Vista de Dénia

La Costa Blanca comprende el tramo del litoral mediterráneo de la provincia de Alicante y es un destino clave para los viajeros que desean disfrutar de un típico paisaje mediterráneo.

La Costa Blanca es sinónimo de playas y calas de ensueño, aunque este maravilloso lugar atesora una gran diversidad de atractivos que fusionan tradición y modernidad.

Si se trata de tu primer viaje, un mapa Michelín puede ser un recurso clave para no perderte ningún detalle importante de las rutas que pasan por Alicante, Dénia, Altea, Calpe, Xàbia o Torrevieja. Estos destinos costeros son ideales la práctica de las actividades náuticas.

Si vas camino al interior, en cualquier guía de carreteras podrás encontrar detalles acerca de los servicios de restauración, alojamientos, posadas y demás información de gran utilidad para el viajero. A lo largo de estas rutas te encontrarás con municipios llenos de encanto como Elx, Orihuela, El Castell de Guadalest o Alcoy, lo cuales conservan un rico patrimonio artístico y cultural.

Son muy especiales sus fiestas populares, y su deliciosa gastronomía mediterránea, elementos que brillan en su máximo esplendor.

Merece la pena recorrer las comarcas vecinas, aunque se necesita algo de tiempo para apreciar su encanto. Sin dudas, todo este marco constituye un magnífico muestrario de lo que normalmente se reconoce como paisaje mediterráneo.

La belleza paisajística alterna hermosos campos de almendros, las más pintorescas viñas, huertas de frutales y magníficos palmerales.

Semana Santa nos ofrece unos días de descanso que son ideales para disfrutar en la Costa Blanca, ¿a qué esperas para hacer tus reservas?.

Foto vía – wuerschi

Alicante is one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. The local economy is based upon tourism directed to the beaches of the Costa Blanca and particularly the second residence construction boom which started in the 1960s and reinvigorated again by the late 1990s. Services and public administration also play a major role in the city’s economy. The construction boom has raised many environmental concerns and both the local autonomous government and city council are under scrutiny by the European Union. The construction surge is the subject of hot debates among politicians and citizens alike. The latest of many public battles concerns the plans of the Port Authority of Alicante to construct an industrial estate on reclaimed land in front of the city’s coastal strip, in breach of local, national and European regulations.

The city is the headquarters of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market and a sizeable population of European public workers live here.

The campus of the University of Alicante is located in San Vicente del Raspeig, bordering the city of Alicante to the north. More than 27,000 students attend the University.

Since 2005 Alicante has been home to Ciudad de la Luz, one of the largest film studios in Europe. Spanish and international movies such as Asterix at the Olympic Games by Frédéric Forestier and Thomas Langmann, Manolete by Menno Meyjes have been shot there.

Top 10 Alicante Landmarks

Castle of Santa Barbara (Castillo de Santa Barbara):
The Castle of Santa Barbara is a large fortress that was built by the Muslims in the 9th century. The Castle sits on Mount Benacantil in the centre of Alicante. It was built as a fortification. The Castle has been a witness to many battles and sieges. In the 18th century it was occasionally used as a prison. Elevators were installed in the mountain and the Castle was opened to the public in 1963.

St Mary’s Church (Iglesia de Santa Maria):
Iglesia de Santa Maria is a cathedral in a gothic style that was built in the 14th and 16th century over the remains of an old Moorish Mosque. Notable features at the church are the Rococo style altar, the heavily adorned Baroque portal and a variety or art objects dating back to the 15th century.

Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas Bari:
The co- cathedral of St Nicholas is the main church is Alicante and exhibits a striking combination of baroque and renaissance features. It has a beautiful blue dome and is located in the centre of the Old Town. The church also forms the seat of the bishop.

Gravina Palace:
The Gravina Palace is located in the Old Town of Alicante and is home to the Gravina Museum of Fine Arts. The Palace was built between the years, 1748 to 1808. The museum is home to a rich collection of Spanish artworks. It also has an auditorium and a lounge with permanent exhibits that depict the history of the building of the Gravina Palace.

San Juan Beach (Playa de San Juan):
San Juan is a spectacular beach located to the north of Alicante. The beach falls within the two municipalities of Alicante and El Campello. The beach is lined with restaurants, cafes and bars. This is considered to be the best beach of Alicante where one can indulge in sunbathing, swimming and adventurous water sports.

