Spanish Towns – Cocentaina and the Costa Blanca

Cocentaina – Sitting by the river Serpis and surrounded by the Mariola mountains, the ancient Costa Blanca town of Cocentaina is a bustling town with and interesting and distinguished history going back to the Neoloithic Era. Cave paintings in the area show of these ancient civilizations though little is known today of what the region was like in those long-ago times. The known history of Cocentaina begins in the time of the Arab Conquest (8th to 13th Centuries) and the remains of an old Arab watch-tower still gaze down on the town today. Modern Cocentaina has a number of interesting places to visit and is well known for its lively Moors and Christians (Moros y Cristianos) festival.

Benferri – The delightful village of Benferri is ideally located in a triangle between Alicante, Murcia and Orihuela, it is one of the Vega Baja (Low Fertile Valley) villages situated in rich citrus farming country. The land around Benferri was irrigated first by the Romans and later by the Arabs during the Muslim occupation (eighth to thirteenth centuries) making the soil perfect for the growing of fruit and vegetables. The original village was set up by James Rocamora in 1494, he built 29 dwellings for 29 families to live and work in the village – his work was carried on by his son Jeronimo de Rocamora, the church of San Jeronimo still stands today.

Torrevieja – Every year thousands of holidaymakers from Spain and indeed all over Europe head for the Costa Blanca town of Torrevieja. Its great range of facilities, its excellent sandy beaches and its lively atmosphere all help to make it a popular choice. Formerly a small fishing village, Torrevieja became one of the major salt exporters in the world thanks to the two huge salt lakes located behind the town. An explosion in property development during the 1980’s and 1990’s caused the town to grow at a phenomenal rate.

Alcoy - The capital of the L'Alcoia district of the province of Alicante, Alcoy has a population of around sixty thousand. Known as 'The City of Bridges', Alcoy is located in mountainous counryside inland from Alicante. A thriving industrial town, Alcoy is perhaps best known for its amazing Moors and Christians festival (Moros Y Cristianos) which takes place in April. Over a period of four days Alcoy is transformed into a medieval pageant, during which the people of the town take part in a mock battle between the Moors and the Christians, dressed in the costume of the day.

Rojales – A pretty village located on the banks of the Segura river, Rojales has been able to keep its traditional Spanish feel, despite the onslaught of tourism and property development. With a history stretching back to the Arab Occupation, Rojales still has evidence of irrigation systems put into place by the Moors during their time in the area. Worth visiting while in Rojales are the Water Wheel, the Azud, the Charles III bridge and the Gasparito Wells, also worth a look are the cave houses at El Rodeo, where a regular craft market is held.

Vega Baja – The most southerly district of the Alicante province, the Vega Baja has a name which means ‘Low Fertile Valley’, an important area for the growing of fresh produce, citrus fruits in particular, it also has a beautiful coastline with some fine beaches and popular resorts. The capital of the district is the town of Orihuela and the largest of its coastal towns are Torrevieja and Guardamar del Segura, where superb white, sandy beaches are lapped by the sparkling, tranquil waters of the azure blue Mediterranean Sea.

Benidorm - By far the biggest tourist resort on the Costa Blanca and probably the whole of Europe, the town of Benidorm is visited by over 4 million holidaymakers each year, and it is not hard to see why it is such a big draw. Benidorm basically, has it all, beautiful wide, sandy beaches, which stretch for miles, a huge variety of bars, restaurants and live entertainment, superb luxury hotels with excellent facilities, a vibrant and exciting nightlife and numerous fabulous tourist attractions including theme parks, funfairs, safari parks, animal shows and a wonderful water park. For a family holiday with plenty to do a href=http://needahandspanishproperties.com/>Benidorm cannot be matched on the Costa Blanca, or in fact anywhere else in Spain.

This excellent article about the Costa Blanca town of Cocentaina was written by Steve Locke who lives in Cabo Roig. To read more about Cocentaina and many other Spanish towns click here:- Cocentaina and to learn about neighbouring Alcoy look here:- Alcoy