travel
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The Serrella route, in the heart of the Costa Blanca
Posted by syameses on 28 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: tours, travel, benidorm, tourism
Costa Blanca is not all about sun and the beach, there are also many other exciting events such as mountainous routes and today we are going to offer you one of those routes thanks to the awesome blog called Linkalicante.
As a starting point, we will begin in the small town of Quatretondeta. Here is a map to help you get here by car from Benidorm.
Once we get to Quatretondeta by car, we start the route by leaving the town by a asphalt slope, which passes along walnut trees. From this point there are signs describing the trail.
Initially you walk on a path between terraces, then to pass along to a great oak and a huge mansion. From there on, the trail gets a little steep until you get to the Espinal fountain.
From the fountain, the forest trail is transformed into a trail that climbs meandering between a grove of pines. Once we leave this forest we will come to a stone quarry, not very big, at the end of which there is a vertical wall. On the right we see the side branches that lead us to “Els Frares.
Then comes one of the most beautiful parts of the trail where everything seems to become level again, but still at a great altitude. We approach what would be the cleavage formed by the two major slopes. On the left, the other side of the ravine, there is a huge stone quarry, about five hundred meters long. A bit farther we pass through a narrow passage, which appears to have some little steps. Then we move towards the cleavage, until we reach another little fountain.
After we resume our march along a forest track we get to a crossroad. Towards the left we find a pile of cut firewood. The peak is around here, looking towards Guadalest, so we must go up. We we see precious plains along the trail which are marked. A few more steps and we arrive at a very large snowfield. A little more and we will culminate the trail in a cross with the sign, Plà de la Casa, 1.379 meter.
source Linkalicante
The beginning of the Lemon Express trail has moved to L’Alfàs del Pi
Posted by syameses on 26 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: travel, alicante, benidorm, altea, Denia, tourism
There is still about a year for the Lemon Express to resume its march. Of course, this means this very peculiar transportation will change its original itinerary significantly between Benidorm and Gata de Gorgos. In fact, the starting point for the tourist train will be moved from Benidorm to L’Alfàs del Pi.
Once the renovation is completed of the Alicante-Denia line to Benidorm- which is scheduled to be finished in a month it will have increased activity because it will be the new point of trans boarding of passengers who continue the journey towards Denia in the diesel Convoys or those from the capital of Marina Alta and who will continue to Alicante on TRAM trains.
Currently, they have already completed the repair of 24 of the trains the classic one, a prerequisite for the Lemon Express to be able to circulate again, after temporarily ceasing its activities in May 2005.
Except at the point of departure, the new Lemon Express recovers its traditional route as regards tourism. This service is provided under concession stations between Benidorm and Gata de Gorgos, from Tuesday to Saturday.
Over the 40 miles the train runs through a wide range of landscapes, from the plains between Altea and Benidorm until the cliffs of the Sierra Bernia and Barranco del Mascarat, Peñón de Ifach, among other areas in the interior of the Marina Alta. The trip to to the final destination used to be done at a slower speed than the return trip so the travelers could enjoy the most spectacular reference points of the scenery.
source Las Provincias
Photo from Flickr by sergial
The hotel occupation rate increses in the first half of February
Posted by syameses on 22 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: travel, benidorm, tourism, hotels in benidorm
The hotel occupation rate during the first half of this month reached 67.60 percent, which supposed a 2.2 point increase with respect to the first 15 days of February of last year, according to the data provided by the Benidorm hotel association HOSBEC.
This occupancy figure is a result of the medium data obtained by the different lodgings of the area, the two star hotels reached 91.5 percent, three star reached 66.5 percent and the four star hotels a 66.10 percent.
40.60 percent of the visitors were Spanish and the rest of the 59.40 percent were foreigners, mainly from the United Kingdom (46.80percent), Belgium (6.10 percent) and Holland (4%).
The forecast for the second half is to reach 68.40 percent.
source La Verdad
Benidorm has tripled luxury hotel rooms in 8 years
Posted by syameses on 11 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: entertainment, beaches, travel, benidorm, terra mitica, tourism
The evolution of tourism in Benidorm has been spectacular. In fact, the luxury hotel rooms in the tourist capital of the Costa Blanca have tripled over the past 8 years. In this sense, the supply of hotels of four and five stars is already at about 35% of the total.
Data confirms that, in 2000, Benidorm had 33,143 hotel rooms, of which 4,472 were four stars, thats to say, 13.49% of the offer. For the next season, it will have climbed 22 percentage points to reach 34.7%, or 13,023 persons within a supply of 37,500 beds.
Thus, Benidorm has gone from not having any five-star establishments in 2000 to having three, and from having 12 four-star hotels eight years ago to having 25 facilities in the present.
The city is enhancing its image in order for Benidorm not be associated only with the sun and sand. In fact, it has been demonstrating in recent years that the town has great leisure offers including golf courses, theme parks and entertainment such ast he Count of Alfaz Castle , Terra Mitica or Terra Natura.
source El País
The beaches of Benidorm are distinguished with the award of Tourism Quality
Posted by syameses on 04 Feb 2008 | Tagged as: beaches, travel, benidorm
The beaches of Benidorm have a wonderful health,as they have just received the “Q” for tourist quality granted by the Quality Tourism Institute (ICTE) in the course of an event held last Wednesday in the general mezzanine of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
With this distinction it is fair to recognize the work done by institutions, companies and businessmen who have devoted their time to increase the quality of the Benidorm beaches. The tourist capital of the Costa Blanca, received the diploma for the care, maintenance and manning the beaches of Benidorm.