Alicante Town Hall (Ayuntamiento):
Ayuntamiento is the town hall of Alicante housed in a baroque building and located right behind the La Explanada Park. The arresting features of the town hall are the long twin towers measuring up to 30m, plenary room and a chapel. The town hall also houses a statue by the famous Spanish sculptor ‘Dali’. Another interesting object to be found here is an instrument that was used to measure the height above sea level.

Canalejas Park:
This is the oldest green park in Alicante and is home to a huge collection of rubber plants. The park was developed by architect Gonzolez Altus in the year 1886. Stone sculptures of lions and dogs, greet you at the entrance. The park is also adorned with fountains from within. Another interest is the map of Spain, carved on stone. A monument of writer Carlos Arniches can also be found within the park.

Island of Tabarca:
The Tabarca Island is located at a distance of 11 nautical miles from Alicante. The waters surrounding the isle have been declared Mediterranean marine nature reserve. It has the distinction of being the smallest and a permanently inhabited island of Alicante. This is a perfect spot for diving and enjoying the pristine waters surrounding the island.

Castle of San Fernando (Castillo de San Fernando):
The castle of San Fernando was built at the start of the 19th century, on the low Tossal hill. This is the smaller one of the two Alicante Castles. It forms a popular spot for sightseeing, relaxation and leisure.

Alicante Marina:
The Alicante Marina is a popular hotspot on Costa Blanca. It is full of entertainment with restaurants, cafes and a shopping centre. This is also the perfect destination to spend hours gazing at the luxury yachts and private boats.

Top 5 Bars

Astronomo:
Astronomo is a popular dance club where the action spreads across two floors. House or pop music often skims the air. The charged atmosphere make this club a hot and happening night club among locals as well as tourists. The outdoor terrace is open in the summers.

Z Club:
The Z Club is a savvy and slick club with a happening atmosphere. Young people crowd the place while swaying to the tunes of house and techno.

El Coscorron:
This is a popular nightspot in Alicante where the night starts with overflowing mojitos. The ambience attracts locals and tourists.

The Little Duke:
The inviting and warm ambience of this Irish pub acts as a magnet to expats working in the city. Tourists too are attracted by the vivid ambience.

La Sidreria Escondida:
This pub is a must visit to sample the taste of cider where it is transformed into an art form. The waiter will pour your ordered bottle of cider from an elevated height that causes it to froth. Drink it up and throw whatever’s left into the trough. Repeat again!

Top 10 Activities

Bullfighting:
Bull fighting is not just a sport in Spain. It is an art form, a culture in itself with a huge fan following. Bullfighters are revered as stars. To know more about this aspect of Alicante visit Plaza de Toros Museum or the Bullfighting museum.

The Caves of Canalobre:
The Caves of Canalobre are located at a distance of about 24 kms from the city of Alicante. Stalactites, stalagmites and weird limestone formations can be found within these spectacular prehistoric caves. The stunning sunset views from this point are worth taking trouble for.

Kite sandboard:
Kite sand boarding is the latest sport to hit the beaches of Alicante. Travel on a block of wood while blasting through the sand. It is an amazing experience and an adrenaline pumping ride.

Aqualandia:
The water park is just a 30 minutes drive from Alicante and is home to some of the most thrilling and exhilarating rides in Europe.

Paintball:
Alicante has the distinction of being home to some of the largest paintball arenas in Valencia. Getting blasted by paint is a fun and quirky experience that is sure to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Valor Chocolate museum:
The Valor Chocolate museum in Alicante is dedicated to preserving the history of chocolate in Spain. The museum houses various exhibits of machinery, tools and documents pertaining to the process of making chocolate. It also provides an introduction to the history of the chocolate company, ‘Valor’.

Horse riding:
Travel through the pine forests, amidst panoramic views as you scale the pristine mountains of the Costa Blanca. As the River Guadalest unfolds you will come across large fields of almond trees, oranges and medlars.

Scuba diving:
There are plenty of opportunities in Alicante to go deep sea scuba diving and experience the full effect of the splendours of marine life in Alicante.

