Alicante is perhaps best known for its airport and tens of thousands of holiday makers from across Europe will be travelling through the terminus on their way to established resorts such as Benidorm. Most visitors to this region of Spain will visit Alicante twice on arrival and on departure. The region itself has a preconception of sand and sea but looking beyond the obvious and exploring further can reveal some hidden treasures for the more inquisitive traveller.

In short, Alicante is a good base for a more subtle holiday in the Costa Blanca. The attractions of the beaches and coast are a given in this area of Spain, but Alicante avoids the trappings of bright lights and nightlife so personified by its neighbours. Alicante is an upmarket town built around a modernised marina and provides a pleasant base to move around the wider Costa Blanca region an area that has much appeal for the more discerning traveller.

In Alicante itself, the old quarter and beach front rival those of any coastal town or city in Spain. Old and new merge well with sympathetic regeneration of the area appealing to high end travellers looking to avoid the trappings of nearby Benidorm and Denia. Outside of the town itself, the old towns of the Costa Blanca region are a typical Spanish mix of Christian and Moorish architecture personified in the renowned church at Altea one of the most symbolic sights in the region.

Exploring the Costa Blanca can be a rewarding experience and south of Alicante lie Murcia and Valencia a thriving modern city with a strong historic and cultural backbone. Driving in the region is itself an attraction with meandering costal roads spattered with high cliffs and sandy beaches and alcoves. A good way to explore the region is to find car hire in Alicante.

Back in Alicante, the range of hotels, restaurants and bars can be relied upon to while away the evening hours and the boardwalk and marina offer pleasant strolling opportunities and regular on street entertainment. Travelling through the Costa Blanca on your own terms proves to be a world away from the preconception of the region typified by Alicantes noisy and often garish neighbours.