The best beaches on the Costa Blanca - Obviously Benidorms Levante, Mal Pas and Poniente beaches are some of the best on the Costa Blanca, but the Alicante Provence has some other wonderful beaches that are well worth a visit.
The north of the Costa Blanca coast is dominated by mountain ranges, this is where you will find hidden coves that are difficult to reach but guarantee privacy in fantastic natural settings. In the north of the Costa Blanca you will also find sandy beaches with good infrastructure with fantastic mountain scenery such as Dénia, Xàbia, Calp and Altea.
The middle area of the Costa Blanca is flatter than the north and south and this is where you will find long fine sandy beaches such as the beaches in Benidorm, Villa Joyosa and Alicante itself.
The south of the Costa Blanca is as well developed for tourism and again you will find more long sandy beaches in the south such as Santa Pola and Guadamar.
So from wide sandy beaches to small rocky coves there is a beach suitable for everyone here on the Costa Blanca.
Which ever beach you visit, always follow the beach safety flag warnings.and keep your valuables safe, and of course STAY SAFE IN THE SUN
Here are some of our favourite beaches on the Costa Blanca.
Albir beach - NO smoking beach
Nestling between the picture-postcard hilltop town of Altea and Benidorm is a lovely little coastal town of Albir. Its Blue Flag beach (since 2001) is perfect for family holidays as the water is shallow while the beach is close to the shops and restaurants in the town centre. Albir’s beach is called “Playa de Racó de l’Albir” and is approx. 590 meters long.
This is a great resort for film lovers as the seaside promenade has its own Paseo de las Estrellas or Stars’ Promenade to rival the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Albir’s version is to commemorate the winners of the prestigious annual Alfaz del Pi Film Festival, which is held three kilometres from Albir.
La Cala - NO smoking beach
Just a short 15 minute bus ride from Benidorm is the wonderful sandy beach area of Finestrat. Great little beach. Kids climbing frames on site. First aid and showers. Supermarket almost on the beach for lunch snacks and drinks. Loads of sunbeds and umbrellas to rent.
La Roda - Altea
This situated in Altea (No 10 bus from Benidorm) beach is 1.400 m. long and has an average width of 20 m. It does get quite busy in the summer months and is a Blue Flag beach
La Roda is a beach of cobble fragments/gravel/sand, which is golden. The swimming conditions are calm waters / moderate waves.
It's a urban beach. It has beach boardwalk. You can find litter bins and toilets. The beach is cleaned regularly. It has footbridges and disabled access. You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas.
Best Beaches on the Costa Blanca - El Campello
The best beach to visit in El Campello is the Muchavista Beach. Playa Mucahvista is seven kilometres long and has maintained its blue flag status for many years. The adjacent beach promenade leads to the Playa de San Juan in Alicante.
Best Beaches on the Costa Blanca - La Granadella Beach - Javea
La Granadella beach (known as La Granadella playa in Spanish) is a beautiful beach situated in the town of Javea .
This is the beach as seen in the film ‘The Cold Light of Day’ starring Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver. It has twice won the prestigious accolade of being voted Spain’s best beach. It’s in a picturesque horse-shoe bay with clear turquoise waters surrounded by jagged cliffs and pine trees. Although the beach is shingle, it is a very popular spot with sunbathers, scuba divers and snorkellers.
You reach it by driving through a lovely pine forest. La Granadella is a tiny beach at just 220 metres wide and is very popular.
There are three restaurants. Explore the rocks and caves to the right hand side of the beach or take the trail up the mountainside.
Best Beaches on the Costa Blanca - Villajoyosa Beaches
Villajoyosa’s beaches are absolutely fantastic and they all have the European Blue Flag awards which indicate a good quality standard of beach and facilities.
The beaches are unspoilt by development, there are fine wide sandy beaches and small coves offering privacy and wind-breaks. So there are a wide variety of different types of beaches depending on your mood – quiet or active.
Villajoyosa does not attract mass package holiday tourists so it is very Spanish with few international tourists. Only in the summer do the Spanish flock to Villajoyosa’s beaches and even then because there are so many beaches you can always find a quiet spot away from the crowds. If you want some action and things to do there are beaches facilities such as the football pitches with goals, volleyball nets, windsurfing hire, the beach bars, cafes and restaurants.
The best beaches on the Costa Blanca
San Juan de Alicante
This is Alicante’s most famous beach, with sands stretching 7 km from the beaches at El Campello right through to the Cabo de las Huertas headland. It is an open beach with very high-quality fine sands located in an area with lots of apartments, services and businesses. All along the beachfront there are all kinds of restaurants and beach bars, (open during the summer months).
There are areas reserved for various sports such as beach volleyball, football, windsurfing, etc. plus an educational play area for the mentally handicapped and an area with disabled access during the summer months.
