There’s a short spell just before sunset on the Santa Pola salt flats when the whole landscape turns amber and pink. The lagoons glow like beaten copper, flamingos wade slowly through the shallows, and all I can hear is salt crunching underfoot and a fishing boat chugging home. I’ve lived in this part of Spain for years, and that light still makes me stop walking.
The central Costa Blanca is the stretch of Alicante province running south from Alicante city through Santa Pola, Elche and Guardamar del Segura, and inland up the Vinalopó valley to Novelda and Monforte del Cid. It suits travellers and movers who want good beaches alongside everyday Spanish town life. Salt lagoons, Europe’s biggest palm grove, saffron fields and vineyards all sit within half an hour of the airport.
Most people land at El Altet and head straight for a beach bar. You can do better. Once you know how the coast and the inland towns fit together, you can plan a trip, or even a move, around the places that suit you best.
Table of Contents
Where the Central Costa Blanca Begins and Ends
The central Costa Blanca is the middle section of Spain’s “White Coast”, sitting between the mountainous north and the flat salt-lake country of the far south. The whole Costa Blanca covers over 200 kilometres of Mediterranean shore in Alicante province, part of the Valencian Community, and it feels like several different places joined together.
The northern Costa Blanca (Jávea, Calpe, Altea, Moraira) has cliffs, coves and plenty of money. It’s lovely, and very well known. The southern Costa Blanca, around Torrevieja and Pilar de la Horadada in the Vega Baja, has its own flat, salty landscape and a different mix of residents.
In between lies the central zone. Alicante city marks its northern edge. On the coast it runs from Gran Alacant and Santa Pola down to Guardamar del Segura and La Marina. Inland, it takes in the city of Elche (Elx) and the towns of Crevillent, Aspe, Novelda and Monforte del Cid along the Vinalopó valley.
You’ll see some guides use “central” to mean Benidorm down to Alicante. I use it for the area south and west of the city, because that’s where the salt, palms and rice dishes share one clear identity.
The climate shapes everything here:
- More than 300 sunny days a year
- Very little rain
- Hot, fierce summers and mild winters
That dry heat built the salt trade, the date palm groves and the clever farming you still see today. Locals sometimes call this the “real” Costa Blanca. They mean a place where the Wednesday market in Aspe and the Sunday coffee and newspaper in the plaza carry on whatever the tourist season.
Along the Shore: Salt Flats, Dunes and Lagoons
The coastline here mixes working fishing ports, wild dunes and protected wetlands with long sandy beaches. Each town has its own feel, so it’s worth picking carefully.
Santa Pola
Santa Pola deserves more than a day trip. The beaches are good, but the heart of the town is the fishing port, where boats land their catch early and the fish auction (lonja) is busy, serious work.
The Santa Pola salt flats (Las Salinas) are the big draw for nature lovers. Flamingos live in the pink lagoons all year, with avocets, herons and many other wading birds. Salt is still harvested here, so those white heaps by the road are a working product. The Castillo-Fortaleza in the centre explains the town’s past as a coastal defence post.
Then there’s Tabarca Island, a short ferry ride away. It’s Spain’s smallest inhabited island, surrounded by a marine reserve and free of cars. My tip: catch the first boat and walk the old island walls before the day-trippers land.
Gran Alacant
Gran Alacant sits on high ground between Alicante city and Santa Pola. It’s a hilltop residential area, popular with British, Dutch and Scandinavian residents and with Spanish families from Alicante who want the coast without city noise.
From the upper streets, the views across to the salt lagoons are superb. Add quick beach access and a calm pace, and it’s easy to see why people choose to live here for the long term.
Guardamar del Segura
Guardamar del Segura is the coastal town I’d push hardest for more visitors to see. It sits where the River Segura meets the sea, backed by more than 800 hectares of pine forest planted on sand dunes in the late 1800s to stop the town being buried by sand.
Walking through those pines to the beach feels almost dreamlike, especially early in the morning. The beaches are wide and clean, framed by dunes and trees with few tall apartment blocks.
On the edge of town, the Phoenician site at Cabezo Lucero marks an important ancient trading settlement. The Segura estuary shelters valuable wetland habitat too. Regular visitors return year after year because the town has kept its natural character.
