Travel Blog

Golf on the Costa Blanca - Thu 01st September 2011

Find below my comments on the 3 courses I practiced during the week passed in spain

1) IFACH golf club
a. 20 minutes from Ladera Villa
b. 9 holes / no practice range / 30€ for 18 holes
c. Golf course for "beginners" / only par 3 & 4 / Quite dangerous sometimes because tee shots and greens are close and distances are not well indicated

2) JAVEA golf club
a. 15 minutes from Ladera Villa
b. 9 holes / practice range / 35€ for 18 holes
c. Golf course quite easy (slope 126) but your handicap must be 28 for men and 36 for women

3) LA SELLA golf club (into Mariott resort)
a. 50 minutes from Ladera Villa (15 minutes after leaving Denia)
b. 3 x 9 holes / practice range /  55€ for 18 holes
c. A challenging golf course (slope 136) with great greens about ball rollin' / your handicap must be 36 for men

My favorite one is LA SELLA but it's quite far from Ladera and my second one is Javea

My handicap is 20 and I'm 33
Prices are the twilight prices

Nicolas Durand

Driving down to Calpe - Thu 01st September 2011

The following account was submitted by our client Mr Des O'Connor from Dublin, Ireland, who was prompted to drive down after reading our newsletter regarding travelling with your dog down to Spain.
' Driving from Roscoff in France to Calpe.First night stop in Bordeaux dont stay at thr Hotel Corintel.£65.00 per night ended up being £153.00 including bottle of wine and a slice of cheese ?.Second night in Hotel Fidalgo in Calamocha 50 km. south of Zaragoza £75.00 including dinner plus wine for 2 and the 2 dogs,we all staggered up the stairs that night great value. Next day arrive at Calpe.Total return cost petrol £320.0 and tolls £120.00.
The Vet we used in Roscoff was Cabinet Veterinaire 11, Place de Ieveche.29250 Saint Pol de Leon. and the charge for the 2 dogs Sandy and daisy was £75.00 the wife Ann was free. Taking the car was a great idea.'Read Details >>

My Go Karting experience in Moraira, Costa Blanca - Tue 12th April 2011

After much persuasion by my fellow holidaymakers, we made our way over to the Go Kart  track in Teulada/Moraira. I was a bit apprehensive, as I had visions of ploughing into a wall on a bend, shunted out the way by these demon drivers for being too slow.

There were 5 of us and we had varying degrees of experience, yes you guessed it, I was at the bottom. Anyway we got there and the place did look great, much larger than I thought, well looked after and it even had a small zoo!! The swimming pools looked inviting but we were “here for the adrenalin rush”. My friends words not mine. We made our way over to the appropriate track, they had to pull me away from the childrens track with the tiny engined go karts!!! Not kicking and screaming of course, after all I am a lady!! I was given the Honda kart for beginners. My smug friends were then given the Suzuki karts for “the fast drivers”. They tried to get the racer karts but were deemed not experienced enough …... hee hee!!! Well, I must say, after stalling the first 2 times, I got into my stride, calmed down and did enjoy it a lot. I even overtook 2 karts, o.k they were driven by kids but I still think a pat on the back is called for.

Afterwards we went to the bar/restaurant had a drink and a snack. Then sat in the grandstand with a drink and whiled away a couple of hours watching all the action on the track as some karts were doing about 70mph. We chatted and laughed about our experience and it was a really really nice day.

Joanne Shaw

My wonderful spanish villa holiday with Villa Spain - Wed 12th January 2011

Last year I spent a fabulous week in a Spanish villa, Mirador al Sur, just above the town of Moraira in an area known as Golden Valley on the Costa Blanca. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a completely up to date kitchen, but this was the least memorable thing about it, it’s unlike anywhere I have ever stayed in before.

The large sitting room made up of at least three seating areas is cleverly designed to bring the outdoors indoors. At night sitting behind a huge turret wall made up of glass windows, which all open to look out across a valley towards the sea, is like being in your very own fairyland with lights twinkling in the town or Moraira, but no traffic noise, or other buildings in sight to block your view, and nothing whatsoever to disturb you. Quickly you find yourself completely at rest with your own thoughts.

The day times are quite different with fun for all the family. The Villa has a large garden and completely private swimming pool not overlooked by anyone. Again there are at least three seating areas in the garden with a three piece outdoor suite, tables and chairs nearby and of course seating and beds around the pool. Some of the most memorable moments were spent overlooking the garden and pool whilst consuming sumptuous lunches in the open downstairs dining room which is built like a cave, and manages to remain cool regardless of the hot sun outside.

Shopping couldn’t be easier as there are two supermarkets within walking distance, although it is better to take the car since the house is on the top of a hill and it is a struggle walking home loaded down with shopping.

