Exploring España: El Campello

I didn't discover the joys of TRAM Metropolità d'Alacant (the Alicante tram) until near the end of my holiday. But having discovered it, I put it to good use, travelling up and down the Costa Blanca (White Coast) for minimal money.

A 20-minute tram ride north of Alicante lies El Campello, a coastal town boasting a busy fish market, a marina and a 16th century watchtower that acted as a lookout for Berber pirates. The town is known for its beautiful Blue Flag recognised beaches, among them Platja Carrer La Mar, which is 1,850 m (6069 ft) long.

Platja Carrer La Mar

A perfect expanse of beach

Same beach, slightly different view

 

Walking towards the marina

The marina with a 16th century watchtower in the background

I spent a happy couple of hours just walking along the beach, taking photos and picking up shells and pebbles. Having seen what there was to see beach-wise, I walked along the promenade towards the marina and La Illeta, a watchtower built between 1554 and 1557, and restored to its former glory in 1991.

Exploring España: Villajoyosa

Sometimes all it takes to make you want to visit a place is a single photo. That was the case with Villajoyosa (Vila Joiosa in Valenciano), a beautiful coastal town on the Costa Blanca (White Coast).

Situated some 32 km (19 miles) north of Alicante, Villajoyosa, which means 'Joyful Town', is famous for two things – its chocolate industry and its tourism. The former is due to its THREE chocolate factories, while the latter is down to its three kilometres of beaches and its lovely ocean-facing promenade lined with colourful houses.

'Joyful Town' living up to its name

Another view of the promenade

Platja Central (Central Beach)

 

The view to the left...

...and to the right

 

Palm trees providing some much-needed shade

Having taken in the promenade and the long, sandy and surprisingly uncrowded beach, I ducked down one of the narrow streets to see what else the town had to offer. I was pleased to discover that the bright colours extended to the back streets and, like the beachfront buildings, houses were painted in vibrant blues and oranges and purples...

 

An ornate door

One-eyed, bushy-tailed cat walking down a colourful street

Typical street

Looking uphill

With the chocolate factories sadly closed (damn holy day!), I found myself being pulled back to the promenade with its colourful buildings. No matter how many photos I took, I couldn't quite seem to capture the essence of the promenade. Nonetheless, I had fun trying.

Red and yellow and pink and green...

...I can see a rainbow

 

Rolling sea

Perhaps it was the sun, perhaps it was the colour, or maybe it was a little of both, but whatever the case, Villajoyosa really lived up to its name of 'Joyful Town'. Just being there made me happy, and that was without setting foot in even one of chocolate factories! Just imagine if I had, I'd have been on cloud nine...

Exploring España: Altea

Following the previous day's disappointing trips, I was in desperate need of a trip to somewhere that would erase the memories and make me forget that I should have been in Tunisia. So when I came across Altea, I was sold. If just looking at photos could make me happy, imagine what actually being there would do?!

Around 60 km (37 miles) north of Alicante lies the charming coastal town of Altea. Situated on a steep hillside overlooking the Bay of Altea, this gorgeous town is a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets lined with whitewashed houses. As well as taking you to the beautiful blue-domed church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo (Our Lady of Solace), climbing to the top of the hill gives you spectacular views across the Bay of Altea with its mountainous backdrop...

The entrance to the old town

Typical street



Going uphill...

...then looking back down

Sea views



Looking across the rooftops



Whitewashed houses against a backdrop of blue

Blue domes of the church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo (Our Lady of Solace)

 

Another narrow cobbled street

Chairs, perhaps for decoration, perhaps for actual use

Could this place get any prettier?

Another gorgeous street

My favourite view



Looking back up the steps I'd just descended

Turquoise sea from the promenade

One last longing look...

Of all the places I've seen in Spain, Altea is definitely one of the prettiest. Despite being increasingly popular with tourists, the town has managed to retain its charm and character. From the blue-domed church to whitewashed houses to the turquoise sea, there was nothing I didn't love. I'd go back in an instant.

Exploring España: Santa Pola

Located just 20 km (12 miles) south of Alicante, Santa Pola is a picturesque coastal fishing town that's home to long, sandy beaches and crystalline waters. The photos I'd seen looked gorgeous. It was exactly what I needed after the disappointment of Elche.

Thirty minutes after I'd left Elche, I arrived in Santa Pola. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea where in Santa Pola I was. I got off the bus and looked around. Flats as far as the eye could see. Luckily, some people knew where they were going so I followed them at a discreet distance and thus I came to Playa de Levante.


Grabbing the shade offered by the two palm trees

 

Sun-loungers and beach umbrellas

Beautiful despite the buildings



Taking in the views



Perfect sea

 

 

People fishing despite the sign: "Fishing permitted evening only during Semana Santa"

 

One last look

I enjoyed walking along the near-deserted beach and taking in the views, but as the temperature reached 26°C (79°F), I had to conclude that I was done. It was far too hot to walk along a shadeless beach, proof of which came later in the form of some VERY sunburned feet. Ouch.

Exploring España: Elche

Of all the places I was planning on seeing around Alicante, Elche with its UNESCO World Heritage Site of El Palmeral (the Palm Grove) was the one I was most excited about. And, unsurprisingly, it's the one I was most disappointed by.

