From lively coastal towns to quiet villages in the mountains

The Costa Blanca is the coastline of the province of Alicante. It starts at Dénia in the north and ends some two hundred kilometres further south at Pilar de la Horadada. Alicante sits roughly in the middle and marks the practical divide between north and south.

In the north the mountains run right down to the sea: the Montgó near Dénia, the rock of Calpe, the Sierra Helada near Benidorm. The coast is rugged here, with cliffs, small coves and clear water. It is greener, it rains more and building is on a smaller scale. This is where you find Dénia, Jávea, Moraira, Benissa, Calpe, Altea, Benidorm, Villajoyosa and El Campello.

South of Alicante the landscape flattens out. Long, wide sandy beaches, dunes and the salt lakes near Torrevieja and La Mata. It is drier and hotter in summer, with more new build and large urbanisations. This is where you find Santa Pola, Guardamar del Segura, Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa and Pilar de la Horadada.

Which half suits you depends on what you are after. If you want walking, small coves and villages with a centre of their own, the north is your side. If you mostly want beach and sun, the south makes more sense.

I have lived in Alicante since 2006 and know the north and the middle best. That is where my selection sits, from Dénia to Elche.