There are a great many things to do in the area. For foodies there are a large number of restaurants in Moraira, which in many ways is a typical seaside town. Pleasant seafood meals can be had sitting on the pavements in the sun, or shaded under huge umbrellas, although we had a wonderful meal in a fish restaurant called Pisces, which had a huge free standing glass screen which gave the impression of being under the sea.

If it’s the beach you crave nothing could be nicer than a day at Il Portet sun bathing, and swimming in this lovely cove, followed by a snack at one of the many cafes that surround the beach, for which there were some lovely mussels and chips to be had. For a night you will never forget Benidorm Palace only a few miles along the coast road which has the best cabaret on the Mediterranean.

Diana Jarvis

Rock climbing in Costa Blanca, winter has the perfect climate. - Tue 09th November 2010

Although the Costa Blanca is best known as a “sun, sand and sangria” resort in the summer, the winter attracts the more energetic holidaymaker. The area has long been considered one of the best destinations anywhere in the world for winter rock climbing and nowadays it attracts visitors from all over the world. Forget the hot, sweaty, crowded, noisy, expensive summer and go for the cheap winter sun. The winter has the mild climate (still t-shirt and shorts weather) and you benefit from cheap flights (can be as little as £55 return from London airports), cheap accommodation (3 Bed villa with private pool from £170pw) and cheap car hire from £50pw.

A great winter sun holiday

More and more climbers leave the grey skies at home and head to Costa Blanca for a bit of winter sun and ideal climbing conditions. However it is not just the weather that draws them to the Costa Blanca. No other winter rock climbing destination in Europe offers the combination of reliable weather with the diversity of climbing on offer here. Ranging from low grade sport climbs, Via Ferattas and scrambling through to top grade sport climbs and long multi-pitch climbing routes both adjacent to the sea and high in the coastal mountain ranges.

From novice to hardened climber

The famous Penon de Ifach in Calpe and its classic routes have thrilled many from the novice to the hardened climber. The views are breathtaking even at the novice level, views that you will remember long after your holiday has finished. You can find more exciting climbs inland, the best being the Puig Campana that dominates and dwarfs the skyscrapers of Benidorm. The Puig is now fairly well known and well recognised by thousands of European rock climbers who have been coming here over the past decade for some autumn and spring rock climbing to chase away the winter blues.

Costa Blanca is great for walks too

The Costa Blanca also offers a series of great ridge walks which range from the famous Bernia Ridge to the dizzying knife-edge ridge of El Castellets. You will find the ridges of the Costa Blanca will provide you with some memorable days out, being both challenging and also taking in some incredibly beautiful scenery. However, these beautiful mountains are not just for mountaineers and climbers as several enjoyable walking routes are available via easy, if somewhat loose scree filled gullies. The Sierra Aitana, a range of mountains and isolated valleys near Benidorm in the Costa Blanca, is an ideal location for a superb trekking and walking holiday..

You can see and do a lot whether its in a weeks walking or just a few days, for example, visiting natural rock arches, teetered along narrow ridges, viewing prehistoric cave paintings, or even searching for the areas neveras, deep snow-pits which were once used to make ice from snow…the original fridges. Or just do as little as you want inbetween relaxing and taking in the winter sun, enjoy a couple of easy walks.

There are a couple of gear shops, one in Alicante and one in Calpe. A wealth of information and routes are easily found online. Go on, treat yourself to a memorable inexpensive winter sun holiday.

S.B

Island of Tabarca near Alicante - Mon 04th October 2010

Tabarca is a Marine Reserve, about three miles, and a 25 minute boat ride from Santa Pola near Alicante. It's a couple of kilometres long and about half a kilometre wide. There's a dusty path running around the outside of the island but most visitors stay amongst the houses near the port where there are a good number of restaurants and bars. The menus tend to be based on fish as you might expect for an island!

The island is very flat and it is divided into two parts, a treeless area of level ground and a walled settlement which is entered through three gateways. The settlment was laid out to a grid plan in the 1700s on the orders of the King Carlos III to house several families of Genoese fishermen who were being held prisoner in the Tunisian city of Tabarka and also to prevent the island being used as a base by Berber pirates. The walls surrounding the town have been officially declared a Historical and Artistic Site and an Asset of Cultural Interest.

The sea is a protected marine reserve which leaves the sea and Island teeming with wildlife – both in the sea and on the shore. The only way to get to this wonderful and unique island is by ferry (unless you have your own boat – of-course) and the ferry ride is surprisingly short. What you won’t find here are hordes of tourists but what you will find is an interesting and unusual little island where you can happily spend a morning, an afternoon or even the whole day.

S.B

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