The Best Beaches
on the Costa Blanca

The Costa Blanca runs down the Alicante province of eastern Spain, and the single most useful thing to understand is that it is really two coasts in one. The rocky north around Javea, Moraira and Benitatxell is a string of clear turquoise coves backed by pine cliffs, more Balearic than Benidorm, while the broad south around Alicante, Benidorm and Torrevieja is a line of long golden city beaches with promenades, sunbeds and every facility you could want. Knowing which half you are choosing matters more than any single beach.

We have ranked these for what they actually deliver, weighing the water and the setting against the crowds, the facilities and how easy the day is. The north wins on clarity and beauty, the south on length, amenities and value, and the best trips often mix the two. The coast is generously served with Blue Flag beaches, the Mediterranean here is calm and gentle on the sandy stretches, and the sun is reliable for most of the year. We have been honest about which famous names are worth the hype and which are simply the busiest.

If you want one pick that captures the coast, drive to Cala Granadella near Javea for a morning swim in some of the clearest water in mainland Spain, then spend the evening on the long, lively, fully serviced sand of Playa de Levante in Benidorm. Between them they show you both faces of the Costa Blanca in a single day.

If you want the clearest water and the prettiest setting, go north to Javea, Moraira and Benitatxell, where coves like Cala Granadella and Cala del Moraig rival the Balearics for turquoise clarity. If you want a long sandy beach with every facility, a promenade and easy access, the south around Alicante and Benidorm is made for you. The smart trip bases somewhere central, such as Calpe or Altea, and dips into both, taking the coves in the cool of the morning and the city beaches in the lively evening.

The honest caveat is Benidorm, which divides travellers. Its beaches are genuinely excellent, long, clean, Blue Flag and superbly serviced, but they sit beneath a wall of high rise towers and fill with crowds in summer, which is the opposite of the natural cove experience many people picture for the Costa Blanca. It is not overrated so much as misunderstood: go for the buzz, the facilities and the value, and go north when you want clear water and quiet. The other honest note is parking, which is the real constraint at the famous northern coves, so arrive early or out of season.

On comfort and conditions, the Mediterranean here is calm and gentle on the sandy beaches, which makes the south reliably easy for families, while the northern coves are pebble and shelve more steeply, so water shoes help. Many beaches fly the Blue Flag for cleanliness and facilities, but conditions are typical and never guaranteed, currents can run at the more exposed coves, and you should always check local flags and signs before you swim.

The Costa Blanca is a long season coast, with the beach window running from about May to October and the famous three hundred days of sun stretching warm, dry weather across much of the year. July and August are the hottest and by far the busiest, when the Spanish holidays and the international crowds arrive together and the northern coves overflow. June and September are the sweet spots, with hot sunny days, warm sea and noticeably lighter crowds, while the sea stays warmest from August into late September. Winter is mild and sunny rather than a beach season, which is why northern Europeans flock here for the light even when the water is too cool to swim. For the month by month detail on temperatures, sea and crowds, see our guide to when to go to the Costa Blanca.

The Costa Blanca is more a coast of public beaches and beach bars than of grand Mediterranean beach clubs, and on a sunny budget the long serviced city beaches give you sunbeds and a chiringuito lunch for very little. Where smarter beach clubs and daybed terraces do exist, they cluster around Benidorm, Albir and the northern resort towns. We never invent a venue, a price or a minimum spend, so anything unconfirmed is marked to be confirmed.

If a reserved daybed and a long lunch are part of your plan, browse the directory and send one enquiry so the club can confirm space and any minimum spend before you commit. For most beach days here, though, a public Blue Flag beach and a rented sunbed are the better value.