The Costa Blanca is a region on the east coast of Spain best known for the popular seaside resorts of Benidorm, Alicante, Calpe, Torrevieja, Dénia, Altea and Moraira. When they hear the name “Costa Blanca” or “Benidorm”, many people instantly think of masses of tourists just looking for sun, sea, sand and a night out. However, this is only partly true! Of course, millions of tourists come here every year to enjoy a well-deserved summer holiday or even a sunny winter getaway because of the warm climate. But the Costa Blanca has so much more to offer than just sun, sea and nightlife! In fact, the Costa Blanca is perhaps one of the most versatile seaside areas in Europe!

In this blog, I’m going to take you on a journey to discover things to do on the Costa Blanca! So read on to find out our top 10 best activities on the Costa Blanca which shouldn’t be missed!

The Costa Blanca – the “White Coast”

Located on the east coast of Spain, the Costa Blanca, with seaside resorts such as Benidorm, Alicante, Calpe, Torrevieja, Dénia, Altea and Moraira, is one of Spain’s most popular holiday destinations, with four million domestic and foreign tourists flocking here every year. “Costa Blanca” literally means “White Coast”, but contrary to popular belief, this has nothing to do with the pearly white sandy beaches that you can find here or the picturesque white houses. The Costa Blanca owes its name to the colour of the blossom of the almond trees that were once widely found here.

The Costa Blanca is full of diversity and has something for everyone. You’ll find rich history, a diverse culture, some breath-taking nature, pearly white beaches, bustling cities and picturesque villages. In the summer, the weather is wonderfully warm with a gentle sea breeze, but it’s also a lovely place to visit in the winter months, with temperatures still reaching 16°C. All of this makes the Costa Blanca a wonderful holiday destination all year round!

Things to do on the Costa Blanca – Top 10 activities!

As we just mentioned, the Costa Blanca has an enormous range of activities on offer. You’ll never get bored regardless of the time of year! In fact, the beauty of the Costa Blanca is that, even though you’re in a popular holiday destination, there’s no need to stay in amongst the hustle and bustle, especially if you’re staying in a holiday home or villa on the Costa Blanca, as these are mainly built outside the busy city centres. But which are the activities that you definitely shouldn’t miss? Find out below in our list of Top 10 “Things to do on the Costa Blanca”!

1.    The lovely towns and villages of the Costa Blanca

When staying on the Costa Blanca, it’s certainly worth getting out and visiting the region’s beautiful towns and villages. Each town has its own charm, history and breath-taking beach! Towns and villages that are definitely worth a visit include:

Denia

Denia is the most northern coastal town on the Costa Blanca and is actually where the region starts. This beautiful town has the perfect blend of tourism and authentic Spanish life. Stroll through the picturesque centre, gaze across the harbour, enjoy the beach, stroll along the promenade or discover its many historical sights, including the beautiful medieval castle with its stunning sea views.

Javea

Javea, just south of Denia, was once a small fishing village, but has since grown into a lovely tourist resort. Javea is really welcoming, with nice shops and numerous great restaurants, but it’s never too busy. Just like any resort on the Costa Blanca, Javea boasts stunning beaches and a beautiful promenade. Javea’s historic centre also retains its original character and charm, and you’ll find a peculiar maze of white-walled streets, vaulted archways and Gothic windows, all finished in raw stone, which is a typical feature of the region.

Moraira

If you travel further south from Javea, you’ll end up in the beautiful and picturesque town of Moraira. One of the great things about Moraira is that it’s still left off many holiday guides, which means that it has managed to retain its authentic character. The town has a relaxed atmosphere, the beach is beautiful and there is a distinct lack of big, bleak hotels and apartment blocks. Instead, you’ll find mainly rustic villas and holiday homes! Apart from the stunning beach, the real highlights of Moraira are the castle and the beautiful harbour!

Calpe

The seaside resort of Calpe, known for its large rock, is built around the highest cape on the Costa Blanca (332 metres altitude) and towers above the Mediterranean Sea. On this cape, you’ll find unique flora and wildlife which are definitely worth discovering. But Calpe also has everything you would expect from a great tourist resort – it’s not too busy and there are beautiful beaches, a pretty promenade, some cosy shops and restaurants and fun activities to do! This is really a wonderful destination for a relaxing holiday of sun, sea and sand!

Benidorm

Benidorm is of course the tourist showpiece of the Costa Blanca. Life goes on 24/7 here, and nothing is too outrageous here. Countless restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shops, amusement parks and activity centres are open round the clock to keep visitors happy. Whilst many seaside resorts can only say that during the summer, in Benidorm, this is true all year round! Thanks to its sheltered location on the bay, Benidorm is also a dream for tourists in the winter months. Even if a bustling seaside resort isn’t really your thing, it’s certainly still worth a short visit. After all, you have to experience everything in life!

