Work Trip Costa Blanca, January 2018

This was my first visit to this area of Spain and the first opportunity for me to do some solo traveling, which I was excited but also nervous about. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to spend 3 weeks working in Benidorm, and despite any prior worries, I ended up having an amazing time. Although I have previously traveled on my own every now and then, I had never had the chance to spend so much time on my own in a new place. It took me a little while to settle in (totally guilty of wasting my first weekend abroad chilling in the hotel and not venturing much further than the beach) but once I had got over that barrier I made the most of my time and spent the next weekend exploring the local area. The strangest thing for me to overcome was eating out on my own as I found that quite an awkward challenge, especially combined with being vegetarian as it was hard to find a suitable restaurant whilst also not speaking the language. All I can recommend with this is that more people than you imagine do eat out on their own, and actually, it's only weird if you overthink it! 

From working in travel over the past couple of years I have learned a lot about Benidorm itself without actually having experienced it, and I had some interesting preconceptions about it. Don't get me wrong I can see why so many people absolutely love it, but it's not the usual kind of destination that would appeal to me. If I'm honest, I was pleasantly surprised by the sunny and mild weather paired with a large and mostly empty beach, although I must admit I'm in no rush to head back on my own holiday. I think that January was the perfect time for me to visit as it was pretty quiet, and it was amazing being able to read a book on the beach before heading into the office. There are plenty of tacky bars/restaurants which I tried to avoid, and spent most of my time in the resort looking out to sea as it was much prettier than looking around the streets of the new town. Having said that the evening entertainment was a good laugh, and unlike anything I have ever seen before. (Bruno Mars is a must see...) I also had the chance to look around the Old Town for a couple of afternoons, which had some nice touches. The must-see areas of the Old Town are the Mirador Del Mediterraneo (a gorgeous viewpoint which gives you panoramic views of the ocean) and Tapas Alley which is filled with lots of delicious tapas. (and cheap red wine, winning!)

On one of my first days off whilst working in Benidorm I visited Alicante city for a day trip which was well worth doing. The tram journey took just over an hour and only cost about 6 euros for a return which was a bargain. The city itself was really interesting and there was plenty to see and do there, combined with the added bonus of another lovely beach too. During my day trip, I visited the MACA (Contemporary Art Museum of Alicante) which was interesting although relatively small. I then also managed to fit in a wander around the marina which is a lovely spot to sit and watch the sunset, and of course, eat lots of ice cream. 

If you want to get some great views of the city of Alicante then the top of the Santa Barbara Castle is the place for you. The Castle can be seen perched up on top of a hill that you can see whilst walking around the city, and the views from the top are really breathtaking. I walked up to the castle (it was hard work not going to lie) only to find when I got to the top you could actually just get a lift from the beach straight to the top for a couple of euros! Typical – but despite that, it was well worth the trek so I guess I can't complain.

The next day trip I took on one of my days off was to visit the nearby resort of Calpe. The tram from Benidorm goes in the opposite direction to the journey I'd already made to Alicante the previous day, took around 40 mins and cost around 4 euros for a return. Keep in mind that when you arrive at Calpe tram station you need to take a bus to the center (another couple of euros) as it's still a while away, and not walk-able as you need to cross some pretty major roads. I didn't realise I would need to get a bus so unfortunately I wasn't prepared as I could have been - I couldn't find the bus stop to get the return journey back to the tram station so I ended up having to fork out for a taxi to get back in time - oops! Calpe has a much more of a relaxed feel compared to Benidorm, although there are still plenty of similarities as there are a lot of skyscraper hotels and also a lovely big beach. 

The major attraction in my mind is the large rock at the end of the coastline called the Parque Natural de Penyal D'Ifach (see above) which is impressive to see and looks great in photos. Just behind the hotel are the amazing salt flats of Calpe which are beautiful and what I had actually come to see as I had heard that flamingos migrate to the salt flats during the winter. I couldn't find any information online prior to my visit as to what months I should expect them to be there but, luckily for me, the flamingos where there when I arrived which absolutely made my day!

There are lots of other tram stops along the same line that also look like they would be worth a visit but I wasn't able to fit in this time, including Altea, Albir and Dénia to name a few.  If you were wanting to venture even further, I would recommend spending a night in Valencia. Overall, the Costa Blanca really is a beautiful area of Spain and I hope I manage to get myself back out there for some more work and exploring opportunities. You definitely won't get bored quickly exploring the area!