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Alicante, situated on a bay between two capes on the east coast of Spain, is the centre of the popular Costa Blanca holiday resort region. The city has a distinct African flavour with women clad in caftans and hawkers selling African carvings along the waterfront and esplanades. Alicante’s historical central district, though, is filled with Baroque buildings, bearing testimony to the city’s past when it was a major seaport. The main thoroughfare of the city is the Rambla, lined with palm trees, outdoor cafes and ice-cream parlours serving the unusual local drink, horchata, made with almonds. There are shops aplenty, parks and gardens, marble paved plazas and the broad Explanada d’Espanya encircling the yacht harbour with its mosaic promenade. Visitors come to Alicante mainly for the beaches, particularly San Juan which sports villas, hotels and restaurants. The city has an international airport that makes it the gateway to the nearby package tour resorts such as Benidorm and Torrevieja, and ensures that the city is crowded with tourists all year round. Alicante’s energy reaches a peak during the last week of June each year when visitors and locals alike throw themselves into celebrating the unrivalled fiesta of Saint Joan.

Away from the madding crowds of Benidorm, the peaceful town of Altea offers plenty of amenities for those who prefer a less frenetic beach holiday, without the glitz, glamour and gusto. Of all the towns on the Costa Blanca, Altea is probably the one that remains...
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Rows of shops selling beach buckets and flip-flops line the sea front of Benidorm, the Costa Blanca's largest and liveliest resort town where hordes of tourists throng the streets 24 hours a day. Of the thousands who come to holiday here on the town's three miles...
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Reflecting the tranquil ambience of Valencia coupled with the sun and fun atmosphere of Spain's popular Costa Blanca holiday coast, Javea is a pretty resort town set between the capes of San Antonio and La Nao, about 50 miles (80km) north-east of Alicante. Fronted...
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Nestled in a pretty bay on the south-east coast of Spain, the small resort town of Moraira is an oasis of traditional charm on the busy Costa Blanca, a favoured holiday spot and retirement haven. Moraira has grown from a small fishing village into an attractive...
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