Valencia Fallas 2012 Effigy of Elvis Presley

Valencia Fallas 2012 – On Monday we took a coach trip to see the final evening of the Fallas celebrations in Valencia. We picked up in various places along the way ending in Gran Alacant which was the final pick-up. We then headed along the Costa Blanca coast passing the airport and going up the A31 past many of the old historic towns with castles such as Novelda, Sax, Petrer and Villena, then cutting through to the Font de la Figuera (Spring of the Fig Picker), and picking up the A35 past Moixent, Montesa, L’Alcudia de Crispins and Xativa before reaching Valencia, for us a journey of 4 hours (we got on at Cabo Roig).

While there are many different celebrations in the Fallas, the star of the show is the building of giant effigies which are burnt on the final night together with a massive firework display. Some of the effigies are huge (up to 20 metres high) and make fun of famous people mostly Spanish, though one of the best this year featured Elvis Presley with a number of other famous pop stars such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Freddie Mercury etc. I must say the giants are amazing an it seems a shame to burn them though they do hand out some smaller sections of the figures to local children.

There was some concern over the weather on the day as rain was expected and in the event the celebrations went on in fine weather (though a bit chilly) and it actually started to rain as we got back on the coach for the journey home (and on through the night, some 6 inches of rain in all!).

We really enjoyed the whole event and the burnings are amazing, if rather smelly and dangerous, with burning pices of polystyrene flying everywhere, the fireworks were excellent, the display of flowers was amazing.

Valencia Map.

La Mata Map.

Entrance to Ciudad Quesada

Ciudad Quesada Spain – A unique and interesting place located inland of Torrevieja, on the Costa Blanca, Spain is the new city of Ciudad Quesada, built since the 1970’s and the product of a dream by a man named Justo Quesada Samper. As a child this extraordinary man dreamt of a city where people could live together in peace and harmony and enjoy life to the full, with everything to hand and available. As the city started to grow it developed around the holiday home plan and many International citizens began buying properties in the city making it a truly Cosmopolitan area. Now the city of Quesada (as it is more commonly known) is fully complete and has its own Town Hall, medical centre, shops, bars, restaurants, social club, eighteen hole golf course and aqua water park, plus much more. Mostly built upon a hillside, Ciudad Quesada offers some spectacular views over Rojales, the nearby salt lakes and on to the azure blue Mediterranean Sea. Quesada benefits from sunny weather all year round, so has became a popular holiday resort, with hundreds of detached villas with pools available for rent. You can reach Ciudad Quesada using the CV-905 from Torrevieja or the handy AP-7 motorway which connects the city with both Murcia and Alicante airports.

Ciudad Quesada Map.

El Pinar de Campoverde

Campoverde Spain – An attractive little village located inland of Pilar de la Horadada on the Costa Blanca, El Pinar de Campoverde (normally just referred to as “Campoverde”) has mostly developed due to the demand for holiday homes in the sun. Campoverde is especially renowned for its detached villas many of which stand on good sized plots and despite their inland position, still have sea views due to their being build on a hillside. This sizeable development of villas attracted the building of a new golf course for the area, and this has now taken shape in the form of the Lo Romero golf course, fast becoming one of the most popular courses in the area. Due to its inland position the villas of Campoverde were generally a little more affordable than similar properties built on the coast, this and its situation close to golf have added to its attractiveness. While inland, Campoverde is still within easy reach of the beaches of the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida, with also plenty of other golf courses nearby.

Campoverde Map.

Orihuela Costa Coastline Near Playa Flamenca

Orihuela Costa Resorts Cabo Roig and Playa Flamenca – There are many of you who probably never have heard of the Orihuela Costa, while there are other who take their holidays there every year. For those of you who don’t know where it is, I will explain. In the southern area of the Costa Blanca region, within the province of Alicante, the Orihuela Costa is a section of coast which belongs to the inland town of Orihuela (as is the habit in Spain of providing inland towns with a section of coast that they administer). Now this developed later than other better known areas of the Costa Blanca, such as Benidorm, which started much earlier, in fact the Orihuela Costa has mostly developed over the last 20 years or so, Playa Flamenca was begun in the early 1970’s by Dutch property developers, and is a recent resort with little history. On the reverse of this, Cabo Roig has some history, and its ancient watchtower displays evidence of this in the most powerful way, as it has existed for many centuries, in fact way back when pirates sailed these seas. Both resorts have become popular as holiday home locations and many Brits and Irish have settled permanently there (together with Germans and Scandinavians among others). I will be writing more about these resorts shortly.

The Imperial Palm - Huerto del Cura Elche

Elche Huerto del Cura: One of my favourite places to visit in the Costa Blanca city of Elche, is the Hurto del Cura or Priest’s Garden, this hidden gem is especially attractive on a hot summers day as the hundreds of palm trees there provide some welcome shade from the scorching sun.