Alicante

For many, the beautiful city of Alicante is just where the airport is on the way to other tourist resorts. But Alicante is also a big, beautiful coastal city with shops, activities, stunning beaches and a beautiful palm-lined promenade. The historic city of Alicante also offers a range of sights, particularly the Castillo de Santa Bárbara. Here, you can enjoy a wonderfully unique view over the city and the sea.

2.    Stunning pearly white beaches

The Costa Blanca, located in the province of Alicante, has a whopping 200 kilometres (~125 miles) of Mediterranean coastline. This coastline is known for its abundance of beautiful beaches with fine sand and a relatively calm sea. Combined with the sunny Mediterranean climate, this makes the Costa Blanca a mecca for sun, sea and beach lovers. But even if you’re not one of them, the sight of the beautiful azure-blue water, the vast stretches of white sand and the breath-taking surrounding mountainous landscape is truly a paradise on earth!

The beautiful beaches of the Costa Blanca will undoubtedly capture your heart. The beaches here are generally quite wide, which means there’s plenty of space to lay down your towel. There is normally a range of water activities to participate in, and of course you’ll also find plenty of cosy beach bars for a refreshing snack. Thanks to the long walk in and the calm water, most beaches are also suitable for families with young children. In fact, did you know that Playa La Granadella near Javea has even been voted the best beach in all of Spain!

Below, you’ll find a list of the most beautiful beaches and bays to visit in each resort town:

• Alicante: Playa de San Juan & Playa de la Albufereta
• Altea: Playa del Albir & El Arenal
• Benidorm: Playa de Levante, Cala Finestrat & Playa del Albir
• Benitachel: Cala de Moraig
• Calpe: Playa de la Fossa & El Racó
• Dénia: Playa Les Rotes
• Jávea: Cala Ambolo, Playa del Moraig & Playa la Granadella
• Moraira: Playa del Portet  
• Santa Pola: Playa El Carabassí & Playa Tamarit 
• Villajoyosa: Playa el Paraiso

3.    Breath-taking natural beauty

As well as beautiful beaches, the Costa Blanca offers an unparalleled display of stunning nature. So, if you’re not a big fan of being surrounded by masses of tourists, or if you just want to escape it for a bit, then you’ve definitely come to the right place. The region boasts plenty of small intimate bays with beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea and rolling green hills covered in pine, olive, orange and almond trees and vineyards.

Thanks to the mild climate, the Costa Blanca has some truly beautiful plant life made up of palm trees, oleanders, citrus trees and hibiscus. The highest point on the Costa Blanca is the Sierra Espuna in El Berro, at a height of more than 1,500 metres, where you can find the only date palm forest in Europe. But the beautiful nature doesn’t stop there. Did you know that you can also visit limestone caves and waterfalls on the Costa Blanca, and that there are no fewer than nine nature parks? If you’re a true lover of nature, walking, hiking or cycling, a trip on the Costa Blanca is an absolute must!

4.    The many sights of the Costa Blanca

Like the rest of Spain, the Costa Blanca has a long history. In almost every village, you’ll find remains dating from the Middle Ages. In Alicante, for example, as well as the numerous museums and galleries, there is the castle Castillo Santa Barbara, which towers high above the city and offers incredible views. In Guadest, you’ll find a maze of small streets with various features dating from the 12th century, lined with small museums and shops where you can buy traditional artisan products. There’s also an impressive castle and a stunning deep blue reservoir. Other towns like Denia and Moraira also have beautiful castles!

From limestone caves and waterfalls to a chocolate factory!

Near the village of Busot, you’ll find a range of limestone caves known as the Cuevas de Canelobre. The largest cave, also called the cathedral, is over 70 metres tall. Here, you can take a guided walk through the caves, passing stalactites and stalagmites. Another nice coastal town is Villajoyosa, near Benidorm. The coastal houses here are painted in bright colours so that fishermen can easily find their home from the sea. However, another important recommendation here is the famous chocolate museum at the Valor chocolate factory.

Another highlight of the Costa Blanca is the Algar waterfalls (Fonts d’Algar), where the water of the Algar river plunges down over the rocks at high speed. Make sure you bring your swimwear because you can also take a refreshing dip in the natural pools here. Are you a fan of botanical gardens? Then the palm town of Elx will be right up your street! The Arabs started planting palm trees here more than a thousand years ago, and today, there are more than 300,000 palm trees in the botanical palm grove. The Palmeral of Elx is now even on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

More information about the sights of the Costa Blanca can be found here!