La Marina
La Marina has two sides. There’s the small, quiet Spanish village a little inland, and the large urbanización of the same name that has grown up around it, home to many expats looking for affordable coastal living.
Close by, the Clot de Galvany nature reserve protects an important wetland, which gives you birdwatching and walks beyond the beach. For long stays, La Marina offers easy coast access and a low cost of living.
Elche: Palm Groves and World Heritage
Elche (Elx) is, in my view, one of the most underrated cities in Spain. It lacks a famous old quarter like Seville or Granada. What it has instead is the Palmeral of Elche, which I’ve never seen matched anywhere in Europe.
This UNESCO World Heritage palm grove is the largest in Europe, with over 200,000 palms in an irrigated landscape dating back at least to Moorish times. Inside, light falls through the fronds, wind rustles overhead and dates drop now and then onto the path.
The Huerto del Cura garden is the photogenic highlight. I prefer losing myself in the outer groves, where farmers still work the land. Elche dates are harvested in autumn and sold across the region.
Every August, the Misteri d’Elx fills the Basílica de Santa María. This medieval sung drama about the Assumption of the Virgin has run without break since the 15th century and holds UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status. Watching it among locals who are visibly moved is something no tour package can recreate.
Elche is also Spain’s shoe capital, and the Museo del Calzado tells that story well. The famous Iberian bust, La Dama de Elche, was found here; it now lives in Madrid, but the local MAHE museum covers the area’s Iberian and Roman past in depth.
Day to day, expect pleasant squares, busy tapas bars and a lively weekly market.
The Inland Towns Most Visitors Miss
If you have more than a week and some curiosity, head inland. The Vinalopó valley towns carry on at their own pace, largely untouched by international tourism.
Crevillent
Crevillent has woven carpets for generations, and its workshops and showrooms give some streets an industrial feel that surprises first-time visitors. Behind that sits a town with a fierce love of fiestas.
The Sierra de Crevillent natural park rises right behind it, with great hiking and views over the salt lagoons. The Semana Santa processions here rank among the most elaborate in the province, and the local food deserves your attention.
Aspe
Aspe is my idea of a classic Spanish market town. It isn’t postcard pretty; it works as a living community.
- The Wednesday market pulls in people from across the valley.
- Local wine made from Monastrell grapes grown on stony valley soil is excellent and little known outside the area.
- Roman remains point to a long history.
- A greenway along the River Vinalopó makes for an easy, pleasant walk.
Novelda
Novelda is famous locally for saffron, and its autumn Feria del Azafrán is a true community celebration. It also holds two buildings that would be top attractions almost anywhere.
The Casa-Museo Modernista is a beautifully preserved Art Nouveau townhouse, with tiled floors, a carved wooden staircase and painted ceilings to rival Barcelona.
On a rocky hill above town stands the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena, a Modernista church that looks like a small Sagrada Família on a Spanish hilltop. I arrived doubting the comparison and left thinking it was fair. Nearby, the medieval castle of La Mola adds an older layer to the visit.
Monforte del Cid
Monforte del Cid, further up the valley, is the quietest of the inland towns. Vineyards spread across a pale, stony plain, and castle ruins on the hill above are easy to explore.
The town takes pride in its Vinalopó grapes, wrapped in paper on the vine using an old method. Come for a slow Sunday drive and a long lunch of arroz con costra.
Food, Wine and Everyday Rhythms
Rice is the defining food of this region. Paella is everywhere and cooked well, but the local signature is arroz con costra: baked rice topped with a crust of beaten egg, traditionally made with rabbit, chicken, morcilla (blood sausage) and blanquet (a pale local sausage).
Done right, the egg crust puffs up golden while the rice underneath catches a little socarrat on the bottom of the dish. It’s the Sunday lunch, the party dish, and a clear sign of where you are.
The Vinalopó table grapes surprise most visitors. Each bunch is wrapped in paper on the vine, which protects the fruit and deepens the flavour. They carry EU Protected Geographical Indication status. I buy mine from stalls in Novelda or Monforte, still warm from the sun.
Valley wines are mostly Monastrell: big and structured with fresh acidity, improving every year and still great value. Elche dates turn up in pastries and fresh at autumn markets.