Safari:
Go on a safari in Alicante to experience the amazing and magnificent wildlife in Alicante amidst unspoilt forests. The Vergel Safari Park near Alicante features leopards, lions, tigers and zebras among other royals of the jungle.

Dinghy sailing:
This is a great sport to indulge the whole family instead of just lazing around on the beach. It is a perfect sport to take the full advantage of the Alicante coast.

Vueling Flight Times

Book your flights now at www.Vueling.com/EN

Or the caption could be: “ Hey- i see white smoke, we´ve got a new Pope”

Actually, Mr. Roofer here, is just checking the roof of our village church for leaks after the storms we´ve had recently! He´s got good coverage for his iphone up there though, i wonder if he´s got a good App to connect with you know who!

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W niezwykle profesjonalnej ale i przede wszystkim sympatycznej atmosferze podczas naszego wspólnego pobytu na Costa Blanca, udało nam się zwiedzić, zobaczyć, poznać i przeżyć bardzo dużo. Costa Blanca oferuje bowiem wszystko co niezbędne do optymalnego wykorzystania urlopu- zabytki, atrakcje, plaże, dobrą pogodę, gastronomię, ścieżki górskie z malowniczymi miasteczkami, tapas, wina, likiery, uśmiech i zabawę. Jako licencjonowany przewodnik po regionie Walencji (Walencja, Alicante, Costa Blanca) zawsze kładę nacisk, by turyści tak podróżujący grupowo jak indywidualnie mogli podczas wspólnego nie tylko zobaczyć wszystkie najważniejsze atrakcje ale i przede wszystkim doznali jak najwięcej przeżyć i pozytywnych wrażeń.

Pierwszego dnia mieliśmy przyjemność poznać jednego z najlepszych cukierników świata- Paco Torreblanco. Geniusz, uznany za najlepszego cukiernika Europy 1990 roku zarażający swoją pasją i chęcią do przekazywania swojej wiedzy innym. W niedawno otwartej szkole cukiernictwa pod okiem mistrza, do zawodu przyucza się piętnastu adeptów mających w przyszłości pójść w ślady Paco. Nie muszę wspominać, że na turystów odwiedzających szkołę Paco Torreblanco czeka degustacja przepysznych ciast i cukierków wykonanych przez samego mistrza. Nic tylko palce lizać!

Po atrakcjach kulinarnych przyszedł czas na zwiedzanie stolicy prowincji- Alicante. Białe Miasto (Akra Leuka- Alicante), które przyciąga turystów nie tylko swoimi zabytkami ale i niezwykłą atmosferą do spacerów tak za dnia jak i nocą wśród urokliwych uliczek Starego Miasta. Zamek świętej Barbary, Muzeum Archeologiczne, Katedra Świętego Mikołaja z Bari, Ratusz Miejski, Promenada Nadmorska oraz Port w Alicante- ot najważniejsze zabytki Alicante, które udało nam się razem zwiedzić. Każda wycieczka po Alicante winna jednak kończyć się nocą- A la luna de Alicante, wtedy to miasto budzi się do życia i oferuje dla turystów niezwykle sympatyczną atmosferę do spacerowania, zwiedzania i do zapoznania się z hiszpańską kuchnią podczas tapas tour- wspólnego zwiedzania miasta z przewodnikiem urozmaiconego postojami w najlepszych i najbardziej typowych barach i restauracjach gdzie razem będziemy degustować najlepsze tapas (przystawki) oraz delektować się smakiem wybornych win, z których słynie Alicante.

It´s always nice when you find by chance,an unintentional common theme with fellow bloggers. My good fellow blogger friend Adrian Lewis posted today “Laughter”. see it here.

Yesterday we took our weekly Sunday walk- and my daughter Sophie looked so happy here, it reminded me of all the happy times i had in my childhood-almost all of them were in the countryside! Let´s face ,it we all remember those times when we were children!

I decided to get quite low among the flora while she was´nt looking and get a “candid” shot- and picked up a tick for my sins- luckily i have a hard scalp and very short hair on my head- so not really conducive of tick world- jumped off my head and landed on the keyboard.

 I find insects fascinating, however i don´t actually want to share everything with them-vis-a-vis my flesh!-worlds in collision! I humanely terminated it´s life- it´s a disgusting blood –sucking parasite- i hope y´all forgive me for it and i hope i don´t come back in the second life  (if there is one) as a tick!

