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.

Warning: the 'jealousy' alarm just may go off...

I saw this post on Spanish BuzzFeed about Alicante and when I saw the photos, I realised that the title was merely sarcastic.  If you can read Spanish then you will understand the irony otherwise just enjoy the gorgeous photos showing the Alicante province.

Click on the link further below to go to the post.
(Sorry, wonderful couple from Newcastle/London, you know who you are... I know you are going to be angry with me for posting photos like this hahaha... and thank you for the Marmite.  Please come and say 'Hi' again soon.).

https://www.buzzfeed.com/alfredomurillo/razones-para-no-visitar-alicante


I will say that I have been to almost all of these places and seen these sights with my own eyes and they are as true as you see.  In some respects, its even better in real life because you get the whole panoramic vision, feel the climate, taste the wonderful cuisine, experience the atmosphere, etc.  But to bring you back down to earth, nothing is perfect for everyone.  Maybe there are sounds or smells you don't like, maybe the people are not as you thought, maybe you can't get on in a culture with another language, maybe... there are a whole lot of maybe's.

Alicante isn't for everyone and I understand that as I have my own moans about the city too.  So for now lets just enjoy these sights of the city and the province but keep posted if you want to find out the good, the bad and the ugly sides of life in Alicante city.

Happy May!

Winter sun warning

Happy New Year to you all!!

I think its important to mention, especially for any of you who are planning a trip to Alicante this winter (or are here already), that the winter sun can be dangerous.

It's not a cloudy place at all and we enjoy very clear, blue skies most days - actually I met a lady a few days ago originally from Cape Town and she compared the bright Alicante sky to her home town.  As the sun is quite low in the sky during winter, you should be prepared with some sunglasses and a clean window screen on your vehicle.  It can also reflect off the road and blind you if you are not careful.  The wife of one of my dad's friends unfortunately died many years ago now as she accidentally drove off a hillside road as she turned a corner and was blinded by the low sun.  Just be careful out there.

Inland Alicante

As it is a fairly dry climate it's great for motorbikes.  It's my vehicle of choice I use to get to and from the shop every day because parking in Alicante can be very complicated (people live in flats and the buildings are quite close together and there aren't underground garages in each building) and with one I can park virtually anywhere.  They are also great for outings in the hills around Alicante so we go often with friends and stop en route for a drink and tapas.

panorama shot Alicante

Motorbike buddies

In the hills around Alicante

If you can, don't just limit yourself to visiting Alicante city... take a road trip around the outskirts of the city and in the province where there are interesting walking and hiking routes too.  

Have you been in the hills around Alicante?

September Start

I always get a pang of disappointment and depression when the first day of September comes around.  For me it means the end of summer and the special atmosphere that fills Alicante during the days, evenings and nights of June, July and August. 

However, living in a city which is a tourist destination, with the lovely, mild climate that Alicante offers is like being permanently on holiday... sort of.  We are usually in t-shirts until November time and although the sea and the swimming pools are a little chilly to go for a dip in after mid September, the afternoons are still very warm. 

It is always so noticeable after the last weekend of August, when the holiday-makers from Madrid leave their summer apartments, the Playa de San Juan feels a little more empty.  The city, however, is buzzing still.  Just walking through the streets today, I heard many different accents of people from other countries.  Soon, the University of Alicante will start its new term and there will be an influx of young people that help keep the social scene alive.

People are usually going 'back to...' something in September.  But for the millions of unemployed here in Spain it's unfortunately just 'business as usual'.

Lagarto in da house!

I've had my annual visit from the lizard.  I see it a few times during the summer hanging around my plant pots on the terrace and running up the walls.  But I got a good look at him yesterday, with his little slitty eyes and alligator-style body.

For me, the lagartos (lizards) are not scary at all.  This one is only about 12cm long from head to tail.  He blends in with the colour of my tiles and wall.  But they are quite common over here and I have seen ones with black spots or more green ones.  I don't know if he is the same one I see each year or a different one - I doubt that they live for a long time.  

I don't have any pets so he is the next best thing.  I think I'll call him Lenny.

It's too hot for flowers!

Yes, literally.
I was speaking to a chap who comes to Alicante on business occasionally and he said that you can tell that Alicante has a female Mayor (or Mayoress) because there are flowers everywhere!

I have to agree with him.  There are just too many flowers.  In the photo above you can see that they have recently covered the entrance to one of the main car parks in the Plaza de la Montañeta in wild flowers, reminiscent of what you would see in an English country garden.  Maybe one has friends who own garden shops?

When there are not many florists in the city and giving flowers is not a regular custom, you know that the climate doesn't permit the delicacy of flowers.  It's just too hot.  Here is a typical weather forecast for the Alicante summertime:

It's been like that for weeks and will be like it for more to come.  Hardly a drop of rain. So when they make these plant and flower installations they have to put in a really good irrigation system or this will happen:

When they do put a line next to every plant, this is the result:

And goodness knows how much all this extra watering is costing the city, and inevitably us in our taxes! Alicante has a humid climate but not in that it falls from the sky, just that it's brought in on the Mediterranean sea breeze.  If you drive out of the city you will see what the type of land is really like here - yellowish, dusty, rocky, with some pine trees on the shady sides of the hills.  There are other solutions to ensure some greenery in this quite dry landscape though: fake grass.  They installed some on the road next to the beach in sections with metal borders and stones.  It doesnt look that bad and its easier to maintain.

Also, there are quite a few trees that provide us with a nice display of flowers annually and they are really practical in that they provide us with shade.  More trees please Mayoress!

I have the sun all afternoon in my patio and find it difficult to grow and maintain anything that is green other than the hardiest of cacti.  Also, I just don't have green fingers so I'll leave it to the professionals while I sit by the piscina (pool)!

June in the city of light

The special street lighting is already being installed in the various barrios of Alicante ready for the Hogueras de San Juan festival that will start on 20th June.

I went to take a few photos of Plaza Luceros fountain yesterday because it will soon be cordoned off for the fiestas.  The Mascletas (very very loud firecrackers that shoot into the sky or explode on the ground, depending on the effect required) are fired from there and it will soon be full of left-over fireworks and other stuff, and possibly a little trampled on!  I do love this fountain and plaza, although it is now a roundabout.

It was actually taken away piece by piece and restored, a couple of years ago when the Tram line and Luceros station was built underneath it.  Also, this served to protect it from possible damage from vibrations during construction.

I will let you know how it survived the fiestas this year!