The Region - Costa Blanca, Costa Cálida and
the Mar Menor
The Costa Blanca north of Alicante offers a varied image with a steep rocky coastline, a fantastically green landscape and small, charming bays. South of Alicante there are dreamlike sandy beaches with dunes and pine forests next to them, and the sandy beach between Santa Pola and Guardamar with its 17 km is probably one of the longest and quietest beaches. The beach of La Marina (Playa El Pinet) included in these 17 km with a length of more than 3 km always offers individuals a little space to enjoy it on their own.
The whole coastline of the Costa Blanca extends over more than 200 km and on almost all beaches you can find the „Blue flag“. This and the crystal clear water are for certain the greatest attractions for the national and international tourism. There is the right place for everybody - no matter if you want to relax or enjoy activity holidays.
The original character of the landscape, which manifests itself through its small farms of cultivation of subtropical fruit-trees, its terraced wine-yards and the large salt-lakes (salinas), has been respected as it really always was.
Further on, towards the Mar Menor you will find more and more cliffs with beautiful sandy beaches dotted in between. The famous thermal baths in Fortuna complete the image of this region. The Mar Menor offers throughout the year a very mild temperature of the sea water, that even during the winter months seldom drops below 18° C.
In the south of Cartagena the mountains arrive until the very sea, forming a landscape of cliffs. Further south, in the bay of Mazarrón it turns into long sandy beaches. Particularly interesting is the town of Puerto de Mazarrón, which still keeps up his atmosphere of a fishermen town unspoilt by time.
In nearly every town and village is market day once a week. Here the farmers of the area offer their sun-ripe and freshly picked fruits. A big and very economical selection of citrus fruits, vegetables and all sorts of nuts can be found.
Following a short selection of the weekly street markets:
- Monday: Dénia, Elche, Santa Pola, San Pedro del Pinatar
- Tuesday: Altea, Benijófar, Los Alcáceres, Orihuela
- Wednesday: Benidorm, Cartagena, Guardamar, La Mata, Ondara, San Miguel de Salinas
- Thursday: Alicante, Gran Alacant, Jávea, Lo Pagán, Rojales, San Fulgencio (Urb. La Marina)
- Friday: Crevillente, Dénia, Moraira, Orihuela, Torrevieja, Pilar de la Horadada
- Saturday: Alicante, Almoradí, Gandía, Mazarrón, Orihuela Costa, Santa Pola, Torre Pacheco
- Sunday: Benidorm, Los Montesinos, Puerto de Mazarrón, San Fulgencio (Urb. La Marina)
The whole region is well known for its abundance of fish. Lovers of fish get their money’s worth from Denia over Alicante and the Mar Menor to the bay of Mazarrón. The extensive offer of seafood, shrimps, king prawns, squid, perch, hake, sole and tuna makes your heart swell. In the covered market and well-stocked supermarkets you can find a good selection of freshly caught fish.
For families who would like to transfer their principal residence to the Costa Blanca, it should be mentioned briefly that there are some international private schools where the children are taught in multiple languages.