5.  Countless activities to choose from

This beautiful Spanish region, bordered by mountains and a beautiful coastline, with its breath-taking beaches, many attractions and picturesque villages, also hosts a range of activities that you can participate in. For example, the Costa Blanca offers some stunning walking areas, full of hiking and cycling routes of varying difficulty levels across the Mediterranean landscape. If you decide to stay in a major tourist hub like Benidorm or Alicante, there’ll be endless fun for both young and old at the various amusement parks, theme parks, water parks and zoos!

Naturally, the Costa Blanca also provides opportunities for a range of water activities, such as sailing, water skiing, diving, snorkelling, jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, fishing and various boat trips. Would you prefer to play golf? There are also many golfing options here! On the Costa Blanca, you simply won’t get bored even for a minute, no matter what age you are!

6.  Costa Blanca excursions – a unique experience

On the Costa Blanca, there are practically 1001 different excursions to take part in. It’s almost too difficult to choose one! However, I would recommend the following excursions: the Cuevas de Canelobre cave tour, a Catamaran tour, the Algar waterfalls in combination with Guadalest, a day trip to Valencia and/or Alicante, taking a tour to the palm city of Elx, the chocolate factory in Villajoyosa, a wine tour of the Jalon Valley, a boat trip to the island of Tabarca or paragliding to experience some spectacular views over the mountains and sea!

7.    Experience the bustling nightlife

Every tourist hotspot on the Costa Blanca makes for a fun time, and you can definitely go for a night out in all of them! But if you’re planning the ultimate party holiday, there’s only one place you should be: Benidorm! The nightlife in Benidorm is suitable for anyone because there’s so much variety! You’ll find large discos, atmospheric clubs, live music bars, pubs, comedy shows and cabaret shows suitable for both young and old. And if you fancy going out gambling for the evening, you can try your luck in the many bingo halls, casinos or arcades!

The biggest nightclubs in Benidorm are on Avenida de la Comunidad Valencia. Here, you’ll find Ku, KM and Penelope’s. These are large nightclubs with several floors, dancefloors, lounge areas, outdoor parties, swimming pools and performances by international DJs. Prefer a cosy pub or a show? Then head to Klee Kafee, Bar 69, West End Showbar, Rock & Roll house, Jail Rock, the Daytona Rock Bar, Scruffy Murphys or Shamrock.

8.  Shopping

If you want to go shopping, the Costa Blanca is the ideal place to be in cities like Alicante or Benidorm. As well as the countless activities, sights, beaches, restaurants, cafes and discos, you can also shop ‘til you drop in the small boutiques or well-known department stores. And you can still indulge if you’re staying in a smaller town like Denia, Javea, Altea or Calpe. In the port city of Denia, for example, the shops are full of the latest fashion, and Javea, Altea and Calpe also have some great finds. Plus, the local markets are definitely worth a visit!

9.  Enjoy excellent cuisine at a top restaurant

A holiday on the Costa Blanca also means enjoying some excellent food. Just like the rest of Spain, you’ll be able to enjoy a huge variety of Spanish tapas and delicious paellas here. The Spaniards love good food just like us! Both in the busy tourist resorts and beyond, you’ll find an abundance of incredible restaurants where you can taste these traditional dishes! Even if you’d prefer to keep it simple, you need look no further! The tourist resorts have such a variety of restaurants that there’s definitely something to suit every taste!

If you go out for dinner on the Costa Blanca, it’s important to take local traditions and times into account. For example, the Spanish eat a hot meal at noon and a warm but light meal in the evening (around 8pm). You’ll soon discover that the daily menu (Menu del Día) is only served in the afternoon! It’s definitely worth trying, as this lavish three-course menu costs just €10 to €15!

10.  Traditional Spanish festivals

Nowhere in the world are they as fond of festivals and traditions as in Spain. Catholic holidays are still celebrated in style in this sunny country, with Easter (Holy Week) as the main event. There are also festivals in honour of the patron saints of each region and the “Fiestas Moros y Cristianos”, celebrating the victory of the Christians over the Moors.

However, if you’re on the Costa Blanca in March, you should definitely check out the 10-day Fallas in Valencia (Costa de Valencia) or one of the many other places on the Costa Blanca where this is celebrated (albeit on a smaller scale). During this festival, large papier mâché figures are burned, and you won’t be able to escape the deafening sound of fireworks!

More information about festivals can be found here: Holidays and festivals in Spain

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