Spanish

      Phrase Book: Valencian

      Maps

      Acknowledgments

      Copyright

      Discover the world with

      DK Eyewitness

      Our travel writers report on what to see, eat, drink and do around the world, while the very best photographs and illustrations bring cities, regions and countries to life. We publish guides to more than 200 destinations around the world, from handy pocket-sized city guides to comprehensive country guides - all available in both print and digital formats.

      Discover more at https://www.dk.com/travel

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      TopTen

      Clockwise from top: Penyal d’Ifac and Calp (Calpe) beach; La Explanada boulevard Alicante; Altea’s blue-domed church, Murcia; castle overlooking Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia; detail of Murcia casino; Hort del Cura garden, Elx; Catedral de Santa María door, Murcia

      WELCOME TO THE COSTA BLANCA

      Fine beaches, endless sunshine and a lively after-dark scene: these are the best-known draws of the Costa Blanca, but they are only part of the story. Great scenery, good food and monuments galore lend variety to any holiday on this friendly and fascinating coast. With DK Eyewitness Top 10 Costa Blanca, it’s yours to explore.

      The Costa Blanca and its southern extension, the Costa Cálida, occupy the middle part of Spain’s Mediterranean coast. The cities of Alicante (Alacant), set beneath its magnificent castle, and Murcia, built around a famous Baroque cathedral, are where most of the action is, but legendary Benidorm, an extraordinary cluster of skyscrapers, is the largest and best-known resort here.

      Up and down the coast, and inland, there are unmissable sights from all periods of history, including the Gothic mansion of the Palau Ducal in Gandia (Gandía), the picturesque mountain village of Guadalest, the ancient palm groves of the Hort del Cura (Priest’s Garden) at Elx (Elche) and Novelda’s Casa-Museo Modernista, a restored Art Nouveau house.

      If you want to get away from it all you can explore the nature reserves of Calblanque or Sierra Espuña, take a boat trip out to the atmospheric Isla Tabarca or climb the Penyal d’Ifac (Peñon de Ifach), an extraordinary crag looming over the sea.

      Whether you’re coming for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide brings together the best of everything the region has to offer, from the heaving nightclubs of Benidorm to the wild and lonely heights of the inland sierras. The guide gives you tips throughout, from seeking out what’s free to places off the beaten track, plus six easy-to-follow itineraries, designed to help you visit a clutch of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring photography and detailed maps, and you’ve got the essential pocket-sized travel companion. Enjoy the book, and enjoy the Costa Blanca.

      Exploring the Costa Blanca

      The Costa Blanca and the Costa Cálida, and their inland regions, offer an extraordinary variety of sights and scenery. Whether you’re here for a short visit or a longer stay, these two-day and seven-day itineraries, starting from the coastal capital of Alicante (Alacant), will guide you round the very best places to visit.

      TopTen

      Two Days in and around Alicante

      Day 1

      Morning

      Take the lift up to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara for a view of the city and of the Isla Tabarca just offshore. After taking the lift back down, stroll along the harbourside La Explanada and through the streets of the old town and the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

      Afternoon

      Drive to Novelda to see the Art Nouveau Casa-Museo Modernista, then visit the palm groves of the Hort del Cura in Elx (Elche) before returning to enjoy the nightlife of Alicante.

      Day 2

      Morning

      Drive north past the skyscrapers of Benidorm. Stop to take a stroll in the old hilltop town of Altea and then climb or admire the Penyal d’Ifac (Peñon de Ifach) – even the view of it from a distance is spectacular.

      TopTen

      The pretty whitewashed village of Altea tumbles down a steep hillside to the Costa Blanca coast.

      Afternoon

      Turn inland to visit the pretty village of Guadalest. Continue through the hills towards Alcoi (Alcoy) to pick up the road through Xixona (Jijona) back to Alicante.

      TopTen

      The picturesque mountain village of Guadalest is topped by castle ruins and overlooks a turquoise reservoir.

