Costa Blanca
Spain’s “white coast” runs more than 200 kilometres down the Alicante province, from the cliffs and coves of Dénia in the north to the salt flats of Pilar de la Horadada in the south. It is one of seventeen Spanish costas — and the one most Northern Europeans know first.
The interactive Costa Blanca map
Every destination we cover is plotted below. Filter by what you actually want — beaches, coves, historic sites, viewpoints, natural parks — and click any pin for the full guide.
North and south are two different coasts
The single most useful thing to know before you book: the Costa Blanca is not one landscape. The line runs roughly through Alicante city.
The north — coves & mountains
From Dénia through Jávea, Moraira, Calpe and Altea, the coast is rocky. Think turquoise pebble coves framed by cliffs, the 753-metre Montgó massif sheltering Jávea in its own microclimate, and calmer, more upscale towns. Sandy beaches exist but are the exception, not the rule — water shoes earn their place in your bag.
The south — sand & salt
From Alicante down through Santa Pola, Guardamar and Torrevieja, the land flattens and the beaches grow long and sandy. This is the coast of dunes, golf resorts and the pink salt lagoon of Torrevieja. Benidorm, with its wall of high-rises, is the high-energy resort exception that proves the rule.
Explore by comarca
The Costa Blanca divides into eight comarcas — administrative districts, each with its own character and its own scoped map.
10 places → Marina BaixaBenidorm, Altea, Villajoyosa, the Guadalest valley
15 places → L’AlacantíAlicante, El Campello and the island of Tabarca
6 places → Baix VinalopóElche’s UNESCO palm grove, Santa Pola, Guardamar
4 places → Vega Baja del SeguraTorrevieja’s pink lake, Orihuela, southern sands
2 places → L’AlcoiàInland mountains around Alcoy
1 place → L’Alt VinalopóVillena and the inland frontier country
1 place → Vinalopó MitjàElda, Novelda — inland, Spain’s shoe country
1 place →
Why the Costa Blanca
The name is younger than it sounds: “Costa Blanca” was coined in the 1950s as a tourism label, and is still little used by locals, who often speak Valencian. What earns the region its reputation is concrete. Elche holds two UNESCO recognitions — the Palmeral, a World Heritage palm grove of more than 200,000 trees, and the Misteri d’Elx, a medieval mystery play performed every August. Tabarca, off Alicante, was declared Spain’s first marine reserve in 1986. And the gateway is genuinely well connected: Alicante–Elche airport handled almost 20 million passengers in 2025, Spain’s fifth-busiest, with the UK its single largest market.
The honest visitor reality
Most of this coast needs a car. The train and tram reach Alicante, Benidorm and a handful of towns, but the coves, the inland villages and the better beaches assume you can drive. The north rewards walkers and cove-hunters; the south rewards beach days and families. Benidorm is loud and proud of it — wonderful if that is what you came for, a shock if it is not. Pick the comarca that matches the trip you actually want, and the map above will do the rest.