I have been a little bit worried about putting lots of photo´s of Sophie on the blog for fear of people thinking i´m a little bit too “proud Father”, but i have to say she is so photogenic and such a great model to work with that i can´t resist it.

Alegria in Spanish literally means happiness  in one´s being, as opposed to being happy about a given thing:  e.g wealth,Success or being at the top of the tree- it´s about  enjoying life with friends or loved ones- wherever up the tree you are- it´s about being happy in yourself and enjoying what you´ve got , because what you´ve got is a lot! It´s about watching you´re kids grow up and growing older day,by day and loving it!

And if you have a camera – any camera-capture it!

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The property is in a tranquil area and set in lush gardens with pine trees with a beautiful terraced pool. There are exterior stairs which lead down from the upstairs balcony to the newly refurbished 3 bedroom downstairs apartment which is fully self-contained and has its own courtyard.

Perfect holiday villas to rent in Javea

Ground Floor

At the front of the villa is an open leafy naya with a selection of furniture, ideal for relaxing with a good book and a glass of wine. From here a large wooden door leads into the spacious lounge/diner. There is a stone fireplace, flat screen TV, DVD, and internet available. Sofas and a dining area.

The kitchen features rustic wooden units, oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, fridge freezer and a selection of general kitchen equipment. Doors from here lead out to the upstairs balcony with its extensive views and selection of patio furniture.

Bedroom 1: 2 Single Beds, bedroom furniture and en-suite shower room.
Bedroom 2: Double bed and bedroom furniture.
Bedroom 3: Twin beds and bedroom furniture.
Bedroom 4: Twin beds and bedroom furniture.
Bathroom: Bath, sink and WC

Lower Ground Floor

Separate self-contained apartment with large doors leading from the courtyard area to lounge/diner area. The kitchen has a hob and oven, fridge freezer, washing machine and a selection of general kitchen equipment.

Bedroom 5: Double bed and bedroom furniture.
Bedroom 6: Twin beds and bedroom furniture.
Bedroom 7: Twin beds and bedroom furniture.
Bathroom: Shower, sink and WC.

All bedrooms have free-standing fans

Outside

You will find a private parking area, private gardens with a selection of palms and cacti, a large 10x5m private swimming pool with terrace, barbeque and a selection of sunloungers.

Book with us now at Javea Villa Holidays.

• Pedalos hire on an hourly basis.
• Jetski and boat hire.
• Windsurfing school.
• A mini-golf course just set back from the beach and a large sports centre in the Port.
• Many tourist shops which sell all the equipment for the beach and snorkelling, etc.

• Aqualandia is a large water park.
• Terra Mitica is a large theme park.
• Terra Natura is an animal park.
• Mundomar is a marine and exotic animal park.

• Oceanographic which is a new and huge marine animal park with a fantastic dolphin show.
• There is also a science museum.

The Juice we were drinking

everyone gets into the spirit of St Patricks day. Especially at the Shamrock Pub in Benidorm where the drinks were flowing for a full 4 days. I tried my hardest to stay out on the four day session but I could not hold out. The lack of sleep got to us and eventually we had to get a taxi back home.

On the Sunday (actual Paddys day) the atmosphere in the whole city was… Green to say the least. Bars and Clubs had Irish flags and white green and orange balloons outside.Some bars even had incredible drinks deals on Guiness at 1 euro a pint!! Where else would you get that?!

Me and Adam tucking into an Irish Car Bomb otherwise known as a Depth Charge across the pond.

Me and 2 friends headed into the night to our local bar, The Shamrock, as it was my birthday the day after we thought we would celebrate on St Patricks day for the craic. It is a minutes walk from Hotel Orange and across the street from The Marina Hotel.

The live music provided by the rovers and some special guests was immense, the atmosphere inside, astounding, Irishmen and Englishmen all stood up and singing Danny Boy. It was brilliant the only other place that would compare would be Ireland itself.

Benidorm is a must visit destination for St Patricks day! And the day after they burn a 20 ft tower in the Benidorm Fallas. But that will come in a seperate blog.

Visit Hotels.tv for hotel and apartment rates and availability for next years St.Patricks day.

George out.

Where is Javea?

