Best blue flag beaches

One in 5 beaches in Spain given the distinguished 'blue flag' grade are found on the Costa Blanca.
There are 62 beaches and 13 ports with sporting facilities in the province alone.  Three of the criteria for the recognition are unpolluted sand, quality of the water and good services and access.  The 4 jewels in the crown of the Alicante coastline have been given the 'blue flag' every year without fail for the past 30 years.  These 4 unbeatable beaches in Alicante are:  Fossa de Calp, the Racó de l'Albir (l'Alfàs del Pi), the Carrer la Mar del Campello and the wonderful Playa de San Juan in Alicante.

Playa de San Juan in Alicante

The Playa de San Juan is always our preferred beach.  Its a whopping 6.2km long with a 100m depth in some areas.  It is used all year round in the winter the volleyball teams set up their nets and in the summer the whole of Madrid comes for their holidays to the area.

There are restaurants on the seafront with some 'chiringuitos' (small bars) right on the sand so you can hang around and chillax way after the sun goes down.  It is a quieter area in terms of nightlife and shops so it is recommended for those who really want to get away from it all.  Alicante city is just a short 5-10 minute drive away so its not exactly in the middle of nowhere.

However if you want to go snorkelling or prefer rocks to sand then, if you have a car or motorbike, head to the Cabo de las Huertas.  I think there is a small part or one of the coves that is a nudist beach (I was told that as we were sailing around the cape on my uncle's boat but I didn't try to pick it out with the binoculars).  Unless we go with friends I try to stay away from the sand as it just gets everywhere.  And if Im feeling really lazy, just to pool in my urb...

Pine Processionary pests

Every year the Pine Processionaries come out of their nests high up in the local pine trees in April time and march along... Im not sure where to though.  Ive read that they burrow just below ground to make a cocoon and then emerge at the end of summer as moths. This 'procession' gives these little hairy caterpillars their name as they go along tip to tail, all joined together.

I'd not heard of these types of caterpillars before and thought the whole thing was really cute until people told me that they are one of the most destructive species to pine and cedar trees in the area especially if mild winters assist their development.  They are responsible for most of the defoliation in Southern Europe though as they come out at night and feed on the pine needles.  Also, their little hairs also cause harmful reactions to humans and animals.  They tell me that if dogs and cats get too close to them and come into contact with their hairs the allergic reaction can kill them!  So be careful!

In the autumn, people with pine trees in their gardens get them sprayed with insecticides to stop them nesting in their first and second stages of growth.  You can see them on lots of rural pathways in the spring and I know that when people come across them they try to get rid of them in a safe way.  If you do see them over here, just do not pick them up or handle them.

Have you seen them before?

The Alicante coast in 1958

I came across this video on the local newspaper's website (diarioinformacion.com) and it's shocking (good or bad... I'll let you decide) to see how, in a little under 60 years, the Alicante coastline has changed in terms of development.

Maybe I'll take some photos of the views featured and do a 'before and after'.  Those of you who are familiar with the beaches and coastline of especially Calpe, Benidorm and Playa San Juan will be left gobsmacked.

It is a short 10 minute film from 1958 where two ladies visit the Costa Blanca from Denia down to Alicante.  The narration is in Spanish but the images speak for themselves. 

Here is the link to the page where the video is featured:

http://www.diarioinformacion.com/multimedia/videos/alicante/2016-05-02-101181-costa-blanca-antes-urbanismo-depredador.html

Thanks to the Filmoteca Española and RTVE.es these videos can be appreciated now and for many more years to come.

Featured in SWISS AIR Magazine!!!

I was recently contacted by people at SWISS AIR Magazine who were arranging a city report for their online magazine about Alicante.  They wanted to do a little spot on the blog and also my shop.  What an honour!

I have just received a copy of the magazine and the report they did on Alicante is really good.  Here is the front cover:

They highlight some really interesting things and places to go and the photos are fantastic (apart from my mug shot on the highlight about my blog ... sad face.).  This is the page dedicated to my blog (left):

My shop, Read & Sixty, is also featured on the SHOPPING page along with a photo that the photographer took here the day they came to interview me (right):


Im very pleased that my rantings about Alicante can be interesting and maybe even useful to people.  Let me know if you want to see any posts about certain things and I will try to make it happen!