This stretch runs roughly from Alicante down to Pilar de la Horadada. La Mata and Moncayo have pine forest behind them, which means shade. Four small calas stay quiet even in August. Most of these are within half an hour of Orihuela Costa.
The Costa Blanca South runs roughly from Alicante down to Pilar de la Horadada, and the character changes a lot across that distance. Wide dune beaches at the top, rocky coves in the middle, long golden stretches at the bottom.
This is the scenic list. If you want the practical version, which beach suits a toddler versus which has parking, we have written that separately. This one is about where to go when you want somewhere that looks extraordinary.
Playa de La Mata, Torrevieja. Long, open, with the pink lagoon behind it and pine forest at one end. The combination of salt lake and sea in one walk is the best couple of hours on this coast.
Playa Moncayo, Guardamar del Segura. Dunes and a pine plantation behind the sand, which keeps it cooler than anywhere else nearby. Properly beautiful and far less busy than it deserves.
Playa de La Glea, Campoamor. Golden sand, low cliffs at the edges, marina within sight. Easy to spend a whole day.
Cala Bosque, La Zenia. Around 350 metres of fine sand with rock at either end and clear water for snorkelling. Blue Flag.
Playa Flamenca, Orihuela Costa. Twin coves joined by a promenade. The most photographed stretch around here for good reason.
Mil Palmeras, Pilar de la Horadada. Fine sand, calm shallow water, and a quieter feel than anything further north.
Cala Capitan, Cabo Roig. Small, sheltered, shallow. The water clarity here is as good as it gets on this coast.
Playa de Los Naufragos, Torrevieja. Sheltered town beach with calm water, backed by the promenade.
Playa de la Marina, Elche. Dunes and pine again, further north, wilder than the Torrevieja beaches.
Playa del Cura, Torrevieja. The town beach proper. Not the most natural on the list, but the setting and the evening promenade earn it a place.
Smaller, harder to park at, and noticeably emptier in August.
Snorkelling is better than people expect at the rocky calas, particularly Cala Capitan and Cala Ferris. Paddleboards and kayaks are rentable at most of the bigger beaches in season. The coastal path between Cabo Roig and La Zenia is a genuinely good walk. And the Torrevieja and La Mata lagoons are a different kind of landscape entirely, fifteen minutes inland.
Parking is the constraint in July and August, not space on the sand. Arrive before ten or after five. Shade is scarce on the open beaches, which is why Moncayo and La Marina with their pine forests are worth the drive. Check the flag before swimming, and take water, because beach bars are not guaranteed at the smaller calas.
We have managed 50+ homes along this coast, and the distance to a good beach is one of the clearest patterns in which properties book well. Guests choose on the beach first and the house second. It is worth knowing, whether you are booking a week or buying somewhere.
Questions about either? +34 658 235 481 or info@casacapitals.com.
A couple of the properties we actually manage on the Costa Blanca.
We have managed 50+ homes on the Costa Blanca from our base in Orihuela Costa. Ask us anything about yours.
Four ways we work with owners, buyers and guests across the Costa Blanca.
We run the whole letting operation for you: listings, pricing, guests, cleaning and clear reporting.
Buying or selling on the Costa Blanca, guided by a team that manages property here every single day.
Browse the homes we look after and book your stay direct with the people who run them.
Maintenance, seasonal checks and repairs for owners who cannot be here to handle them.
Send us the address and a few photos and we will come back with what we would expect it to earn, and what we would change to get there.
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