SpainPropertyGuide-Issue6-Autumn-2021

an area where the main focus is on those fabulous sandy
bays, the Mediterranean Sea and its glorious blue skies.
North of Alicante, the coastal resorts dotting their way
up to the wonderfully pretty town of Villajoyosa – an apt
name if ever there was one – mark a change.
Here the shoreline grows a little more varied, with cliff
forming charming little coves and more green vegetation
in the form of pine groves adding to the cream and blue
tones that have so far dominated the Costa Blanca.
Villajoyosa adds to this array with its brightly coloured
houses, making it one of the most attractive towns in all
of Spain. It also marks the imaginary boundary between
the northern and southern parts of the Costa del Sol, for
next is Benidorm – the region’s largest tourist resort town –
and now cliffs, mountain ranges, pine forests and coves
begin to dominate the landscape.
TOWNS AND RESORTS
If the southern part of the Costa Blanca is all about a
succession of classic holiday resorts such as El Mojon,
Torre de la Horadada, Dehesa de Campoamor, Cabo
Roig, La Zenia, Torrevieja, Guardamar del Segura, Santa
Pola, Arenals del Sol, Alicante itself and also the likes of
El Campello, then the north has a somewhat different
feel. Sure, Benidorm and even Calpe are classic tourist
towns, but with a change in the physical scenery – Calpe
is dominated by a spectacular Gibraltar-like rock that juts
out into the sky – comes a gradual change in ambience
too. By the time you get to Les Bassetes, Moraira, Jávea
and Dénia, you could think you’ve landed in nearby
Mallorca.
It is a dramatic shoreline of rocky cliffs plunging into clear
blue waters and creating intimate little coves, such as
the famous one at Platja de la Granadella. It is a world
of colours and sensations; aquamarine water, the deep
green of endless pine forests and those blue skies, with
the sound of waves, seagulls and the distant murmur of
people blurred by the bell-like acoustic qualities of the
sea. This is Mediterranean paradise personified, and not
surprisingly the area has a more exclusive look and feel
that is reminiscent of the Balearic Islands and the Costa
del Sol – complete with elegant marinas, spa resort hotels,
golf courses and luxurious residential areas.
These extend inland beyond rustic towns such as Ondara
and Pedreguer, situated in orchard valleys surrounded
by mountain ranges, nature reserves and views of the
sea. The pull to own a property and live here is almost
as strong as it is in places such as Jávea and Dénia,
though larger inland towns such as Benissa, Alcoi and
in the southern Costa Blanca Crevillent and Orihuela
are also popular among foreign property buyers and
visitors. Not surprisingly, all these various north/south and
coastal/inland areas have developed their
own real estate markets, each with its own set
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