Posted on June 16, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

Say what you like about foreign drivers and their annoying habits, driving abroad IS worth it. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that renting a car on holiday shatters many preconceived ideas about a place. Let’s take Alicante car rental for example. As a holiday destination, Alicante has all the ingredients for a relaxing, sunshine-on-tap type of break, but if you want to see more than just the beach and the apartment complex, your options are quite limited.
Sure you can take a trip into the old town or spend a day by the sea, but you never really get to experience the essence of the Costa Blanca.
Villajoyosa, Gandia and Moraira are three authentic Costa Blancan towns that you’ll miss out on should you choose to snooze by the pool.

Villajoyosa

Villajoyosa is situated 10km south of Benidorm (within a 30 minute drive north of Alicante, on the N-332 along the coast). Translated directly, Villajoyosa means ‘jewelled town’. It flaunts it authentic Spanish charm through its vividly painted houses, bustling fishing harbour and lively fish market. The whole town is bordered by a palm-fringed beach that is crowned with a dinky little port.

Gandia

Gandia is located around 100km to the north of Alicante. The town can be reached via the Autovia or National road which runs from Alicante to Gandia. Gandia’s tourist attractions are many and varied. From huge air-conditioned shopping malls to eye-catching architecture, nobody comes away from Gandia empty handed – if you don’t snap up a few bargains you’ll definitely snap a fair amount of sights. The Palace of Santo Duque is definitely worth a look. You’ll find it at the end of the old city centre. The building is renowned for its patio de las armas, as well as its stairway. Don’t leave Gandia without checking out the city of Oliva and its charming old town centre.

Moraira

Moraira can be reached via the national highway N-332 or via the AP-7 (pay highway). The area is characterised by leafy vineyards. It is also well worth stopping off at the colourful street market in nearby Teulada, (8km inland from Moraira) Moraira’s beaches are clean and safe – Portet is a lovely little cove that deserves special mention. Its history stretches all the way back to Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Arab settlers. Today it attracts a range of nautical sports enthusiasts as well as leisurely walkers who stroll out to the watch tower at the Cap d’Or.

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