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Costa Dorada, Costa Calida, and Costa Azahar Villa & Apartment rental
Holidays in Spain are all about choice. For those who like variety rather than going back to the same resort area year after there are plenty more costas under the sun.
The Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are very well known but there are other equally-attractive coastal holiday spots to choose from – the whole of Spain’s coastline – from the French frontier to the Portuguese border in fact. Some are very familiar but others less so.
It is the latter that are developing an increasing following as – 50 years after tourism to Spain started in earnest – British visitors continue to discover more about the country’s coastline.
All the Spanish costas share the same good weather for much of the year. Ten hours of sunshine per day are average and the climate is hot in summer and warm even in winter.
Costa Brava holiday
The Costa Brava, in the north-eastern corner of Spain, runs south from the French border taking in some rugged, but beautiful, scenery as well as the internationally-known resorts such as Lloret de Mar and Calella.
There are hundreds of other beach areas if trouble is taken to seek them out. Many of them, north of Gerona, are relatively-undiscovered by British holidaymakers.
The Costa Brava, connects directly with the Costa Dorada and the Costa Azahar to the south and families exploring these areas of Spain will find the Catalan capital Barcelona well worth the trip as an awayday from sun-bleached beaches.
Costa Dorada Villa rentals
The Costa Dorada is part of Tarragona province which spans 20 towns along 216 kilometres of shoreline. The beaches, being flat and sandy, make for good child-friendly conditions. It also offers quieter coves on the rockier shores.
Costa del Azahar Villas
Forty five minutes’ drive south of Barcelona, the thrill rides and family entertainment at Salou’s Universal Port Aventura theme park are open year-round.
The Costa Azahar has expansive beaches along its length between Valencia and Denia. A selection are Benicasim, Vinaroz and Cullera – even Valencia, the main city of the region, has two excellent beach areas.
Apartment rental Costa Calida
The Costa Calida extends along 250kms of beaches to El Mojon on the boundary with Alicante. This stretch of Murcian coastline offers a diverse selection of activities for the visitor including all the water sports, hiking and cycling.
It is not all new developments on this coast and “old Spain” is preserved at Cabo de Palos, a charming seafront village with a 19th century lighthouse and two delightful beaches, and El Mojon which is an ancient fishing village with a superb beach.
By contrast Puerto de Mazarrón is a seaside resort town with excellent hotel facilities and a lively nightlife.
One of the latest costas to catch the eyes of the seasoned holidaymaker is Almeria.
Villa rental Costa Almeria
Although there is now a huge range of villas, apartments and hotels throughout the Almeria region – on the coast and inland – it has been sensitively developed and the guide books continue to describe Almeria as “unspoilt”.
It is a dramatic part of Spain with an often rugged and desolate coastline that includes fine sandy beaches and many “secret” coves that can be reached only on foot. One of its most beautiful areas is the Cabo de Gata Nijar natural park with its wild landscape of inland mountains and valleys falling steeply to the sea and white sandy beaches.
The overall impression of Almeria is its desert-like landscape, not surprising as the annual rainfall there is less than 200mm. Film fans will have seen the landscape in Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti western “A Fistful of Dollars”.
Holidaymakers looking for excellent and uncrowded beaches, but with a desire to rent a car and explore, will find Almeria an ideal choice. The area is particularly popular with nature lovers and backpackers.
Almeria highlights includes the beach resorts of Roquetas de Mar and nearby Aguadulce and Mojácar.
In the south west of Spain is the Costa de la Luz – a name sometimes not familiar with even the best-travelled holidaymaker to Spain. The main reason is that being west of Gibraltar it is not on the same side of Spain as the rest of the costas.
From Tarifa, a hangout for the young and hip holiday crowd who love the bars, restaurants and excellent windsurfing conditions, through to the Portuguese border this costa has a lot to offer.
It has a winding coastline where the Atlantic Ocean is not as placid as the Mediterranean. Highlights include historic and interesting cities of Cadiz and Jerez de la Frontera, some excellent and uncrowded beaches and the Coto Donana National Park.
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