All streets lead to the Plaza Major, in the centre of which you will see the ancient church of  San Bartolome.  The church is almost 500 years old and is made from tosca,  a local stone excavated from under the sea and in caves nearby.  It gets its name from the patron Saint of Jalon (a nearby town in a valley – well worth a visit to its large bodega and if you visit in springtime will see one of the most spectacular displays of almond blossom in Spain) whose villagers provided the fishing village of Javea wheat, without which they would have had a very difficult time finding a good diet. The church only just survived the civil war – it has many bullet marks on the exterior and the inside was burnt out.  A large hole was made in the floor in which to put the rubble, and supposedly an unexploded bomb! Surrounding the heart of the historic centre are a selection of bars and cafes offering local produce and tapas, the ‘nibbly bits’ traditionally served with beer.

 April;  The holy week is called Semana Santa and on Good Friday there is a holy parade where floats depicting the Virgin Mary and other characters pass through the streets – very striking for all who see it.  In contrast, on Easter Sunday there is a Feria de Artesanas (hand made crafts and local foods) in the streets which surround the church

End of April:  Preceding the fiesta of the Dia de la Cruz, there is ‘bull running’ in the streets in the historic town.  Cages line the streets where people can spectate and bulls are let loose to run through the streets, and courageous Spaniards jump out of the cages and into their path (and jump back very quickly!) when the bull approaches.

May:  On a specified Sunday in May is Corpus Christi day, when the boys and girls who are taking their first communion, make a procession round the streets up to the church.  The outfits are amazing and for the family it is as big an event as a wedding!

May 3:  The celebration of the ‘Dia de la Cruz’, or ‘Day of the Cross’. Doorways and windows are adorned with crosses made from flowers.  They are works of art with must time being spent on the petal displays which are assembled one by one to enhance them.

June: For three days in June, you can find the International Festival.  Being such a cosmopolitan area this fair is very popular and each country has a stall selling their national foods and drinks.  Local schools put on spectaculars of dance and song, together with live groups performing on the stage.

June 12-24:  For a few days between these dates is the principal fiesta of Javea, called ‘Las hogueras de San Juan”.  Again, the streets are closed for the bull running, there are parades with floats decorated with flowers, the local youth bands, the locals in traditional dress, and culmination is the evening of intense, noisy (and very beautiful) fireworks and the burning of the huge handcrafted models in the streets.  The fire engines stand nearby and the air is warm – quite a spectacle!

July 14-18:  This date sees the Moors and Christians Festival which commemorates the battles once fought over Javea.  It begins when boatloads of Moors arrive in the Port, and mock battles and gunfire ensue.  The costumes are wonderful and the battles realistic. The most haunting memory when the battle is over is of  the loud Moorish music pulsating through the night and wine and beer being handed out to all.

July 16th in the Port is the day of ‘Nuestra Señora del Carmen’, when all the local fishermen and sailors take a model of the Virgin, surrounded by wreathes of flowers out to sea.  The bedecked boat leaves the port surrounded by a flotilla of boats and they sail round to the Cabo de la Nao (the second lighthouse in Javea) and blessings are made for all those who go to sea.

August: The Port Fiesta.  This is a very traditional Spanish Fiesta with much singing and dancing.  Streets are painted and decorated overhead.  A spectacular of this fiesta is a 10x10m square live chessboard which is painted on the floor and 32 local children are dressed as chess pieces and the game is played!  There is a grandstand erected for those who want to watch the bull running, where locals try to taunt the bulls to fall into the sea – if they are unfortunate enough to fall the boats guide them back to shore.  There is a giant paella cooked in the street in a pan 10 feet in diameter and then handed out to anyone who cares to sample it.  There are parades of girls in traditional costumes and much singing and professional groups performing.  It all ends with a spectacular firework display.

There are numerous smaller and more local fiestas throughout November and December (and indeed, throughout the year).  The Spanish celebrate ‘Three Kings Day’ on January 6th more than our Christmas Day. Saying that, there is a beautiful crib scene which is erected outside the church in the old town, with models depicting the story of the birth of Jesus.  It is well worth a visit. The 5th January is the eve of the 3 Kings Day and the evening sees another spectacle.  About 5.30 in the afternoon the three kings arrive by boat in the Port.  They greet children, give out presents, accompanied by bands and dancing and a lot of people in disguise.  The procession makes its way the historic town of Javea where the floats preceding the Kings throw out sweets to the excited children and eventually invite them up for presents on a specially constructed stage.

