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

One of the most important heritage buildings in Benidorm is now ready for the high season of tourism. The Church of St. James and St. Ana, aret he oldest and most emblematic religious buildings of the tourist capital of the Costa Blanca.

The temple will reopen its doors tomorrow afternoon after eight months of intensive work and a 900,000 euros investment to improve the interior of the building.

This church was built by the benidormenses between the years 1740 and 1780, therefore needed a face lift to recover its original splendor.

The restoration will make that the church have better lighting, both in the main hall and the side altars. In addition, windows have been installed and a new air conditioning system.
source Diario Información

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

One of the great attractions of the Costa Blanca is its rich and varied cuisine. Surely many of you have enjoyed the kitchen of our land.

One of those jewels is La Vila Joiosa thanks to the intense flavors of fish and rice as its star products. The  traditional and seafood dishes , developed with the top quality raw materials that its sea and land offer have made this town on the Costa Blanca very famous.

The Mostra Cuina Marinera is a summary of all this. From February 25 to March 2nd seventeen restaurants will participate in this eighth edition, they will offer rich tasting menus, developed especially for the occasion, in which tradition and innovation merge with spectacular results.

This sample has gained prestige since it began in 2001. Today is the source of all initiatives covered under the brand name La Vila Gourmet created by the municipality of La Vila Joiosa to promote cooking and food in the city.
source Generalitat Valenciana

Photo captured by zell0ss

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.