The Ultimate 1 Week Guide to Spain's Costa Blanca
The beautiful destinations on Spain’s south-eastern coast are perfect for your next beach vacation.
When most travelers think of the south of Spain, gems like Andalusia, Cádiz, and Sevilla come to mind. But there’s so much more to discover nearby along Spain’s Costa Blanca.
This beautiful 120-mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline on the south-eastern side of Spain is a great option for travelers looking for unique Mediterranean cuisine, breathtaking beach coves, and stunning views.
Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
Best time of year to visit: late spring or early fall to get good weather and avoid most of the crowds.
Best way to get there: fly into the Alicante airport—just 20 minutes from the center of Alicante, with 24-hour bus access to the city.
Rent a car. The cities along the coast are much smaller than ones like Madrid and Barcelona, so driving is easy and mostly stress-free.
You could easily spend a month (or more) enjoying the hundreds of little beach coves, or calas, sprinkled around cities like Alicante, Javea, Calpe, Benidorm, Villajoyosa, and Altea. But if you only have a week, check out this itinerary to see some of the most amazing sights along Spain’s famed Costa Blanca.
Day 1: Alicante
The first day here, you’ll want to dive in and explore all Alicante has to offer. From palm-tree lined streets and beautiful beaches to a famous bullring and the stunning Santa Barbara castle, Alicante is the perfect city to welcome you to the Costa Blanca. Make sure you:
Hike to the top of the Santa Barbara Castle for amazing views of the entire city and the mediterranean ocean.
Take in the sun at San Juan Beach and enjoy a beachfront paella lunch at Azul Restaurante.
Explore the city center—you don’t want to miss the famous Mushroom street or the Plaza de Toros. And, get your camera ready to take a picture walking down La Explanada—the cool, curvy tile mosaic design and palm-tree lined walkway is the perfect photo spot.
Eat! Finish off the day with tapas, ice cream at Livanti Gelato, or simply enjoying the sunset at the popular Postiguet beach.
Day 2: Benidorm
Party animals might want to make Benidorm their home base. It’s one of the most popular cities in Spain’s Costa Blanca. Every summer, millions of British tourists enjoy the stunning beaches and wild nightlife in this party capital.
Benidorm is just a quick 30 minute trip by taxi, bus, or car from Alicante. If you’re a budget traveler, or you’d like to take a more scenic route, you can also go by Tram. It’s a two-hour train ride with views of the little towns that dot the coast. A round-trip ticket will cost you around 5 euros.
Make sure to enjoy the view of the coast and take pictures at Balcón del Mediterráneo, sunbathe and enjoy the water at the always popular Levante and Poniente beaches, and visit the shops that line the beach.
Day 3: Guadalest—the Castle in the Clouds
One of our favorite day trips is to Guadalest—a tiny little town in the mountains with a beautiful castle and breathtaking views. You can find day tours for about 50 euros per person that take you to Guadalest, Algar Waterfalls, and Altea in one day. Or, you can visit on your own by bus, taxi, or rental car (it’s just 30 minutes from Benidorm or 1 hour from Alicante).
Guadalest is a must-see. A picturesque castle atop a rocky mountain that oversees a beautiful turquoise lake with gray peaks decorating the backdrop… it’s incredible.
☝🏻Pro Tip: After you walk through the little town’s narrow streets and explore a few shops, head to the Museo Municipal “Casa Orduña” (on the left of the church). You’ll pay 6 euros per person to enter the museum and see the inside of the castle. But the best part? Access to breathtaking views from the highest part of the castle.
Take your pick from dozens of beautiful viewpoints—they’re all spectacular. You can even bring some snacks and have a picnic at the top while enjoying the views.
Or, have lunch at one of the restaurants in the little town. We chose Restaurant L’Hort, which had great views of the palm-tree lined entrance to the castle (the fried cheese with nispero jam appetizer was divine).
Day 4: Algar Waterfalls
The Algar Waterfalls are situated in a beautiful little nook in the mountains. It’s about an hour by car from Alicante, and about 30 minutes from Benidorm.
On your way there, if you go during springtime, you’ll see mountains lined with nispero trees. Nispero is a unique and delicious little orange fruit native to the region (you can find the fruits in the little stores you’ll pass while walking up to the entrance, along with nispero jam, nispero-flavored liquor, and other nispero treats). You’ll definitely want to try the nisperos.
The entrance price to the waterfalls is 4-5 euros, depending on the month you visit, and it’s recommended you use water shoes if you plan on swimming. There’s a beautiful little nature walk you can do that takes you to the different waterfalls.