Other Places to Visit in addition to the Fiesta areas:

Bays and Beaches and Watersports

The main sandy tourist beach at the Arenal, is where you will find a multitude of bars and

Great Water Sports

restaurants of all nationalities – traditional Spanish, Greek, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Mexican and of course the trusty English!  If you fancy getting away from the masses, there are three small local bays at Portichol, Ambolo and Granadella which you can visit.  All have pebble beaches and wonderful views. In addition is the larger bay of Cala Blanca which is in walking distance of the Arenal but away from the crowds and with plenty of places to picnic and caves to explore. Given that Javea is at the most easterly tip of Spain, the towns of Denia and Moriara  which adjoin it also offer a host of beaches and tourist attractions and are only a 15 drive away.

You can find just about every kind of watersport imaginable in Javea, from the pedalos on the beach at the Arenal to the hiring of jetskis and boats.  If this is a bit daunting for you, there are boat rides round the coastline, windsurf hire and of course snorkling – especially rewarding at Cala Blanca and Granadella.  The coastline is so impressive with its steep slopes inland and caves into which you can sail and see the sea bed with its variety of pretty fishes.

The Montgo

The Montgo is the huge mountain which separates Javea and Denia.  Looking from the Javea side it profiles an elephant’s face, with its eye and its trunk which stretches out to sea.  The ‘eye’ is actually a large cave where human cave dwellers lived in Neolithic times.  Traces of their lives and how they lived can be seen in the museum in the historic town. The Montgo is now a National Park and you can reach it from the road which leaves Javea in the historic town towards Denia.  At the top along La Plana you can leave your car and climb to the top of the Montgo, its peak being 753m above sea level.  Along the way you will find over 600 species of plants and herbs, some being rare, but allow 3-4 hours for a round trip and take plenty of water! When you reach the peak it overlooks Ifach at Calpe, Cumbre del Sol, much of the Valencian peninsula, and on a clear day, Ibiza.

Los Molins

On the opposite side when you reach La Plana on the road out of Javea to Denia, you will find signposts to an old monastery and Los Molins.  In Valenciano (the local language), ‘Molins’ means ‘windmills’. Again, they have a wonderful view over the Port of Javea and The Arenal and a little further along the road ends with the lighthouse of San Antonio.

Brand NEW jeans by Costa Blanca
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All items offered on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also email Sisters to
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The store on 10635 King George Boulevard in Surrey, BC, is normally open Tuesdays-Saturdays (10-5). We post extraordinary closures on our Contact page and elsewhere on-line.

PVM Management and Rentals was established to specialise in property management and rental services over 12 years ago.  We recognised that there was a need for a professional property management and rental service covering the areas south of Alicante between Aspe and Mil-Palmeras.

PVM offer a full Property Management, Maintenance, Letting and Cleaning package’s to guarantee that your investment receives the best possible care and attention so you can be assured that your home is secure and in safe hands and that your guests leave with only the utmost praise for both your home and our services.
We pride ourselves on our excellent level of service.
We are a small family business, and take great satisfaction in offering ‘the personal touch’, so often lacking with larger companies. We have a small Team of conscientious, trustworthy and dedicated staff whose aim it is to ensure the security and cleanliness of your Spanish home and make sure the comfort of your guests is our top priority.
We can offer reliable, cost effective tradesmen, local authorities, utility providers etc. to avoid any language translation issues. We also have local knowledge of leisure facilities such as restaurants, local attractions, hospitals, schools and many other facilities and amenities.

PVM constantly strive to give the best possible service to our clients, all our staff are selected with the utmost care and are sufficiently skilled and experienced to complete their tasks efficiently and professionally.
Our main aim is that you, the client, are always happy in a long term relationship with us, so we are always striving, along with our staff, to consistently provide you with an impeccable service here on the Costa Blanca South.

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This is a lovely mountain walking path, we had a lovely walk last Sunday-a family day, the wife, daughter and our lovely dog that has had her first experience of the great outdoors. A vision of nature and harmony-teaching our daughter about flowers and rocks (this week Sophie has decided she wants to be a minerologist), beauty in nature! At this time of the year you can just sit and look at the view-dawn to dusk and never cease to be amazed-every day is different- no two days are the same!

