Costa Blanca

Beach life is the reason most people come, and the coast offers a lot of choice. Benidorm's Levante and Poniente are long, gently shelving sandy bays, the most dependable family beaches on the coast. Further south, San Juan near Alicante and the dune-backed strands of Guardamar run for kilometres. To the north the shore breaks up into coves: Granadella and Portitxol near Jávea, and the pebble shore at Altea, have clearer water and less sand.

The sea is warm enough to swim from June to October, reaching about 26°C in August, and many locals keep swimming through the autumn. July and August bring crowded towels on the main beaches. The rocky northern coves are better for snorkelling than for small children.

This is rice country. Arroz a banda, black rice, arroz al horno and the egg-crusted arroz con costra of Elche are the dishes to seek out, best eaten at lunch in a family restaurant facing the sea. Dénia is the coast's food town, known for its red prawns, and Alicante has a good tapas scene around its covered Mercado Central and the streets of the old town. Xixona, inland, is the home of turrón, and the province makes its own wines, including the old sweet Fondillón.

The weak spot is the resort strip. Much of Benidorm and Torrevieja serves full breakfasts and international menus aimed at visitors, so eating well here means choosing the town and the street with care.

Heritage here comes in pleasant pieces rather than one great centre. Alicante has the Castle of Santa Barbara on its rock above the harbour, the old Santa Cruz quarter and the MARQ, a strong archaeological museum. Elche has the Palmeral, a UNESCO-listed grove of date palms laid out in Moorish times, and the Basilica of Santa Maria. Altea's white hilltop old town, Dénia's castle and the clifftop village and castle of Guadalest are the coast's most photographed corners.

It adds up to a few good days of sightseeing, not a reason to come. Benidorm's skyline is a sight of a sort, and the summer festivals, Alicante's Hogueras and the Moors and Christians parades of Alcoy and the coastal towns, show the region's traditions at full strength.

Benidorm is one of the Mediterranean's big party resorts. Its old town lanes and the Rincón de Loix strip run late all summer with British and Dutch bars, drag and cabaret shows, karaoke and clubs that open after midnight, and the scene never fully shuts down in winter. It is loud, cheerful and unpretentious rather than stylish.

For a more Spanish night, Alicante's El Barrio, the old quarter under the castle, fills with terraces and small bars that get going late, with beach clubs along the seafront in summer. The smaller northern towns such as Altea, Jávea and Moraira are about long dinners and a drink on the promenade, and are quiet by the early hours.

The northern half of the coast is dramatic. Limestone mountains run straight down to the sea: the Peñón de Ifach rises from the water at Calpe, Montgó looms over Jávea and Dénia, and the Serra Gelada forms sea cliffs between Benidorm and Altea. Inland, the Bernia ridge, Puig Campana and the Aitana range, above 1,500m, give real hiking, and the crags around Sella and Guadalest are known to rock climbers across Europe.

The sea adds diving and kayaking around the Cabo de San Antonio and Cabo de la Nao reserves. The flatter south has salt lakes at Torrevieja and Santa Pola where flamingos feed. Walking and climbing are best from October to May; summer is too hot for most trails.

The outing most visitors make is to Valencia, with its Gothic cathedral and silk exchange, its central market and the white sweep of the City of Arts and Sciences. It is closest from the northern towns, a little over an hour by road from Dénia, and nearer two from Benidorm, while from Alicante a direct train takes under two hours. Also on the northern side, Gandia's ducal palace of the Borgia family is half an hour from Dénia, and Xàtiva, with its castle along a ridge above the town, is about an hour inland.

From Alicante, the train runs to Villena and its well-kept fortress in well under an hour, and Alcoy, with its modernista buildings and high bridges over a gorge, is an hour into the hills. Boats from Alicante and Santa Pola cross to Tabarca, a walled fishing village on a small island. The southern resorts around Torrevieja are best placed for Murcia, with its cathedral and casino, under an hour away, and for Cartagena, an old naval port with a Roman theatre, about an hour south.

Benidorm and the stretch around it are built for family vacations. The beaches shelve gently into calm water, apartments and pool hotels are everywhere, and the hinterland holds a theme park, water parks, an animal park and a marine park, all a short drive or bus ride away. The natural pools and waterfalls of the Fonts de l'Algar, near Callosa, are a favourite cool-off in summer.

Spanish life suits children: they stay up late on promenades, are welcome in restaurants and play in the squares until the evening cools. The northern coves and cliff villages are harder with toddlers, and midday heat in July and August means planning days around the pool and the beach.

Alicante's airport sits at the southern end and the main resorts are within an hour by road. The coastal TRAM runs north from Alicante through Benidorm and Altea towards Dénia, a slow but scenic way to move between towns, and buses link the larger resorts. Within Alicante and Benidorm, most things are walkable.

Beyond the main towns a car makes life far easier. The coves near Jávea, the mountain villages and the theme parks are awkward by bus, the motorway and coastal road are good, and summer brings heavy traffic and scarce parking in the popular coves.

Shopping is practical rather than a draw. Alicante has the main high streets, a large Spanish department store and the covered Mercado Central, and Elche is the centre of Spain's shoe industry, with factory outlets on its outskirts. Turrón from Xixona, local wines and Elche's palm crafts make the best things to take home.

The resorts lean to beachwear, souvenirs and supermarkets, and the weekly street markets in towns such as Jávea, Altea and Benidorm, with their stalls of leather, ceramics and produce, are part of the routine of a stay. Altea's old town has a few art and craft studios.

The coast offers a lot of choice on price. Benidorm and the southern resorts around Torrevieja are among the more affordable beach destinations in Western Europe, with a huge stock of apartments and package hotels, set lunch menus and inexpensive drinks. Alicante itself is moderately priced for a Spanish city.

The northern towns are another matter. Jávea, Moraira and Altea attract villa owners and wealthier visitors, and rooms and restaurants cost noticeably more. In July and August rates climb everywhere, while spring and autumn bring good weather at lower prices.

Alicante holds most of the formal programme: the Teatro Principal stages touring theatre, musicals and dance, and the ADDA auditorium has a regular season of orchestral concerts. Elche performs the Misteri d'Elx each August in its basilica, a sung medieval mystery play recognised by UNESCO, and the town bands that accompany every local festival give the region a strong amateur music tradition.

Beyond that, the live offer in the resorts is entertainment: cabaret, tribute acts and dinner shows in Benidorm, and summer open-air concerts in the coastal towns. There is no established jazz or classical scene to plan a trip around.

There is no bathing tradition here, and wellness is mostly a matter of hotel spas, a few Arab-style bath houses in Alicante and some well-known destination health retreats in the hills around Altea. Massage and treatment centres serve the many long-stay visitors.

The pace is the stronger offer. Outside the summer peak, the northern coast around Altea, Jávea and Moraira is calm, with long lunches, promenade walks and a mild winter that draws many people for months at a time. Benidorm and the busier southern resorts are not the place for quiet.