The Costa Blanca or White Coast extends along the eastern coast of Spain (approximately in the middle) and covers the province of Alicante.
To the north of Denia is the Costa del Azahar and to the south of Torrevieja is the Costa Calida.
The Costa Blanca is not as cold or wet in the winter as the Costa Brava, north of Costa Blanca, nor is it as humid or hot in the summer as the Costa del Sol, in the south.
The Costa Blanca has the best all year round temperatures. The climate is recognised as one of the best in the world by the World Health Organisation.
Many people with arthritis come to the Costa Blanca and within days feel much better. In the winter months the Costa Blanca is lucky enough to have nearly as many sunny days as in the summertime. Try something different such as a Costa Blanca walking holiday instead of lying on it’s sunny beaches.
Not everyone settles on the Costa Blanca so we recommend live in Spain for 6 months to try it first, you can rent an apartment or villa to get the feel of what life would be like here outside of the usual holiday experience.
Below we have a video guide to the Costa Blanca:
The Costa Blanca is famous for its tourism. Once upon a time the places along the coast were mostly just tiny fishing villages. Then the fantastic climate and beaches attracted tourists and the area boomed. Some towns have restricted their development and retained their original charms (in our opinion Javea) while others have over-developed and lost what charm they originally had (some might suggest Benidorm?).
The Costa Blanca has over 100 kms of sandy beaches and rocky coves and many of the beaches have the coveted European Blue Flag signifying cleanliness and safe bathing.
Of course the charms of the area have meant that many expats now live here. There has been a property explosion with many people regarding the Costa Blanca as the California of Europe. Not just people retiring, nowadays many young families move to the Costa Blanca searching for a better lifestyle. Every nationality can be found here but especially English and Germans (oh and some Spanish too!).
If you are searching for English-speaking jobs in Spain then the Costa Blanca really is the place to look with many opportunities for expats. For casual summer jobs in Spain we suggest Benidorm (see our guide to jobs in Benidorm).
We have handy guides on car insurance and home insurance if you are buying a property in this wonderful Eastern region of Spain. Many of you will enjoy our guide on the best places to retire in Spain.
The facilities on the Costa Blanca are excellent including word-class medical surgeries so there are plenty of English-speaking doctors if you need emergency medical assistance.
The Costa Blanca is a beautiful region with mountains stretching along most of the coast. The A7 motorway (with some toll sections) stretches from north to south along the coast. The N-332 also runs parallel yet is free from charges although much slower as it passes through the middle of many towns.
There are huge amounts of flights into Alicante airport, especially from Northern Europe. Valencia airport to the north is also well serviced. Further to the south of the Costa Blanca is Murcia airport. With the advent of many low-cost airlines many people live in Spain and commute to work in England. Flying time is only about 2 hours which often doesn’t get you far when driving on congested roads in England.
The northern Costa Blanca is typically mountainous with cliffs and coves, a mixture of pebble beaches and fine sandy beaches. North of Altea towards Calpe it is surprisingly very green and lush. Beach resorts such as Javea and Moraira are very popular with expats.
The Costa Blanca has something for everyone from tiny rural inland