I blame Apple. You see, I couldn't find the bus station in Alicante, and Apple's crappy map app is apparently years out-of-date and insisted on directing me to the long-closed old station. When I manually entered the address for the new one, it claimed not to be able to find it. Thanks a bunch, CRAPple! Through guesswork, I eventually located the bus station, where I bought a one-way ticket to Elche. Let the sightseeing commence.

Or not. My bus station woes were far from over. Once in Elche, the distinct lack of signage meant that I had no idea which direction would lead me into town and with temperatures hitting the 26°C (79°F) mark, I was reluctant to risk walking in the wrong direction! I paced up and down outside the station looking for clues. Or divine intervention. Twenty hot-and-bothered minutes later and I'd figured it out.

I soon came across Parque Municipal, home to some of the date palms. As much as I appreciated the shade, I was frustrated that the amazing views I'd seen on the internet of El Palmeral were still eluding me. Perhaps I was in the wrong place?

Finally, some palms

Shaded walkway

Lush, green palms

The dovecote

One of the more unusual trees

Having concluded that the palm grove must be elsewhere, I left the park and went for a wander around town. I didn't get far. It was just too damn hot to go exploring and everything, by which I mean the church, was closed.

 

Some kind of fortress thing

Dove having a bath in the fountain

Tired, hot and grumpy, I dived into the conveniently-located Lizarran and treated myself to a Coke and some tapas. Then, I dragged myself the two minutes back to the park and made the most of the shade.

Green and (mostly) shady

After a while, I decided to simply cut my losses and head to my next destination – Santa Pola. So I went back to the station and bought a one-way ticket. The bus turned right and headed down the street I'd been contemplating walking down. And there, a stone's throw from where I'd been, were the very palm groves I'd been looking for. FML.

Exploring España: Alicante

If I'm honest, Alicante was never on my list of places to go, but having to cancel my Tunisia holiday at short notice left me with few options. Before I knew it, I'd booked a reasonably-priced flight and a rather less reasonably-priced hotel. Time to see what this Brit favourite had to offer...

Alicante has been inhabited for over 7,000 years, initially by hunter-gatherers who made their homes on the slopes of Mount Benacantil between 5,000 and 3,000 BC, and later by Greek and Phoenician traders who brought with them the alphabet, iron and the pottery wheel.

In the third century BC, the armies of Carthage and Rome began to fight for the Iberian peninsula. Carthage won out, establishing the fortified city of Akra Leuka (meaning White Mountain) on the spot where Alicante stands today. Their success, though, was short-lived, and Akra Leuka, Lucentum in Latin, fell to the Romans. By the fifth century AD, with Rome in decline, Lucentum was conquered by the Visigoths. Three centuries later, Lucentum was conquered by the Moors who called the city Medina Laqant, or al-Laqant, the origin of its present-day name.

For the next five centuries, the Moors rules al-Laqant, and their legacy lives on to this day in the form of Castillo de Santa Bárbara, the ninth century fortress sitting atop Mount Benacantil. The castle's name dates from 1248 and commemorates the day of Saint Barbara when Alfonso X, King of Castilla y León and Galicia (r. 1252-1284), drove the Moors out of Alicante in the name of Christendom.

Mount Bencantil overlooking the beach

The rock formation known as La Cara del Moro (the Moor's face)

I landed in Alicante at around 08:30, and was in the city centre by 09:30 where I was greeted by the sun and an empty beach. First things first – some breakfast at a beach-side café.

Good advice from my tea

 

 

The surprisingly empty Playa de Postiguet

Same beach, different view

 

Refreshed, I went to my hotel. It was far too early to check in, but I figured I'd be able to at least dump my case. Turns out, they had a room available. I checked in, found my room and changed my jeans for a skirt and my boots for flip-flops. Let the sightseeing commence.

I hadn't done a whole lot of research into Alicante so I decided to just start with the obvious – the castle. My lack of research meant that I had no idea how to get up there and thus I found myself scrambling up the side via the tiered garden known as Parque de la Ereta. Word to the wise: climbing 166 m (544 ft) in 31°C (88°F) heat is a bad idea. But somehow I made it. The views were spectacular.

Appreciating the shade in Parque de la Ereta

The view from the park

Flowers that appealed to me

Trees at the foot of the castle

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally reached the top (yay!) and found the entrance to the castle. The complex was huge and with temperatures continuing to rise, exploring it was tough going. The views were worth the pain; not sure about the sunburn though.

Inside the castle complex

View of the beach and the marina

Metal archer

Another view of the marina

The view to the other side

Aim and fire...

Not keen to attempt the long walk downhill, I opted for the lift I'd just found. Within minutes I was back on the ground, a stone's throw from the beach. Hungry now, I headed for La Explanada de España, which is home to a number of restaurants and cafés.

Designed in 1867 by the architect José Guardiola Picó (1836-1909), La Explanada is an elegant, palm-tree-lined boulevard comprising 6.6 million black, cream and red marble tiles depicting the waves of the Mediterranean.


The gorgeous Explanada de España

I somehow managed to drag myself away from La Explanada long enough to get some food. Nonetheless, it was a place I would visit again and again during my five-day stay in the city.

La Explanada by night

While much of my holiday was spent taking day-trips to nearby towns, I actually enjoyed my time in Alicante. Though far from the exotic trip I had had planned, my fears of it being little more than a haunt for sun-seeking British chavs were unfounded. Instead, I found it to be a pleasant, walkable city with a relaxed atmosphere. Tunisia it may not have been, but I definitely don't regret going.