My Bugbear  however, is recently, Mountain bikers have decided that they somehow have a monopoly on every mountain path and walking route that´s here- it´s becoming a real issue.

Last month, on this very path, out of no-where, two Mountain bikers almost knocked me down, the second guy obviously could´nt control his bike and screamed at me to get out of his way,- you know the sort, just bought his bike a week ago ,but does´nt really know how to control it-he almost went off the side of the mountain- did´nt even have the decency to stop and apologise for nearly knocking me over! This path  has been a walkers path for the last  20 years, long before mountain bikes were invented!

If you´re a cyclist reading this,have a little thought for everyone else and think about this: 150 cyclists have died in the provence of Valencia this year-mostly by cyclist stupidity-the car driver (or motorcyclist) may face the judge, but you guys might face the coffin!

Walkers deserve as much respect as everyone else that loves and uses the mountains, also you scare all the wildlife away!

When it comes to winners or losers, you´re definately gonna come out as losers- who needs broken bones!

I don´t ride my Harley at full throttle, on a pedestrian pavement, screaming at people to get outa my way- i stick to the road, where i belong, and observe the speed limit- in or out of a town-you should do the same-you´ll live longer! And walkers paths are for walkers, Mountain bike paths are for Mountain bikers- “never the ´twain should meet”. End of rant!

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On the contrary, Cricket has been embraced with open arms here on the Costa Blanca, by expats and Spanish nationals a like. The main hub of the Cricket scene in Spain is Sporting Alfas CC, the birthplace of spanish cricket.
This is where …I started my cricket career at age 8, when I was brought down for a net session by my 21 year old brother, who was one of the original juniors of the club.

Now I work for the company that bring out the competition, Hotels.tv.

The season is massive compared to that of the UK whereas some season run for 4 or 5 months, the season at Sporting Alfas runs from February to November and the only reason the season stops for 2 months is because of Pitch repairs.

If you fancy touring over to Sporting Alfas, contact me via the comments or directly at Hotels.tv and i can arrange a package that can suit your budget and your desire for cricket.

Chris Muñoz plays back a good delivery

Top, Costa Blanca/ Skirt, Aliexpress/ Wedges, Express/ Cuff, F21/ Headpiece, India

I can see everything coming alive around me as winter is coming to an end, and the evidence of spring is all around me. Very poetic right? As a celebration of this beauteous time of year I thought I would go all out and bring in print, embellishment and gold into my outfit. The first thought that came to mind after seeing myself in the mirror is that I look like one bada** warrior from the far east, thus the creation of the title of this post.

The gold headpiece I’m wearing is in fact from the east. I bought it off a street vendor during my trip to India a few years ago. I believe the cuff is from Forever21 and it was a perfect match for the headpiece. The animal print, mullet skirt is from aliexpress and the embellished top is from a Canadian retailer Costa Blanca. There are a lot of elements going on but the similar colour tones keep it all balanced.

XOXO
-Olivia Aimes

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Best for Location: Aquapolis Torrevieja

A waterpark situated in your back garden is uncommon, but Torrevieja is full of surprises – take advantage of a mere fifteen minute stroll to Aquapolis from the city centre. And if you’re really keen on splash parks, travel in August – the water park is open between 9am – 8pm.

Hurtle down a 65ft near vertical drop on the intimidating Speed or face a fear of darkness on winding tube slide Black Hole. These rides are categorised by the park as ‘high emotion’ and the most recent addition is a half-pipe styled attraction called Boomerang. This attraction is sure to get the ol’ adrenaline pumping – riders feel as though they may launch off the sides of the slide and into the trees. However, feel safe in the knowledge that the only reported incidents are a chronic desire to re-ride the attraction.

If you have an aversion to heights, chillax in the gigantic Jacuzzi or try and outleap others at the parks waves beach. There’s something for everyone at this park, little nippers will enjoy the mini-park; a water castle with over 50 water gadgets. There are also several family slides, including Rapids – a 300m slope inflatable ring attraction and Speed Race, a four lane water racing slide.

The price for a day is quite reasonable with adult entry starting at £19 and children £16. If you wish to return to the park during your stay, Aquapolis offer a return rate of just £6.

