The white stuff

Named after its pale limestone cliffs and white sand beaches, Spain's Costa Blanca -white coast- makes the perfect holiday destination reckons John Kerswill

White sand beaches, bright blue skies, the sparkling Mediterranean... if that was all the Costa Blanca had to offer, it would be enough for most people. But in fact there’s plenty more to attract sun-starved Brits.

This central part of Spain’s east coast has a long history of attracting visitors. First the Romans came from the east, then the Moors from the south; now it’s holidaymakers and migrants from Europe’s chilly north who are invading this desirable coast.

But maybe you think the Costa Blanca is all high-rise hotels, pizza parlours and karaoke bars? Far from it. Although it was Benidorm that set the early pace – today’s enormous collection of package hotels grew from a tiny fishing village in the 1950s, popular with artists and poets – it has never been typical of the Costa Blanca. Up and down the coast, towns and villages have grown at a more dignified pace through the addition of hundreds of low-rise villas as well as commercial and community buildings.

The great thing about this process of organic growth is that it has left the character and appearance of most town centres more or less intact. Places like Denia, Javea, Moraira and Altea, to the north of Benidorm, all have their own strong character. And even towns like Calpe that have sprouted high-rise apartment blocks still have an historic old town and clear individual identity.

If you’re looking for a traditional villa, the northern Costa Blanca is where you’ll find the best choice – not just in and around the towns, but throughout the coastal belt and well inland, where the countryside offers a vast choice of villa and country house locations, from the towns and villages of the fertile Jalón valley to isolated hilltop villages. You won’t find throbbing night-life and marauding teenagers in these family-friendly locations, much to the relief of most villa-renters.

A lot of the most recent development is to the south of Alicante, centred on Torrevieja. There’s a lot of great value accommodation there, and a livelier atmosphere, with the added bonus of very easy access from Alicante airport. But with good motorways, even Denia – the furthest north of the main Costa Blanca resorts – is not much more than an hour’s drive from Alicante. And the further north you go, the closer you are to Valencia airport, which in the last couple of years has gained low cost flight connections with several British airports.

The vast range of flights to the Costa Blanca, coupled with some of the lowest cost car hire in Europe (especially outside the main summer season), makes it a convenient and inexpensive holiday destination. And while you can still find plenty of traditional Spanish culture and cuisine, the recent influx of settlers from all over Europe and the world provides a dizzying choice of new experiences, especially if you enjoy eating out.