Costa Blanca
Where British buyers wrote the playbook
The Costa Blanca — Alicante province's 200km of Mediterranean coastline — has one of the longest histories of international homeownership in Spain, going back to the package-holiday boom of the 1960s. That legacy shows: the region has the deepest concentration of English-speaking services, estate agencies, healthcare and schooling of any part of mainland Spain.
It also has one of the country's most liquid resale markets, spanning everything from high-rise apartments in Benidorm to quiet villas in the hills above Jávea, with Alicante's international airport offering more direct UK and Ireland routes than almost any other Spanish airport outside Madrid and Barcelona.
The name "Costa Blanca" — the White Coast — comes from the pale limestone cliffs and whitewashed towns that run the length of this stretch of coastline, from Dénia in the north to Pilar de la Horadada in the south.
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Alicante, coast of Alicante
Four areas, four ways of living
The Costa Blanca splits naturally into a handful of distinct markets along its coastline.
The provincial capital
Alicante City
A genuine working Spanish city with an Esplanade seafront, a hilltop castle, and one of the best-connected airports in the country. Property here spans historic apartments in the old town to modern developments near Playa de San Juan, with a year-round rental market driven by locals as much as tourists — unusual on this coast.
High-rise energy, deep rental market
Benidorm & the North Coast
Benidorm's skyline is unlike anywhere else in Spain — Europe's highest concentration of skyscrapers outside a capital city, built around two of the best urban beaches on the Mediterranean. Nearby Altea, Calpe and Villajoyosa offer a calmer, more traditional alternative just minutes away, all within the same well-established rental economy.
Understated and upmarket
Jávea, Moraira & Dénia
The Marina Alta, dominated by the Montgó massif, holds the Costa Blanca's most desirable villa market: Jávea, Moraira and Dénia all trade the high-rise energy of the south for quiet coves, golf, sailing and a large, long-established Northern European community that prizes discretion over volume.
Value, sunshine and a pink lake
Torrevieja & the South
Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa hold the Costa Blanca's most accessible price points, anchored by two salt lagoons — one of them famously pink — long associated with respiratory health. This is the most internationally diverse stretch of the coast, with especially large British, Scandinavian and Eastern European communities.
The food that comes with the house
Alicante's cuisine sits between Valencia's rice culture and the Mediterranean's seafood tradition — with its own sweet specialities besides.
Arroz a banda
Rice cooked in fish stock and served separately from the fish itself — a fisherman's dish from the Alicante coast, and arguably the region's signature plate.
Turrón de Jijona & Alicante
Spain's Christmas nougat originates in the Alicante town of Jijona — soft turrón blando and hard turrón duro are both protected designations, made from local almonds and honey.
Horchata & fartons
A cold, sweet tiger-nut milk drink paired with soft sugar-glazed pastries for dipping — a Valencian-region tradition just as beloved along the Alicante coast.
Fresh Mediterranean seafood
Red prawns from Dénia, considered among the best in Spain, alongside grilled fish and rice dishes served along the entire coast — from beach chiringuitos to Michelin tables.
Denominación de Origen Alicante wine
The Alicante DO, centred on the Fondillón fortified wine and increasingly respected reds from the Monastrell grape, remains one of Spain's more overlooked wine regions — with a growing number of inland bodegas near Villena and Pinoso now open for tastings.
Fire, satire and 700 years of history
Alicante province's festival calendar is built around fire, historical re-enactment, and a fierce sense of local pride.
Hogueras de San Juan
Alicante city's answer to Valencia's Falles: huge satirical sculptures ("hogueras") fill the streets before being ceremonially burned on the night of 24 June, alongside fireworks, parades and all-night street parties.
Moros y Cristianos
Towns across the province — Alcoy's version is the oldest and most famous — re-enact the medieval battles between Moorish and Christian forces with elaborate costumed parades and mock skirmishes.
Misteri d'Elx
A medieval liturgical drama performed inside Elche's Basilica, recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity — one of the oldest continuously performed works in Europe.
Fira de Juliol, Dénia
Dénia's summer fair mixes bull-running through the streets with concerts and fireworks over the port — one of the Marina Alta's most anticipated weeks.
Village markets & ferias
Weekly street markets remain central to daily life across the coast — from Jávea's Thursday market to Torrevieja's Friday one, they double as the main social fixture for many residents, local and foreign alike.
Golf, sailing and 300 days of sunshine
The Costa Blanca has one of the densest concentrations of golf courses in Europe — a legacy of five decades of international demand.
Featured
A coast built for golf
More than 20 courses run the length of the province, from championship layouts to relaxed municipal clubs.
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club — a private, members-first course near Orihuela Costa, consistently ranked among Spain's best. Villaitana — two courses above Benidorm with sweeping Mediterranean views. La Sella Golf — a José María Olazábal design near Dénia, set among orange groves.
Sailing & marinas
Marina Jávea, Puerto Dénia and Alicante's Real Club de Regatas offer some of the best-equipped moorings on the Mediterranean, with sailing schools active year-round.
Hiking the Montgó & the Sierra
The Montgó Natural Park above Jávea and Dénia, and the inland Sierra de Aitana, offer accessible year-round hiking with sweeping coastal views.
Diving & the Tabarca reserve
The Tabarca Marine Reserve, Spain's oldest, sits a short boat ride from Alicante — one of the best-preserved dive and snorkel sites on the Mediterranean coast.
Wine routes
The Alicante DO around Villena and Pinoso, with a growing number of Monastrell-focused bodegas offering tastings a short drive inland from the coast.
Padel & tennis clubs
One of the highest club densities in Spain, particularly around Jávea, Moraira and Alicante city, with social leagues that welcome new residents year-round.
Golf
More than 20 courses across the province, several ranked among Spain's best — see featured above.
Spain's most established English-speaking coast
British, Irish, German and Scandinavian residents have called the Costa Blanca home since the 1960s — the infrastructure here is the most mature in the country.
International Education
- Lady Elizabeth School British National Curriculum school near Alicante, one of the coast's longest-established international schools.
- El Limonar International School Villamartín British curriculum school serving Orihuela Costa and the southern Costa Blanca.
- Xàbia International College A bilingual British-Spanish option serving the Jávea and Moraira international community.
- Colegio Internacional Bonalba International Baccalaureate school near Alicante, popular with corporate relocations.
Clubs & Associations
- British Chamber of Commerce (Costa Blanca) A long-standing regional business network with regular events across the province.
- Rotary & Lions Clubs of the Costa Blanca Some of the coast's oldest expat charitable and social networks, active in almost every coastal town.
- Jávea & Moraira Sailing Clubs Historic yacht clubs with strong international membership and active racing calendars.
- Golf & padel clubs with international membership Especially around Jávea, Moraira and Orihuela Costa, where foreign residents make up a large share of members.
Start your search on the Costa Blanca
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