The Northern Costa Blanca in Spain is among the most popular holiday destinations for UK tourists. The popular areas are the beach resorts, but an ever-increasing band of holiday makers are heading for the golf courses, and Denia is able to offer both types of holiday. The town sits at the foot of the Montgo Mountain with holiday villas lining its lower slopes with stunning views over Denia and out to sea. Many of these are available to rent and make an excellent base for a self-catering holiday.
The closest golf course to Denia is the 18 hole La Sella course, set in the grounds of the Denia Marriott Hotel. A little further up the coast towards Valencia is the Oliva Nova Golf Course that was designed by Spain’s famous golfer Seve Ballesteros. There is also the Javea Golf Club, Ifach Golf Course near Calpe, and the Club de Golf Don Cayo near Altea, all within an hour’s drive of Denia.
Denia itself has 20km of beach, which means that you can have a beach holiday in Spain without having to worry about overcrowding. Beach bars and restaurants are always close by with prices ranging from low budget to high class and with summer temperatures that can reach the 40 degree mark, the beach bars are very handy.
Many of the car rentals companies have offices in Denia, so you can explore the local countryside or visit one of the golf courses. If you want to try going further a field, you can take a boat trip to one of the other Costa Blanca resorts such as Javea, Calpe, Altea or Benidorm. Denia also boasts a large port with ferries going to Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera which lie in the Mediterranean just off Denia, and can be seen from the San Antoni Lighthouse that sits on a headland between Denia and Javea.
Getting to and from Alicante could not be easier from Denia as the Railway Station is built next to the port with regular services to Alicante via Benissa, Calpe, Altea and Benidorm.
Directly opposite the port is the main shopping area of Denia. The longest and most well-known of the shopping streets is the tree lined “Marques de Campo” that ends in a large square. This area often forms the centre of the local fiestas. It is easy to spend an entire day exploring the department stores and side streets, and relaxing in the many bars and cafes.
The whole of Denia is overlooked by the Castle. It was built in the 11th and 12th centuries and includes the Church of the Assumption and a number of interesting museums, as well as wonderful views over the sea and the countryside and towns close to Denia.
With so much to offer Denia is becoming more popular because of its large beaches, excellent shopping, regular train service to Alicante, ferry links to many other towns both on mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, and recreational facilities such as the local golf courses.
(Chris Farrow has lived on the Costa Blanca in Spain for 6 years and works on behalf of the property management and rental companies http://www.totalcarespain.com and http://www.totalcarerentals.com)