If you come in the summer, you can even enjoy swimming in the crystal-clear water for a few hours.
Note: We visited the Algar Waterfalls a few days after a very rainy week. So, when we got there, the water was brown, not the stunningly-clear turquoise color that you see in all the pictures online. The pools were so full that it was overflowing onto the stairs and we had to climb around to get to the upper waterfall. We still had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings (and the nisperos), but you might want to think twice if you’re planning on visiting when it’s been raining.
Day 5: Kayak into Coastal Caves in Javea
Hands down, my favorite activity on the Costa Blanca is kayaking! We’ve done multiple kayak tours with Siesta Advisor. 10/10. Super fun. Highly recommend. Their kayak guides are experts (ours was the second most qualified kayak tour guide in all of Europe) and just really friendly and kind people.
During the Cova dels Orguens Kayak Tour, you can kayak to one of Spain’s largest sea caves. We had fun swimming around and exploring the cave. We even kayaked through a narrow little tunnel to a darker, hidden part of the cave as well. Our tour guide told us that this was where they filmed one of the scenes from the movie, Uncharted with Tom Holland.
On the way back the sun came out and we took pictures looking up at Cap Negre, a stunning rock formation on Javea’s coastline. We stopped to cliff jump as well and had a great time paddling through the beautiful ocean (luckily, no one flipped their kayak either).
We’ve also done their Cala Tango kayak tour, which is great if you’d like more time to swim, snorkel and explore on your own. It also has cliff jumping, which was so much fun!
Day 6: Enjoy a Coastal Drive—with stops in beautiful Spanish towns
During your trip you can’t miss these coastal gems—Calpe, Altea, and Javea. If you have more time, you could easily spend a day or two exploring these towns and their beautiful beaches.
Calpe is known for it’s beaches and the absolutely stunning Peñón de Ifach, a huge limestone rock that juts out into the mediterranean sea. Here, you can:
Hike the rock—but you’ll need to reserve your spot at least 10 days before, since there’s a limit to how many people can hike each day.
Visit Calpe’s unforgettable beaches and take your picture with the Peñón de Ifach in the background. You won’t regret it.
Right next door, you’ll find the beautiful town of Altea. Nicknamed the Greece of Spain for it’s white buildings and flower-filled streets, Altea is a must-see during your week on the Costa Blanca. Make sure to:
Stop by the iconic Nuestra Señora del Consuelo church. The ceramic blue titles that cover the church’s two domes make it stand out among the white square buildings that fill the streets.
Have lunch at one of the many restaurants that surround the plaza.
Walk around the narrow streets and peek into the many souvenir and art shops. You’ll find views of the ocean from various spots in the city.
Javea is an incredible coastal town with super windy roads that take you past beautiful Spanish houses down to stunning, rocky little beach coves. Driving here is a little tricky—the roads are windy, narrow, and steep. But it’s well worth it to see this beautiful costal region. Here you can:
Stop by Cala Granadella early in the morning before the crowds arrive. This beautiful beach is full of little white rocks. There’s an adorable burgers and breakfast place, La Bandideta, right on the beach.
Visit Cala Portixol, another beautiful little beach cove. We had breakfast at Cala Clemence—an adorable little restaurant that overlooks the mediterranean wiht amazing views—before going out for our kayak tour.
Day 7: Tabarca Island
To finish off your trip, take a boat to Tabarca Island—either from Alicante or Santa Pola (a nearby city on the other side of the airport). The boat ride costs around 9-15 euros per person, depending on the time of year and what company you choose to go with (really, they’re all the same, so look for the cheapest one).
It’s about a 30 minute trip to Tabarca Island, and you can stay for just a few hours, an entire day, or if you have more time—even stay the night on the island and come back the next day.
Tabarca Island was once a pirate refuge, but today it’s better known for its snorkeling. During the summer months, the water is super calm, warm, and filled with surprises. You can snorkel around almost the entire island, its clear waters are home to a wide variety of sea life—from octopuses to starfish and all sorts of fish. See if you can spot a fried egg jellyfish, they’re super cool!
There’s a more natural side of the island with flowy island grass and a small lighthouse and on the other side, a walled city with a few houses and restaurants (try Restaurante Casa Gloria when you go). You can walk around the entire island in less than an hour.
Costa Blanca will not disappoint.
Castles, sea caves, pirate islands, kayaking, and fantastic food—what more could you ask for?
This is a great itinerary for an unforgettable week on the Costa Blanca. You’ll absolutely loved your week exploring this unique side of Spain. But I warn you: You’ll leave itching to come back and explore even more.