Legend has it that in bygone days when the Moors ruled Spain, a beautiful Moorish queen would bathe in the natural pools among the rocks. Nowadays, it still attracts bathers but is also a nautical playground for kayaks, yachts, surfing and scuba diving.
Best Beaches on the Costa Blanca - El Portet, Moraira
There is a Blue Flag Beach at El Portet. It is closely bounded by headlands, It has very soft sand and shelves gently, being ideal for children. it is in a rocky cove sheltered by rocks with sparkling clear blue waters inviting people to swim, snorkel or surf. This is a brilliant setting for relaxing and soaking up the views of the imposing Ifach de Calpe rock jutting out to sea.
The vibrant blue, crystal clear waters and magnificent setting have led some people to compare El Portet to a Caribbean hideaway. The beach is just 350 metres long and gets very busy in summer. It’s particularly popular with families as it’s such a safe place for paddling. There are three or four cafe come restaurants along the front.
Life guards are on duty from 11:00 to 19:00h, everyday in the season.
How to get to the beach: Follow the Del Portet Avenue out of Moraira, north along the coast. Portet is about a kilometer along the road, and is the end of the road.
Santa Pola sits in a bay with 6 coves and beaches which are traditional fishing grounds.
Close to the bustling port are Santa Pola’s two main beaches – Lisa and Tamarit – which enjoy fine sands and clear blue waters. The location and moderate swell of the sea have meant these beaches are targeted by windsurfers and kitesurfers, particularly on Lisa beach, which provide entertainment for the sunbathers. The shallow waters also mean this is a safe area for families with children. There is a marked walking route alongside the rural beaches at the southern end of Santa Pola, and a 7 kilometre promenade which connects all of the beaches in the central area.
La Marina Beach
One and a half kilometres of dunes of golden sand and a vast pine forest, of special ecological interest, constitute the most attractive beach of La Marina, in the hamlet in Elche with the same name.
Located between the beaches of El Pinet and Les pesqueres-EL Rebollo, it can be accessed by the N332
Granted with a blue flag status, it has lifeguard vigilance, a service offering beach umbrellas and deckchairs hire, campsites (Camping Internacional La Marina, one of the best campsites on the Spanish Mediterranean coast), restaurants, tourist information office, and one hotel.
Services - Lifesaving Service: From 10 June to 17 September from 10.30 to 20.30 h.
Accessible bathroom accessible point: At the main entrance to the beach. From 17 June to 17 September from 10.30 to 20.30 h.
Buoyed beach from 1st June to 30th September.
Public WC on June 3rd to October 1st.
Kiosk: From 1 April to 31st October.
Hammocks and parasols: From 1st April to 30th November
One of the finest beaches south of Alicante is found at Guardamar. It’s a fabulous 10-kilometre stretch of fine sand with a backdrop of a fragrant pine forest. The trees were planted in the sand dunes about 100 years ago to stop them being blown away by the wind.
The forest provides a colourful windbreak to protect the town as well as being a natural haven for walkers. The long, sandy beach has a children’s play area and is another popular haunt for surfers thanks to the good waves. The Guardamar coast boasts a blend of secluded coves for private bathing or snorkelling as well as urban beaches.
Arenal, Calpe
Calpe is one of the most iconic resorts in the Alicante region, thanks to the impressive Ifach rock which is 332 metres high and juts out to sea. The coastal town is also home to 14 beaches and coves, which attract sunbathers and water sports enthusiasts.
The busiest beach is the Arenal-Bol in the city centre with a golden mile of fine sand and clear waters. The urban beach has great views of the Ifach rock and is close to the marina, where many swish yachts are moored. A few minutes’ walk from the beach is a salt lake where many flamingo's and herons can be seen.
Raco del Conill – nudist beach
A small, secluded, sheltered beach, located about 6 km southwest of Benidorm, Raco Conill was officially designated as a nudist beach and is popular with gay visitors during the summer.
The easiest way to get to the beach is by car. From Benidorm, take the N332 south, exiting onto the CV 767 towards La Vila Joiosa Nord/
By Bus - take the number 2 or 3 bus to La Cala (Bus 3 from Park Elx by Benidorm harbour. To get there walk across the beach and head along the path through the woods, behind the restaurant which is on the beach.
There is a small car park. During the summer, there is also a small “chiringuito” selling drinks and snacks.
Both Cala Almadrava and Cala Tio Ximo in Benidorm are used by locals as nudist beaches out of season, during peak times these tend to revert back to family beaches.
More information on local Nudist Beaches can be found here.
Blue Flag beaches, Alicante Province
Places to visit on the Costa Blanca North
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Where is your favourite Beach on the Costa Blanca? comment below.
