10 Positives About The Costa Blanca
(1) The good news (for those of you looking to buy now) is that property prices have dropped massively since the peak, which was around 2007. Depending upon how desperate the vendor is, you can find properties that are discounted anywhere between 10% - 50% from their peak values. The only thing to bear in mind is that often their previous peak values had no bearing with reality!
(2) Location - The Costa Blanca is one of Spain's great tourism destinations running from Denia in the north to Torrevieja in the south. The Costa Blanca, or White Coast, extends along the eastern coast of Spain and covers the province of Alicante. Its most famous resorts include Benidorm, Javea, Denia and Santa Pola. The Costa Blanca has over 100 kms of sandy beaches and rocky coves and many of the beaches have the coveted European Blue Flag signifying cleanliness and safe bathing.
(3) It is not as cold or wet in the winter as the Costa Brava in the north, nor is it as humid or hot in the summer as the southern Costa del Sol. This region has the best all year round temperatures and enjoys approximately 300 days of sunshine each year. The north is typically mountainous with cliffs and coves, a mixture of pebble beaches and fine sandy beaches. The south is mostly flat with fine sandy beaches, palm trees and salt lakes. It is a relatively easy destination to arrive at, the climate is perfect nearly all year round, the people are friendly and there are many activities for all the family.
(4) Family - It is a great family destination. There are numerous theme parks such as the Terra Mitica in Benidorm, and an amazing place to take the children is the well-known Rio Safari at Elche. There are also many other exciting things to do to keep yourselves occupied: a water park in Torrevieja (Aquopolis), go-karting, mini golf and beautiful landscaped public gardens. The Costa Blanca is blessed with some magnificent nature parks, both inland and on the coast. Another great day out is a trip to see the regionʼs caves at Cuevas de Canelobre, which fascinate all visitors. The coast also caters for the more youthful tourists: Benidormʼs Levante beach and Alicante Marina are the hotspots for those who prefer a more hedonistic lifestyle.
(5) Shopping - There are some excellent stores in Alicante city and Torrevieja ranging from high-end designer stores to individual boutiques selling a range of products. Denia has some excellent shops particularly in the main street, Calle de Marques de Campo, where you will find boutiques and designer shops for both men and women. About an hours drive away from Alicante is the beautiful buzzing city of Valencia, where you can shop in all the well known stores and department stores.
(6) City Life - Alicante city is the capital of the province of Alicante, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is a beautiful city to spend the hours wondering around the shaded streets and her historic Mediterranean port. Hours can be spent admiring her many monuments and gardens or visiting her numerous museums. Amongst the most notable features of the city is its main castle, Santa Bárbara castle. There are fantastic festivals in Alicante - the most important, Saint John Bonfires (or San Juan in Spanish), takes place from June 20th and lasts for one week. Overall, the city boasts a year-round nightlife with many bars, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, theatres, etc. It is a city of wide boulevards, swaying palm trees, cultured nightlife, historic museums and excellent seafood restaurants.
(7) Golf - If youʼre a fan of golf then the Costa Blanca is the place to visit. Like Spainʼs other coastal areas, the Costa Blanca area is famous its exceptional golf courses. While Gandia has its own small 6th hole golf course, the most well-known is the Oliva Nova golf course. Designed 1995 by Severiano Ballesteros, the golf resort south of Oliva is one of the best courses on the coast. A large majority of the most popular golf courses are just a short drive from Benidorm and they are well-known for their coastal scenery and excellent golfing facilities.
(8) Traditional villages - If you prefer the more tranquil way of life and are looking to take in the Spanish culture then head northwards from Alicante. There you find a complete contrast from the coastal regions where it is much more green and mountainous, with lush valleys of oranges, almonds and lemon groves. These villages are well worth a visit and youʼll find peace, tranquility and amazing tapas at a fraction of the coastal price.