      Seven Days on the Costa Blanca

      Day 1

      Spend the morning in Alicante, visiting the castle. After lunch, drive up the coast and head inland for Guadalest. Next make your way to Altea, and after a stroll round the old town, drive on to Calp (Calpe).

      Day 2

      Start early to climb the iconic Penyal d’Ifac and continue north to Gandia (Gandía) to visit the Gothic mansion of the Palau Ducal. A drive west across Valencia brings you to Xàtiva (Játiva) and its magnificent castle.

      Day 3

      Take the road through Alcoi and continue along it until you reach the Vinalopó valley. Visit the Casa-Museo Modernista in Novelda. It is then a short trip to the palm groves of the Hort del Cura in Elx.

      Day 4

      A main road leads from Elx to Orihuela and on to Murcia. Its Baroque cathedral and other monuments deserve a good few hours of sightseeing.

      Day 5

      Set off for Alhama de Murcia and explore the wildlife and scenery of the Sierra Espuña. Then head southeast to visit the historical gems in the city of Cartagena.

      Day 6

      Along the coast from Cartagena is the seaside nature reserve of Calblanque. After a stroll here, drive around the inland sea of the Mar Menor and then past the salt lagoons of Torrevieja to reach Santa Pola

      TopTen

      Cartagena’s Roman amphitheatre is one of many historical sights that can be visited in this ancient coastal city.

      Day 7

      Take the morning ferry to the offshore Isla Tabarca for a stroll and a picnic. The boat will return you in the afternoon so that you are back in Alicante in time for tapas, dinner and nightlife.

      TopTen

      The Isla Tabarca is surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of a marine reserve.

      Top 10 Costa Blanca Highlights

      8

      Bell tower in the medieval clifftop village of Guadalest

      Top 10 Costa Blanca Highlights

      TT Back to Top 10 Costa Blanca Highlights

      DK

      CALBLANQUE

      Calblanque, a gorgeous natural paradise near the Mar Menor, is one of the few stretches of Mediterranean coastline to have survived unspoiled – and virtually undiscovered. Over 13 km (8 miles) of quiet coves, sandy beaches and rare fossilized dunes are backed by pine forest and craggy hills, with excellent walking trails offering fine views at every turn. Salt lagoons attract a wealth of birdlife, while the cliffs and hills are home to some unusual species of flora and fauna.

      NEED TO KNOW

      prac_info Visitor Information Centre (Las Cobaticas): near Los Belones; 968 22 89 84; open Jun–Sep: 9am–3pm Tue–Sun, 4–7:30pm Fri & Sat; Oct–May: 9am–2pm & 3–5:30pm Tue–Sat, 9am–3pm Sun

      Google Map

      Bring plenty of water and picnic supplies, available in the nearby villages of Las Cobaticas and Los Belones, when visiting the Parque Regional de Calblanque.

      Calblanque is poorly signposted. Take the Cartagena–La Manga motorway, leaving at the Calblanque exit about 1 km (half a mile) after Los Belones. In the summer months you may have to leave your car at the entrance and take the minibus provided for the beaches. The beaches have limited wheelchair access.

      1. Beaches

      Calblanque’s beaches are the most beautiful in Murcia. Long stretches of golden sand are interspersed with small coves, overlooked by rippling dunes and cliffs. Most popular – yet still not crowded – are Playa de las Cañas, Playa Larga and Playa Calblanque.

      TopTen

      An alluring beach in Calblanque

      2. Bird Life

      Calblanque is particularly rich in bird life. Among the species you may encounter are Bonelli’s eagle, the eagle owl, Audouin’s gull and the green woodpecker, as well as flamingoes and several varieties of heron and plover.

      3. Dunes

      Wooden walkways traverse Calblanque’s fragile dune system, fossilized over millennia and sculpted by wind and sea into spellbinding shapes. The best back onto Cañas, Larga and Negrete Beaches.

