A beautiful town on the North Costa Blanca situated just several kilometers from Benidorm. I spent…read morea couple of hours in Altea recently, and I loved it! Altea's seafront esplanade is planted with palm trees and offers a great view to the mountain of Cabo Estufador, the symbol of the town. There's a long bike lane running along the beach. You won't be able to ride fast though, it's quite busy in summer. There are many seafront cafes, some of them with live music (Example: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-t-haventje-altea). Find full bands here: drums, base guitar and guitar(s). Unlike in some other cities on the Costas, you find them without searching in Altea! Altea is hilly, you can drive up a hill and enjoy the views if the city, the sea and the mountains. This is the point from which I took the pictures: Calle Navarro Ramón, 23 https://goo.gl/maps/EzG3a4oE9hv I'm sure there are hundreds of other places. The main sight of the town church of La Mare de Déu del Consol ("Our Lady of Solace"): http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-mare-de-d%C3%A9u-del-consol-altea (someone add pics and reviews!). Beware of heavy traffic in August. Locals told me you can get stuck for an hour or two just to drive trough the city. There's a Spanish car named after the city - SEAT Altea (sold well until the model retired in 2015). Overall a nice town, worth visiting if you are in the Costa Blanca area! I wish I had more time to explore it. P.S. Check out this 3 minutes video about Altea by spain-holiday .com: https://youtu.be/vdo-sEt_DPQ

Short version: Waterfall, hot springs, and a surprise stop at a hydroelectric dam. Fun!…read more Long version: The waterfall was very pretty and just what the wife was looking to see. The river with the hot spring was also really nice, though it might have been more accurate to call it a "lukewarm spring" since the water coming out of it was actually cooler than the river on a hot Valencia summer day. Lunch was delicious. The hydroelectric dam was cool - periodically they let off a big burst of water to relieve pressure the result is a lot of rainbows. It started raining on the walk back from that and we were very glad to get back to the bus. As for Mike the tour guide, he's a good dude - funny, friendly, and didn't give us grief when we were a couple minutes late because of an issue with our hotel. Be aware that you will spend half the day in the car going to and from the locations, but that's to be expected on a tour like this. Overall it was a lot of fun. Highly recomended.

Highly recommend! My 14 year old nephew, 18 year old niece and I went on the Hot Springs tour the…read morelast week of March with Mike. It was so nice to get into nature after touring a few of Spain's big cities. We were joined by 4 other travelers who also seemed to have a great time. Before we got to the springs, we went to various locations that offered stunning views of valleys, a romantic "lovers leap" pond, and a totally cool dam that was spouting vast amounts of water. Lots of opportunities for teenage kids to run up and down mountains and boulder hop - they were in heaven! There was no one but us at any of the stops. It was raining but I'm guessing that even on the most beautiful day, there wouldn't be many people. In addition to the beautiful locations, the customer service was fabulous. They picked us up (we were jet lagged and still sleeping when they arrived, but Mike was totally gracious when we came out!) and dropped us off - no having to find a location in a big city! When we finally made it to the springs, Mike was prepared with wet suits and masks for our dip into the water. He even had umbrellas for us. Mike was hilarious and knowledgable, obviously a nature guy who enjoys sharing his special spots. When in Valencia, Do!Valencia - you won't regret it.

Rocio del Mar is the beach and the area around Avenida las Olas in Punta Prima. Technically part of…read morethe municipality of Orihuela. Popular place all year round, although the swimming season starts end of May and ends middle October. Charming seafront promenade with some cafes, like this one: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sunrise-punta-prima There's a newly built seafront apartment complex with many apartments available for short time rentals - Sea Senses. More expensive than average but the location and the views are really great. Nautilus restaurant is one of the most reviewed businesses on Yelp in this area (I never visited): https://www.yelp.com/biz/nautilus-torrevieja-4 Many other restaurants are within a few minutes walk. Overall - a great area to stay for vacations. Click "view business" to see some pictures.

A small beautiful town located at the feet of the Sierra de Callosa mountains (35 km/22 mi from the…read moreMediterranean coast). Places to visit: - Plaza de España. The main square where San Martín Church and the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) are located. - San Martín Church. Built in 1493. Opens around 5 or 6 pm on weekdays. Absolutely worth visiting. Amazing statures and wall paintings inside. Too bad my battery went off at the moment I entered the church :) https://www.yelp.com/biz/iglesia-de-san-mart%C3%ADn-callosa-de-segura - San Roque Church. A church on a hill with great views to the town, the mountains and the area. 20 minutes walk from Plaza de España and San Martín Church https://www.yelp.com/biz/santuario-de-san-roque-callosa-de-segura - The Sierra de Callosa de Segura mountains. The highest point is Àguila (572 m / 1,877 ft) and you can climb up there. I didn't and I'm not sure how difficult such a climb would be but the photos from there are very impressive. An adventure for later! https://www.yelp.com/biz/sierra-de-callosa-de-segura-callosa-de-segura No serious shopping in town - all locals go to Torrevieja, La Zenia, Murcia etc. There's a train station in Callosa de Segura, you can easily get here by train from Alicante and Murcia. The best time to visit is at sunset when the narrow streets of the hilly town look absolutely fantastic! Sure, Callosa de Segura is one of the unfairly underrated places on the Costa Blanca. The tourism info office was closed in the middle of the high tourist season (because of the lack of tourists?). The city doesn't look abandoned, the central square and the town are clean, all central areas are well kept. It's a mystery how this town was not crowded in August and this is exactly why you should visit! A hidden gem just 20 minutes drive from the crowded coast!

A gorgeous park and walkway all in one…read more Most larger European cities have one. And they are usually one of the places I bookmark to walk and see. Long beautiful paved paths lines with trees and lush gardens. This Explanada did not disappoint. Just a block from the coast of the Mediterranean in the heart of Alicante, you strolled under a canopy of old tall palm trees on a 600 meter marble walkway that mimics the sea waves. Not a good stroll if you have had too much to drink. Passing several small flower gardens and the occasional fountain. The day I was there a small craft market has set up several tents along the walk. Another great experience to enjoy locally made crafts. Here is were I discovered an artist and purchased my watercolor of the town hall. If you veer inland just outside of the Explanada, there are a few cafes to enjoy a snack, coffee or other libation and the view. I highly recommend a stroll here or in any city that has a grand Espanade.

Featured in every guidebook, the Explanada de Espana really is the place to be. It's the focal…read morepoint of Alicante, the gorgeous walkway from one end of the harbour to the other. Locals and tourists alike all enjoy strolling along, dappled with sunlight streaming through the palm fronds. It's a stunning walk even if it is separated from the harbour and its separate walkway by a busy street. Lots of lovely cafés are along the esplanade, with excellent outside seating for a price. Five euro coffees are to be found along here, so beware of the tourist prices at the cafés or bring your own picnic from the Mercado Central down here and enjoy it on one of the many benches. A stroll along here is an essential part of any trip to Alicante!

The Albufera is much larger than I imagined. I think I only got to the northern tip of it. Mostly…read moreto find places with excellent arroces dishes. There is no denying the best rice comes out of this area, but the scenery and the wildlife is also equally amazing. I think next time Im here and it's not dumping buckets, I may just go get a kayak and troll around the central parts.

Most of my four stars are for the best sunset in Spain that you can enjoy here on the jetties. The…read morephotos provide all the info required for the sunsets here. The rest of the national park and beach is pretty bland. We stayed here for 5 nights and 1 was enough. May have been more interesting if the rice fields were in full swing and not just empty fields of mud. Apparently this is where Paella was born!!