Weekly markets are part of social life here:
- Wednesday: Aspe
- Thursday: Elche
- Friday: Santa Pola
Go early, bring a bag and take your time. You’ll watch the same abuela bargain hard over tomatoes every week.
Then there’s the sobremesa, the habit of lingering at the table after a meal with coffee and conversation. Restaurants won’t hurry you. On Sundays, expect tables to stay full for three hours or more.
Fiestas and Traditions Through the Year
The festival calendar here is packed. Almost every town holds Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians), and Aspe, Crevillent and Novelda all stage big parades with rival comparsas in historic costume, mock battles and music echoing late into the night. Locals rehearse for months and spend serious money on costumes.
Semana Santa (Holy Week) is taken very seriously. Elche’s processions are formal and dramatic. Crevillent is known across the province for the size and craft of its floats (pasos), with crowds lining the streets in near silence.
In August, the Misteri d’Elx takes over Elche. Seats go fast, so book well ahead.
Other dates worth noting:
- Feria del Azafrán in Novelda each autumn, with food stalls and saffron demonstrations
- The salt harvest season in Santa Pola, marked quietly by the town
- Fiestas patronales in nearly every town: a week of street parties, fireworks and music when normal life pauses
If your trip lines up with a local fiesta, join in.
Why People Settle Here
People come for the low prices and stay for the quality of daily life. Property costs much less than in the north. For the price of a small flat in Jávea, you can buy a large townhouse in Aspe or a rural finca with land near Crevillent.
The practical side is strong too:
- Over 300 days of sunshine a year, which is measured weather data
- Alicante Airport (El Altet) right in the middle of the zone, with flights across the UK and Europe
- Quiet beaches or mountain parks within about 20 minutes
- Markets, café culture and a slow pace
Families have good options as well. Guardamar and Santa Pola work well as family-friendly resorts, with shallow beaches and pine shade. Holiday complexes such as Alannia Guardamar offer pools and activities for children. Nightlife is calmer than Benidorm’s; expect late tapas, terrace bars and fiesta nights, with Alicante city close by for clubs.
Most of all, this area isn’t an expat bubble. Gran Alacant and La Marina have large international communities, yet they sit alongside confident Spanish towns. Your neighbours will be Spanish, and your café may have been run by one family for thirty years.
I know people who came for a year and are still here fifteen years later. I understand why.
Your Central Costa Blanca Awaits
This region has no single poster image, yet it has a deep, layered character built from salt, palms, old traditions and long lunches. The beaches at Guardamar and Santa Pola are excellent, so start there.
Then head inland: walk Elche’s palm groves, shop the Wednesday market in Aspe and climb to Novelda’s hilltop sanctuary. Go slowly, talk to locals and order the arroz con costra on a Sunday.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which towns are considered part of the central Costa Blanca?
The main towns are Santa Pola, Gran Alacant, Guardamar del Segura and La Marina on the coast, plus Elche, Crevillent, Aspe, Novelda and Monforte del Cid inland. Alicante city marks the northern edge. Some guides stretch the term north to Benidorm.
What are the best places to visit on the central Costa Blanca?
My top picks are Elche’s Palmeral, Tabarca Island, the Santa Pola salt flats and Novelda’s Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena. Add Guardamar’s pine forest and dunes for nature. Aspe’s Wednesday market shows everyday local life at its best.
What are the best beaches on the central Costa Blanca?
Guardamar del Segura has the best beaches, with wide sand backed by dunes and pine forest. Santa Pola offers calm, family-friendly bays close to town. For something wilder, take the ferry to Tabarca’s clear, protected waters.
How far is the central Costa Blanca from Alicante Airport?
Alicante Airport sits inside the zone, so most towns are close. Gran Alacant is about 10 minutes away, Santa Pola and Elche around 15 to 20, and Guardamar or Novelda roughly 30 to 35 minutes by car.
What is the weather like on the central Costa Blanca throughout the year?
Expect sun on more than 300 days a year and very little rain. Summers are hot, often above 30°C in July and August. Winter days stay mild, around 16 to 18°C, which makes spring and autumn ideal for walking.
Is the central Costa Blanca a good place to live?
Yes, especially if you want sunshine, lower property prices and life in a working Spanish community. The airport is close, and towns like Gran Alacant and La Marina have established English-speaking groups. Learning some Spanish will help you settle in faster.st.