The beaches of Benidorm are fashionable, and they have the management and ISO certifications and environmental quality on an ongoing basis are subject to audits undertaken by outside companies and the department itself municipal beaches. It has an important policing and service rescuers throughout the year.
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source Diario Información
Benidorm was the honeymoon destination for the writers Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath
Posted by syameses on 30 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: travel, curiosities, benidorm
Thanks to the work of Pasqual Almiñana Orozco, a professor of literature and author of several works on toponymy of the Marina Baixa, we recently discovered that the English poet Ted Hughes (1939-1998) and the American writer Sylvia Plath (Boston 1932-London 1963) enjoyed their honeymoon in Benidorm, specifically in 1956.
This curious research, has allowed us to see what Benidorm was like before the tourist boom. Straight from the mouth of Sylvia Plath, Benidorm was a beloved town: “As soon as I found that little town … after an hour of travel by bus through deserts of red sand hills, olive groves and scrub all so typical, and I saw that sparkling blue sea, the clean curve of its beaches, its immaculate streets and houses-all with a small town and relumbrante dream, I felt instinctively, like Ted, that this was our place…”.
The writer couple got married June 19th, 1956 and their honeymoon took them to Paris, Madrid and Benidorm. They had two sons and separated in 1962. Sylvia Plath committed suicide shortly there after in London.
The couple stayed in his summer residence, which is now on the streets of Tomas Ortuño. This route, then was almost on the outskirts and offered peace and quiet to write and even mountain views by the absence of apartment towers.
source El País
The semidirect TRAM service in Benidorm will expand before Easter
Posted by syameses on 29 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: general, travel, alicante, benidorm, altea, terra mitica, Denia, La vila Joiosa
The TRAM- trains that up to this date only covered the trajectory between Alicante and the station in the Creueta, in the Vila, will get to Benidorm before Easter.
It seems, so far there is no inauguration date for the new stretch, although everything is indicating that it will be at the end of February or beginning of March. As a matter of fact next month it is anticipated that they will start to circulate the new test runs units of the TRAM-train between La Vila and Benidorm.
The new convoys will invest in covering the trajectory between Alicante-Benidorm in just 55 minutes, which supposes around a quarter of an hour and 20 minutes less that what it takes up to the moment in normal conditions.
When the new stretch is open, the line will also make a stip in front of the Comarcal de La Vila hospital, Terra Mitica and center Benidorm.
The last phase of remodeling the trenet will affect the Benidorm-Altea stretch, that will not be completed until the en of 2008 or beginning of 2009.
source Terra Actualidad
Magic Costa Blanca hires Poty to direct their dance academy
Posted by syameses on 28 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: entertainment, travel, curiosities, benidorm, sports, hotels, hotels in benidorm
We told you a couple of weeks ago that the hotel group Magic Costa Blanca has incorporated dance classes to its entertainment offers. Well, the hotel chain has pur all its effort in this initiative and they have hired Poty to direct the dance academy.
Magic Costa Blanca has designed a fantastic world centered in magic. In which the clients who visit their establisments can learn magic in their School of Magical Arts in teh Alfaz Castel and in the the Residential houses ordered by magic to be found in hotels of the group.
But this world of fantasy focused towards kids, needed to be completed with an initiative for adults. The answer is dance and the best at this specialty is Poty. A person who will take the Magic Costa Blanca brand this year and the dance academy. Poty assures that we are all going to dance.
The Magic Costa Blanca clients will learn two choreographies in two different style each week and they will get to enjoy the great dance show-contest in each hotel where they will compete realizing the choreographyes designed by Poty: the teachers, the students and the employees of the hotel.
Source jgarciacuenca
Enjoy an evening with first class acrobats in Benidorm
Posted by syameses on 21 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: entertainment, travel, benidorm
The entertaining offers in Benidorm are without a doubt one of the most varied in the nation. One of these awasome entertainment offers for the entire family is the show by The Peres Brothers, a pair of spectacular acrobats that offer shows in the Benidorm Palace weekend evenings.
Ivan and Adan, princess estefania of Monico´s ex, represent the fifth generation of this famous family of artist from the Portuguese circus. They have recently worked in the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris.
This type of show has offers great entertainment for Benidorm families, without a doubt one of the principle objectives of the hotel chain Magic Costa Blanca. Nights full of magic and shows. Are you curious? Spend a weekend at their hotels and discover why.
I love Benidorm
Posted by syameses on 18 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: entertainment, travel, benidorm, hotels, tourism, hotels in benidorm
I love Benidorm, a very simple slogan but at the same time a strong message, will be the words that represent the tourist capital of the Costa Blanca, in the next edition of the International Tourism Fair in Madrid (FITUR 2008), which will be celebrated between January 30th and February 3rd.Benidorm´s City Hall will invest an estimated 400,000 euros in the exposition that will represent the event and which will have as its tittle I Love Benidorm. The campaign pretends to re claim the touristic mark of the town and the pride of having visited such a city.
The cousil will take advantage of the revival to recuperate in FITUR the aesthetics and the marketing that was fashionable in the eighties with the distribution thousands of white shirts with the slogan I love Benidorm.
Benidorm wants to reaffirm its the highest level in global tourism as well as aline the city with global tourism icons.
The campaign will focus its theme on touristic photographs printed in T-shirts with the slogan I love Benidorm taken next to some of these icons such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben in London, the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Source Diario Informacion
