First of all, the Costa Blanca is in the area known as the "Communidad Valenciana" or the Valencian Community. The Valencian community is a group of a number of regions including the Alicante region.
The Costa Blanca is in this "Alicante" province named after its capital Alicante, located roughly in the middle of the coastal area of the province. There are two other large towns in the Alicante province, Benidorm in the area known as Costa Blanca North, and Torrevieja in the area known as Costa Blanca South. The former started off as a small fishing village and was primarily developed for German tourists in the 1960's and has become one of the largest coastal resorts in Europe & the world. As a result, although there are large numbers of residents in this part of Spain, as a percentage, they aren't so numerous. Torrevieja is the economic and tourism capital of the Costa Blanca South. Just as Benidorm, it started as a fishing village although it was substantially larger. As a result, it has a "real" center with a main street, a promenade, a marina etc...
BENIDORM
Benidorm,
in the North Costa Blanca is a stunning beach resort basically built around
two bays, and somewhat tarnished by its reputation as a package holiday
resort. But this doesn't show unless you are living right in the centre
where all the hotels are. The best part of Benidorm is in the hills behind
it where one can live in an amazing location with panoramic views of the
sea and looking over the resort. Also, for those who are not interested
in a quiet life, these hills are close to the fun parks such as "Tierra
Mitica". Most houses around here are newbuild, and are of superior
quality, especially compared to most properties built 10 years prior.
Within 40 minutes drive from Alicante Airport, the only undesirables are
a couple of motorway tolls along the way
CALPE
The
A-7 Motorway will take you all the way north past the smaller towns of
Calpe, Javea & Denia. All three can be described as classic Spanish
towns with narrow streets sloping down to the sea against a rocky backdrop.
These are interesting places to live, visually that is, but lack the practicalities
of the more modern and cosmopolitan Benidorm & Torrevieja. Calpe has
an impressive marina and plenty of amenities. The hills are very steep
and don't always offer much in terms of building opportunities. As a result,
most developments are coastal. These are very pleasant places to stay.
There are many restaurants and the standard of living is high.
