Costa Blanca Hotels

Forget the sun-and-sangria image of Benidorm. The Costa Blanca's capital Alicante, once a Roman outpost, has culture and gourmet dining to complement its elegant old town and cosmopolitan shopping. Nearby Elche comes wrapped in a vast oasis of palms, while Denia effortlessly mixes modernity with the medieval.

Watch the sunset from the ancient battlements of Alicante's Santa Barbara Castle. Eat at Playa San Juan's beachside restaurants by the fishing port of Albufereta. In Calpe, crane at the towering Penon de Ifach, the Mediterranean's highest rock. In Benidorm, skip the crowds on Playa de Levante and take the steps down to Playa del Mal Pas, a more secluded cove by the old port.

The Moorish oasis town of Elche is enveloped by 300,000 palm trees, and also lays claim to be Spain's shoe-making capital. Orihuela has Gothic edifices and imposing mansions, while distinctive bridges and modernist buildings give Alcoy special architectural interest. The 16th-century town of Guadalest is cradled by mountain rock, with a bell tower that is a Costa Blanca icon.

Climb Calpe's towering rock outcrop Penon de Ifach and on a clear day you can see as far as Ibiza. The slopes of the Montgo National Park rise steeply inland from Denia. Near Santa Pola, the Salinas salt flats are a haven for aquatic flora and fauna. The El Hondo near Elche is a wetland reserve vibrant with birdlife.

Dive in the marine reserve around the island of Tabarca near Alicante. Or take the plunge further south at Islas Hormigas, where wrecks strew the ocean floor off Cabo de Palos. Mountain bike through the pine forests around the La Mata lagoon, south of Torrevieja. Go paragliding from the El Cabo cliffs near Santa Pola.

Think beyond paella – restaurants such as Darsana on Alicante's marina serve more than 150 different rice dishes. Dates from the palms of Elche are an ingredient on menus throughout the region. Salt-cured fish dishes, known as salazones, include a renowned tuna version called mojame. Nougat (or turron) comes flavoured with honey and almonds, while coca de mollitas is a local cake made with white wine, olive oil, salt and flour.

In Alicante, head for the Barrio district, where clubs such as Ovuca energise the early hours. North along the coast, the summer bars along Playa San Juan are rammed with raucous revellers.

Nougat (or turron) comes in beautiful wooden boxes, botijos are local earthenware drinking jugs, or buy Fondillon wine made from the local monastrell grape.