      TopTen

      Dunes

      4. Mountain Peaks

      The mountains of Calblanque rarely rise above 300 m (984 ft), yet they offer breathtaking views across woods and out to sea.

      5. Walks and Rides

      The Calblanque Natural Park is covered by a network of walking and mountain-biking trails. These are outlined in leaflets you can pick up from the park’s information office.

      TopTen

      Walking and mountain-biking trails

      6. Coves

      The whole coastline is pocked with dozens of tiny coves, where the turquoise waters are perfect for diving and snorkelling. Even in the height of summer you can pick your way across the rocks to find a quiet cove all to yourself.

      7. Cliffs

      Calblanque’s rugged yet ethereal cliffs offer spectacular views along the entire coastline.

      8. Salinas del Rasall

      The salt lakes of Rasall still produce salt commercially, and are a major nesting area for resident and migratory birds. The waters contain the striped fartet, an unusual endangered fish.

      TopTen

      Birds at a salt lake

      9. Old Mines

      On the outer fringes of Calblanque Park you will see the ghostly remnants of abandoned tin, silver and copper mines.

      10. Flora and Fauna

      In springtime, the hills of Calblanque are carpeted with pretty wild flowers. Nestled among the pine forests are rarer trees, including one of the last surviving cypress groves in Spain. Among the fauna, foxes and badgers are common; and several tortugas bobas (sea turtles) have been released into the wild along this coast.

      TopTen

      Beautiful flowers blooming in the hills, Calblanque

      CALBLANQUE’S TREE OF LIFE

      A very rare tree grows on the dry, sunny slopes of Calblanque. Tetraclinis articulata – the Barbary Arbor-vitae (which translates from the Latin as tree of life) – only grows in North Africa, Malta and in this part of the Costa Blanca, making it of exceptional interest to botanists. The tree is a kind of cypress and the only species in its genus. It has a conical form, like a cultivated cypress, and is well adapted to conditions in the Mediterranean as it is slow-growing, draught resistant and thrives on thin soils.

      TT Back to Calblanque

      TT Back to Top 10 Costa Blanca Highlights

      TT Back to Top 10 Costa Blanca Highlights

      DK

      CASTILLO DE SANTA BÁRBARA, ALICANTE (ALACANT)

      Visible for miles, Alicante’s castle looms dramatically above the city. The hill it commands has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, but it was not until the 9th century that the first fortress was built here. Rebuilt during the 16th and 17th centuries, it became a garrison in the 18th century. Its sturdy halls now enclose MUSA, Alicante’s history museum. Enter the castle via the Parque de la Ereta, or take the lift.

      NEED TO KNOW

      prac_info Monte Benacantil; www.castillodesantabarbara.com

      prac_info Castle Complex: 673 84 98 90; open 10am–6pm daily (Mar–mid-Jun: to 8pm; mid-Jun–early Sep: to 11pm); lift ticket: €2.70 (free for under 5s & over 65s)

      prac_info MUSA (Museo de la Ciudad de Alicante): open 10am–2:30pm & 4–8pm daily; guided tours available

      Google Map

      Within the castle complex, the Cafeteria Santa Barbara offers a variety of food at reasonable prices. Open daily.

      The lift takes you up to the castle, but stroll back down to enjoy the two parks along the way.

      The castle complex has no information office, but maps are available within the galleries.

      There is wheelchair access to the lift and central square only.

      TopTen

      Castillo de Santa Bárbara

      TopTen

      Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante

      1. Plaza del Cuartel

      This wide, sun-bleached expanse at the centre of the fortress is dominated by the massive former cuartel (barracks building), which contains an exhibition on the castle’s development. Nearby, the snack kiosk and picnic area offer fine views.

      2. Lift

      If you can’t face the climb to the top of the hill, this lift will swoop you up in seconds into the heart of the castle. Tunnelled through the rock, its entrance is opposite the Postiguet Beach below.

      3. Macho del Castillo

      The highest point of the whole complex is the Macho del Castillo, a wide square that offers the

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