Surrounded by busy city streets, this is a strangely tranquil place, the stone walls encircling it, blocking out much of the city noise. Inside you will find hundreds of species of palm trees of varying sizes, culminating in the huge eight armed Imperial Palm, the pride of the garden, which is some 170 years old and is supported by metal straps which prevent it from collapsing under its huge eight tons of weight. Pretty little lily padded ponds trickle with water and an amazing cactus garden with some immense specimens adds to the pleasure.

Pop into the little shop an you can purchase your own date palm to take home, maybe one day you will get some dates of your own, in the mean time purchase some dates which have been cultivated on-site, delicious. From the Huerto del Cura you can easily walk to many of the other attractions of Elche, so it is a great place to break up a days visit, cool down and chill out for a while, before continuing your visit. This fine garden of course celebrates the history of the palm tree in Elche, and surrounding the city you will certainly not miss the huge palm forest which dates back to the times of the ancient Phoenicians who settled here over two thousand years ago.

San Fulgencio Church

San Fulgencio Costa Blanca – One of the traditional village of the Vega Baja district of the Costa Blanca, San Fulgencio began life during the early 18th century when it was built on reclaimed land, taken from the marshes of the River Segura.

Surviving on agriculture since these early times, it has become popular as a tourist destination with many holiday homes being built nearby on the ever growing La Marina urbanization.

The village centre still has the look of the typical Spanish village of the region, with a tree shaded village square bounded by its town hall and parochial church. The village square is the centre of life in the village, and the village elders gather there to chat about what’s going on in the village and the world in general.

While San Fulgencio is an inland village, it is quite close to local beaches such as Guardamar del Segura and La Marina, and attracts tourist who want a bit of peace and quiet while still being able to access the busy beach areas.

La Marina Beach

La Marina Beach – One of the finest beaches to be found on the Costa Blanca coastline of Spain, the beach at La Marina is long, wide and sandy, it attracts visitors from all over the region, and even though plenty of people visit all year round, you can always find a space to plonk your towel even in the summer months. The beach at La Marina is a little way from the town and is signposted from the road which runs through the old town (not the newer urbanizations which are some distance away). The beach can get pretty windy, as is typical of this part of the coast, and in windy weather you will often find kitesurfers performing skilful feats off the beach. Kite flyers also get good conditions and can often be seen there. If you are staying in the area and in a self-catering rental property, you will most likely be in the newer urbanization of La Marina, so to reach the beach you will need a car. Don’t let this put you off though, as a visit to La Marina beach is well worth the effort.

Los Montesinos Town Square

Los Montesinos Spain – Another of the popular towns of the southern Costa Blanca, Los Montesinos is not actually on the coast, but slightly inland to the north of Torrevieja’s famous salt lake, where huge quantities of salt have been produced for centuries. A desirable spot for the purchase of holiday homes and even for relocating, Los Montesinos has attracted a large number of International residents, who mix nicely with the traditional Spanish inhabitants. A number of large urbanizations have sprung up around Los Montesinos in the last twenty years or so, and this has given the town a more contemporary feel. The main attraction for Brits and other Northern Europeans, is of course the sunny weather, which stays fine even when Britain is gripped by winter. The appeal is obvious to all who visit and it is not surprising that many have chosen to make Los Montesinos their home.

Map of Los Montesinos.

Torre de la Horadada Marina and Tower

Torre de la Horadada Spain: Perhaps one of the lesser known of the Costa Blanca’s seaside resorts, Torre de la Horadada is also one of the prettiest of the southern resorts, with attractive coastline and seafront walks, a charismatic watch tower dating from the time when pirates sailed these seas, numerous sandy beaches, sunny weather and a delightful marina with plenty of mooring space.

Despite the age of its tower, Torre de la Horadada has mostly developed during recent times, with the demand for coastal holiday homes growing and it really acts as the coastal arm of nearby Pilar de la Horadada, which as a town, falls a little short of the coast.

Very close to the border of Alicante and Murcia, Torre de la Horadada together with Pilar de la Horadada and El Mojon is one of the Costa Blanca’s southernmost resorts, head any further south and you will find yourself on the Costa Calida and the resorts of the Mar Menor, a little further and you will reach the city of Cartagena with its ancient Roman and Carthaginian ruins.

So if you are visiting the southern Costa Blanca region, don’t miss out on the charming little resort of Torre de la Horadada.

Mil Palmeras Beach

Mil Palmeras Beach – One of the best beaches along the Orihuela Costa coastline, Mil Palmeras beach has nice sand and is lapped by the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Popular with visitors to Mil Palmeras itself but also to those staying in neighbouring areas, it is easily accessible from the N-332 coast road between Dehesa de Campoamor and Pilar de la Horadada, follow signs for Riomar.

A popular spot for beach parties and barbeques, the beach at Mil Palmeras has plenty of room for visitors, with most choosing to set up right beside the sea.

The ideal place to head when the weather is sunny (which it normally is here) Mil Palmeras beach should be on the top of your best beaches list when holidaying in this area.

Mil Palmeras Map.