(9) Transport Links - Alicante's main train station is located directly in the center of the city. All major spanish cities such as Madrid, Seville, Barcelona, Córdoba, Málaga, etc have various daily connections. However, if you need to travel between the coastal villages then youʼll have to take the Alicante Narrow Gauge Railway. This train station, close to the harbour, is most important for local connections to cities along the Costa Blanca. Towns like Villajoyosa, Benidorm, Calpe, Denia and Altea can be reached easily on this route.
(10) Alicante Airport is the main international airport for the Costa Blanca with flight connections to over 60 destinations worldwide. It is located at 9km to the southwest of the capital, in the municipality of Elche. The majority of traffic through Alicante Airport comes from within the EU, although there are regular flights to far away locations such as Moscow andTunisia.
10 Negatives About The Costa Blanca
(1) Mañana...mañana - Things donʼt get done quickly, especially in August when almost everything non-tourist based shuts down for the month. The people here are VERY relaxed and expect things to be done much later than anticipated! “Mañana, mañana” is a phrase that youʼll consistently hear. In saying that, youʼve come to relax yourself so why not take a leaf out of the nativeʼs book and chill out.
(2) Cost of living - either things have gotten a lot cheaper in the UK or Spain has gone out of control but it seems as though your average supermarket shop has gotten more more expensive in recent years on the Costa Blanca. Our advice is to avoid the British shops as youʼre paying a higher price for imported produce and stick to the smaller shops such as the local greengrocer and butcher. Youʼll get a really friendly service plus youʼll get to practice your Spanish!
(3) Driving - If you are a novice driver in Spain, it is advisable not to take the old coastal road (N332), as with its sharp bends and curves it is locally known as “the road of death”. If you can handle drivers undercutting or pulling out in front of you whilst going 80MPH then thatʼs fine. But if youʼre a nervous driver then itʼs best to keep to the toll roads - or let someone else do the driving for you!
(4) Over-building - There is no getting away from the fact that some areas of the Costa Blanca are like a concete jungle. Alicante and, in particular, Benidorm can at times make Beirut look like a leafy suburb in Surrey.
(5) Legalities - Be very careful to employ a reputable, independent lawyer to ensure that before purchasing any property for sale in the Costa Blanca, the land that it is built on is classified as urban and that it has all of the required licences & there is no outstanding debts against the property.
(6) No-go areas - Check out any areas that you are looking at throughly. Stay there and look into what it is like during the night time as well as the daytime. Some areas around Torrevieja and La Zenia attract undesirables, such as prostitutes hanging around underpasses and roundabouts. These are obviously areas to be avoided!
(7) Crime - Certain areas in and around Torrevieja have some of the highest crime rates in Europe, especially for petty theft. This is not to say that the entire coast is a no go area, but like any modern city, there are areas to avoid. Make sure you do your research on this fact!
(8) Corruption - Make sure that you deal with a reputable agent and, if you're buying from a developer, have them throughly researched as well. There have been cases around this area of agents absconding with clients funds (never give them a deposit directly), and in times of recession some developers have actually gone bankrupt leaving buyers wondering if their property will ever be finished. It is prudent and probably more secure nowadays to favour a completed property over off-plan when buying from a developer.
(9) Costa del Fryup - If you want to buy a property in the "real" Spain, some areas of the Costa Blanca are best avoided as they are basically British / Northern European colonies. If you like a Full English breakfast followed by Fish and Chips for your dinner over a pint of John Smith's this maybe in the positive bracket, however!
(10) Holiday Home Ghost-towns - In the same vein as the last point, there are areas in the Costa Blanca where developers bought swathes of farmland, kilometres from anywhere, and built massive developments there. Now these can resemble streets from the film "The Trueman Show" or Wisteria Lane from "Desperate Housewives", as all of the properties are identical. That is with hardly anyone living there, and definitely without a Spanish person in sight!
This guide is intented to give an honest appraisal of the many positive and negative facts about this area of Spain and is the author's opinion. These are personal thoughts, which may not be the same as the opinions of other people, so don't be offended if you disagree with anything we say! If you wish to copy any content from this site, please be courteous and credit us for the work and link back to our page!
