Sun, sea, sand and Saga
EDWARD STEPHENS discovers a gentler side of the Costa Blanca with Saga Holidays
BLINK and you could miss the turning for the little town of Albir as you head north from the airport at Alicante towards Valencia on Spain’s Costa Blanca. You certainly won’t miss the turning for its famous – some would say infamous – neighbour Benidorm, no matter how many times you blink. The huge tower blocks which head skywards in their dozens will see to that.
But, despite its close proximity geographically – the two towns are just seven kilometres apart – in almost every other respect they are worlds apart.
The low rise, affluent, blue flag beach resort of Albir boasts an appealing expanse of sand and pebbles which never gets overcrowded and a super palmfringed beach-front walkway which stretches to the next resort of Altea some 2.5 kilometres away.
Fortunately for Albir, the hills that surround it protect the beach area completely from the view of the high rise horizon which lies just a 15-minute taxi ride away.
Albir seems to pride itself on being the very antithesis of Benidorm. Just six buildings in the whole town are above six storeys and they were amongst the first ones constructed there.
The town elders apparently didn’t want the same reputation as Benidorm and so banned construction above the six storey level.
This has ensured that the resort has a picturesque green backdrop of hills rather than concrete.
It’s a feature not lost on both families with young children and the more senior holidaymakers travelling to Albir with the holiday company my wife and I were guests of, Saga.
And before we get any silver surfer jokes remember that now anyone over 50 can travel with Saga and their companion can be just 40-plus.
It’s a company that guests seem to try once and return to year after year. I was surprised to discover that during the November week we were there, 75% of the Saga guests at the Hotel Kaktus in Albir – the hotel we stayed at – were repeat customers.
One lady was booked in for six weeks as part of the 26 weeks of the year she spends holidaying with Saga at different destinations around the world.
Another couple there for just one week were due to return in three weeks time for 10-weeks.
The Kaktus occupies a prime position in Albir right on the beach front, and the clever double V design of the building ensures that every balcony has at least a partial sea view. Residents who leave their balcony doors open can go to sleep to the sound of waves breaking on the shore.
Unusually this is a hotel which not only has a swimming pool which runs, moat-like along the front and side, but also a second pool on the roof sun deck, with a sliding glass cover which meant I could swim in comfort even on cool November evenings.
Close by is the rooftop gym with its glass walls affording a panoramic view as you exercise.
There’s entertainment most days of the week and the hotel has the largest dance floor in the area, which means that at weekends the locals flood in to give an informal but very entertaining Spanish-style Strictly Come Dancing exhibition.
Despite its low key demeanour, Albir is hardly a sleepy resort. We found the streets behind the seafront boasted a plethora of bars and restaurants as well as a reasonable selection of shops.
If you want even more, the pleasant 20-minute meander along the coastal footpath (or five minutes on the bus) brings you to an even larger selection in neighbouring Altea. And Altea beachfront leaves you spoiled for choice when it comes to eateries.
And if you’re feeling energetic Altea old town is a must. Set high above the modern town it’s reached via a series of steep steps, but it’s a climb worth making, as we found one sunny afternoon.
As we headed ever upwards we soon found ourselves surrounded by neat whitewashed houses, their walls a contrasting backdrop for colourful Mediterranean flowers and black wrought iron balconies.
The houses sit among a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets dotted with the tiny galleries and workshops of local artists. It’s one of the prettiest spots on the Costa Blanca.
From the town square at the highest point – dominated by the dramatic blue and white tiled dome of the church – we had spectacular views of the coast below.
And in one of the many tiny local restaurants we enjoyed a superb menu del dia for just €15. It might be touristy here but it’s not expensive.
Guests booking a week with Saga get a complimentary half-day excursion while those booking two weeks get a full-day trip too.
Our half-day out took us to Javea, the busy but charming coastal town which claims to have more days of sunshine than anywhere else on the Costa Blanca.
One thing I didn’t expect to see when looking out of the coach on the road from Altea to Javea though was a Russian Orthodox Church with its distinctive onion-shaped domes. Apparently it was built in 2000 from material all imported from Russia thanks to generous donations from Russian expats now living in the region.
Javea, too, has a church with a difference. The avant-garde Church of Our Lady of Loreto, locally known as the fisherman’s church, has a ceiling in the shape of a boat’s hull and a dramatic exterior.
And talking of fish, after a few hours of wandering around Javea it was time to get back to Albir ready for one of the Kaktus’s numerous speciality buffets – in this case the It’s a long haul up the steps to Altea Old Town but the beauty awaiting the energetic is worth the effort
spectacular seafood buffet, which is also open to non residents.
Now the Spanish in Albir are a pretty discerning bunch, and they packed the restaurant for this event, which must say more than I ever can about the standard of food on offer there.
If you stay at the Kaktus you can catch the number 10 bus to Benidorm from a stop just around
the block. But if you’re anything like me it won’t be long before you’re clamouring for a return ticket – so you can get back to Albir.