Ok so a little confession… before this year I was a ‘Costa snob’.
We had overlooked holidays to the Costa Del Sol and Costa Blanca as it would always raise images of brash Brits abroad, English breakfasts, bars playing football, high rise hotels and rammed beaches. How very wrong I have been!
This year we have been lucky enough to visit Javea in the Costa Blanca region and have last month spent time in Competa, a stones throw away from the Costa Del Sol. Both have been amazing holidays and filled with little hidden gems. Jon and I would never have booked holidays here. If you said Costa I’d say Rica and be on my way to Central America,! Javea was a family holiday booked with Jon’s whole clan and we are very lucky to have access to a family villa in Competa (for me it was the first time I had been, you can book it here if you are looking for somewhere).
Here are some of the highlights, but we will definitely exploring these areas more in the future!
Competa – Costa Del Sol
Competa is a small town about hour and half from Malaga, it’s set in the hillside with the stunning Sierra Tejeda mountains as a backdrop and overlooks the Mediterranean sea. I have been to Malaga previously, but like many this has been for a drunken stint in Marbella for a hen party, so I have never really explored the region before. It was the end of September – perfect time of year to visit, out of school holidays so not rammed and just at the start of autumn so not boiling hot.
Nerja is the beach town you will hear about most. Its a long stretch of beach which is perfect for families. There are some lovely restaurants along the beach front serving up fresh seafood and great paella, I’d definitely recommend Merendero Montemar. And there is plenty to keep kids occupied from a park to pedalos. The sea is also pretty calm here, so great for swimming.
If you drive a little further down the coast you will come to Playa De Maro, which is a a stunning beach cove and is less touristy. We loved it here, and Kit was able to spend the day eating sand and licking the salty sea off stones (her new favourite thing?!). It is a black sand beach, so I’d recommend wearing sandals and having sandals for the babes – as it can get very hot! You can hire sunbeds and parasols for 5 euros each for the day and there is a small beach bar serving food and drinks – which thankfully takes card! You can catch gorgeous sunsets here.
If there was ever an instagrammable town, it is Frigliana. White wash buildings, terracotta roofs, cobbled streets, cobalt blue pots and cascading waterfalls of bougainvillea. If you are in this region, you have to come here and you will see why it is often voted as one of the prettiest villages in Andalusia. It does feel like you are in Mykonos or Morocco with the myriad of beautiful and unique doorways! You can just spend a whole day meandering the little cobbled streets, eating tapas and visiting some of the little galleries.
Competa is another great little town and we were lucky to have this as a base. Again lovely little cobbled streets and whitewashed buildings. There are some great little eats here including La Teteria Restaurante Hierbaubuena, a gorgeous lil cafe with great food and great at catering for the lil ones. Another place not to miss is El Pilon, set up high its worth booking dinner to watch the sunset over the town.
If you after a hike or change of scene from the villages and beach, head to the mountains of Sierra Tejeda National Park. This is border between Malaga and Granada. There are some great walks, and panoramic vistas for stunning views.
Javea – Costa Blanca
We all (16 of us!) stayed in a great villa, just outside Javea booked through Villa Plus . It was the height of summer in Spain and was super hot, so in all honesty we spent a lot of time around the pool, trying to keep cool. However we did venture out, as its in our nature to explore and we get itchy feet. But I have to say I would have loved to visit this area outside of the school holidays, when it wasn’t so busy!
The best beaches here for us were Playa Del Arenal and Cala La Granadella. Arenal is a sandy beach (one of very few!) and is right in the heart of Javea. It has the Montgo Mountain as a backdrop and the beach and calm waters are certified by blue flag, so great for the kids. This is also the place for bars and restaurants, a fave was Chabada right on the promenade. Maybe it was the ornate parasols which were similar to the ones we had at our wedding or probably the amazing cocktails. You have to come to Arenal for the sunset.
Grandella, is a gorgeous little cove beach, surrounded by stunning mountains. The drive down is through a beautiful forest and valley. If you are there in peak summer, get there early. They actually close the road after 10am as the road gets so busy with cars. If you get there and don’t get a spot on the very steep windy road, make sure you have some cash as there are a few private residences that hire out their driveways. If the road is closed off, you will be directed to a car park which operates a free bus service every 20 minutes.
The Algar waterfalls is another beautiful spot worth visiting, but again out of season. At Les Fonts D’Algar you can make your way down about 1.5km of pools and cascades. The water is really refreshing and there are also spots where you can jump into the water. Its such a beautiful spot, with stunning scenery and worth the day exploring. They have spots to eat if you want to bring a picnic, but the town just before you enter has a few restaurants to eat in as well.
The market is also worth a visit if you have time, amazing fruit and veg and deli’s but also great for those summer clothes you can only wear on holiday! Think lots of white linin and cotton. I bagged myself a beautiful large rainbow wicker basket bag for about 30 euros. Its held every Thursday morning.