Best for Popularity & Value for Money: Aqualandia Alicante

Thrill seekers, prepare to go the distance and travel to Aqualandia in Benidorm – a 90 minute drive from central Torrevieja. This water park is probably the most prominent in Costa Blanca, and has received 7 awards including the Important Tourism Award in 2010. Built in 1985, Aqualandia is Spain’s oldest waterpark. The park has also achieved a rating of 6th out of 21 attractions on popular review site, TripAdvisor.

20 attractions are split over a 150,000 square metre area, making this one of Spain’s largest water parks. There are lots of gut wrenching rides at Aqualandia, most notably, Black Hole – Europe’s highest chute ride with a terrifying drop of 100ft. Many of the rides here are similar to the aforementioned Aquapolis but are on a much larger scale. Despite being marketed towards children the park is better suited to adults – most attractions require riders to be above 1.25m in height.

Whilst park prices are a little steeper (Adults start at £24.00) you can double the fun with combo-tickets to neighbouring animal park, Mundomar. Be a dolphin trainer for the day and witness the spectacular sea-lion show, animaltastic!

Heading to Costa Blanca on holidays? Torrevieja is a sublime city to visit and Los Locos beach offer extremely competitive prices on their range of Torrevieja apartments to rent. Visit our website today or email enquiry@loslocosbeach.com for more information.

You could be featuring properties in a professional and contemporary way that will make more of your window or wall space and give you the edge over your competitors as well as impressing potential buyers.

By using a digital display you will be printing less or no window cards which has lead to this optional extra becoming one of our most popular over the last 12 months. If you would like to discuss a smart visual solution for your office contact our team on 965 796 382 and we can tailor a quotation for you.

Often many people neglect the actual content of the site once it is built leaving it to become out of date and sometimes incorrect, much to the annoyance of your visitors. If you select a package with content management as standard you can take control of your site keeping the information current. By also writing featured items or articles you can create points of interest on the site and keep visitor interest longer.

To find out more about our content management software which is included in packages Giga, Tera and Zetta call one of the UltraIT Business Developers to discuss your requirements on 965 796 382.

At UltraIT we´re constantly looking to offer value for money solutions to the property sales and rental market and have recently altered our range of packages to be even easier to understand and added more useful business tools. The new packages offer features and benefits for every type and size of property business with a selection of business add-ons also available to tailor your choice.

Whether you´re looking for an easy to use pre-designed website to get your business online or a custom design site with our powerful property management software to drive sales and reduce time taken up with admin, UltraIT have four flexible packages for you.

I´ve never been a great lover of zoo´s-Terra Natura in Benidorm has got a cool name, but still it´s a zoo, for want of a better definition. When you have young children there is a certain amount of compromise one has to employ- last Sunday was one of those days! I could hardly be a grumpy bear and dis-allow my daughter to see some animals in real life that she would normally only see in a book (thankfully, she love´s books- unlike some modern kid´s today)!

It was quite challenging to make the images look as though they we´re taken in a natural habitat, and some might say that´s trick photography but i don´t think i´d get this Owl  in it´s natural habitat without spending three day´s in the wild wilderness in a hide! (would love to do it though)!

This is my favorite of the day´s work, however you can see some more at my FB Photography page, see them here  if you like.

We´ve had some really atrocious weather the last couple of days, not just rain and scary lightning but also a wind that keeps blowing my satellite dish out of sync-getting on my nerves having to go on the roof every half hour and reposition it. However  i can hear the sea, big rollers coming in at Denia, some 13 Km away as the crow flies, so we´re going down to watch them coming in Sunday morning at daybreak- if they´re still rolling in that is-maybe i´ll have some good photo´s to post Sunday night-if i´m lucky and can keep my camera dry!

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These are the days to spend with your family.

La Marina Camping Internacional has prepared a week-end for you and your kids that you won’t forget:

15th – 19th March 

• 3 nights accommodation to choose in magnificent bungalows – Want to have a look? Here
• modern SPA with the special area for children – Want to have a look? Here
•  Children under 14 years – FREE
•  Fabulous entertainment program with workshops, shows and other activities with the great animation team.

Reservations:

info@campinglamarina.com 

Tel.: 965 419 200