Our busy weekend

Idealspain took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend and went exploring

Our first stop was in Benidorm
Ok, we know that Benidorm is not to everyone's taste but you have to admit that it's one of the most popular holiday destinations on the Costa Blanca and the local council have gone to the end of the earth to clean up it's image.

Benidorm has some wonderful places. The beaches are amazingly clean and millions of Euros have been spent on the seafronts and some of the major roads.

We made a short video of the best sights in Benidorm and you can watch it here. We stayed the night and reviewed a hotel. The MedPlaya Hotel Regente was very comfortable. You can read our review here. Our review includes a video walkround the hotel.

You can get fish and chips in Benidorm along with a cup of tea like Mum makes but if you look hard enough you will also find some top international restaurants, brimming with culture and class and there's never a shortage of entertainment.... day or night.

Moving on
From Benidorm we called in at Altea with it's quaint little port. Our page includes a short video introduction. Our last call was in Calpe which is a town that has expanded beyond recognition over the last few years. Our last visit was 11 years ago. The beach is as beautiful as ever, as is the seafront.

We continue to explore the Costa Blanca and hope for more sunny days soon. It's bitterly cold at night at the moment but then we are a bit soft in our old age.

A day out on the Costa Blanca

The Jalon Valley

The weather held out and the rain stayed away so we took a drive through the Jalon Valley today. This wonderful piece of Spain is located slightly inland from Denia and Oliva.

There's a group of small villages and towns that nestle against the valley, including Jalon, Parcent, Alcalali and Orba. Each one offers something different.

Driving through the valley is a pleasure; the roads are great considering the rural nature of the area. The road is lined with almond blossom that's just coming to an end. Dotted inbetween are trees laden with ripe oranges and lemons.

As we reach the end of the valley and come within 15km of Benidorm, we took a slight detour from our planned route and visited the Waterfalls of Algar. Known locally as the Fuente de Algar, this has long been a tourist attraction.

Strangely enough, the falls featured on TV last week in the comedy series Benidorm when all the guests took a coach trip there.

We looked hard but couldn't see Madge on her mobility scooter... she had long gone.

We took some stunning photographs which you can see here, and you can watch our short video here.

Our next trip

Weather permitting we will be spending the weekend in Benidorm and reviewing a hotel. Our reports will follow shortly afterwards.

What a busy day while it rains on the Costa Blanca

The weather outside may not be at its best

but we have spent the day wisely. We've re-launched the Idealspain Facebook page so people can keep up to date with our travels

Sandra is ploughing her way through 10,000 photographs and trying to get the best into selected albums for all to see.

Look for this symbol on our homepage at www.idealspain.com and follow us today

Our weekend on the Costa Blanca

The Caves of Benidoleig

This tiny little town is just a few kilometres from Denia and Pefreguer on the Costa Blanca. Idealspain went to have a look at the weekend.

The biggest tourist attraction in Benidoleig are the caves.

The caves have been used since the stone age and are open to visitors. For just €3.50 you can wander deep into the caves. See the video of our cave tour here.

The mirador at Monte Pedreguer

A little further along the N332 and you come to the Mirador on Monte Pefreguer.

The steep drive up the mountain is rewarded with panoramic views of Denia and Javea. See the video of the views here.

Over the following week we have ten more places to visit on the Costa Blanca.... watch for our new daily videos.

January updates

IDEALSPAIN RELOCATION
The Idealspain relocation went unbelievably well and our office has now been moved from the Costa del Sol to the Costa Blanca.

Why move? people keep asking us.

The answer is simple; being based on the Costa Blanca will now enable us to properly explore this part of Spain, having explored the south of Spain for more than 10 years.

Our travels were started within days of arriving and we already have lots of new pages and updated information.

NEW ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
We have launched a new option for our advertisers.
Wherever you see this image you can place a company advertisement for just €50 per year. This includes all our popular place guide pages. It's a great and cost-effective way to reach our readers and possible cutomers.
Steal your space now by emailing us at info@idealspain.com





OUR FIRST COSTA BLANCA FIESTA
At the weekend we went to the San Antonio fiesta in Oliva where we made a short video. Click here to watch the video.

Three Kings in Spain

How happy the children of Spain must have been on the 6th January when they awoke to find that they had been visited by the Three Kings during the night.

In Spain, the tradition is no so much Santa Claus on the 25th December but Los Reyes Magos who arrive on the 5th January.

All over Spain on the evening of the 5th, the Three Kings arrive and parade around the town.

The three Kings are:

Gaspar has brown hair and a brown beard (or no beard!) and wears a green cloak and a gold crown with green jewels on it. He is the King of Sheba. Gaspar represents the Frankincense brought to Jesus.

Melchior has long white hair and a white beard and wears a gold cloak. He is the King of Arabia. Melchior represents the Gold brought to Jesus.

Balthazar has black skin and a black beard (or no beard!) and wears a purple cloak. He is the King of Tarse and Egypt. Balthazar represents the gift of Myrrh that was brought to Jesus. Myrrh is a perfume that is put on dead bodies to make them smell nice.

See our video of the Three Kings arriving by helicopter then parading around the town here

Another beautiful day

The weather in Spain
It's days like today that remind us why we live in Spain. It's early January and the sun is already high in the sky. The glorious winter sun makes us feel so good about ourselves and about life in general.

This morning's solar eclipse was clearly visible on the southern coast of Spain in a cloudless sky and against a pure blue backdrop.

The town is surprisingly busy with holiday-makers who have managed to escape the cold of the UK. It's almost too nice to be indoors today.