Best of 2023 - Costa Blanca
A FAM trip to the
Costa Blanca
with 20 golf courses first took us to La Finca Golf Resort south of Alicante. Authentically Spanish on the outside, the hotel offers a stylish counterpart in the lobby with orange leather furniture under the glass roof. The 18 holes of the course of the same name are lined up all around and the clubhouse with its excellent cuisine offers the necessary romantic touch.
www.lafincagolfresort.com
The next stop was Alicante: with one of the most beautiful promenades in the country, the Explanada de España, the Castillo de Santa Barbara with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and the sea, the old town district of Santa Cruz with its beautiful Spanish villas and facades decorated with colorful tiles and, last but not least, the port, where there is still a lot going on late at night. We played golf on the "La Finca" course with several lakes and reed beds, a paradise for water birds and Mediterranean flair with palm and olive trees in between. The extraordinary ambience ranks the course among the top 50 European golf courses. Immediately afterwards, we visited the Font de Llop Club Resort, designed according to the American model with Scottish influences, where you can also stay right next to the 18 fairways.
www.fontdelllop.com
Then we went to Benidorm, which I didn't remember like this. The art-filled entrance to the city was surprising and the vibrant old town really offers everything for visitors. Impressive high-rise buildings are lined up along the coast, which together with the long, bright sandy beaches and the beautiful turquoise blue sea characterize the entire landscape. Formerly a small fishing village, it is now known as the "Manhattan of Spain". From the fantastic viewpoint El Mirador de la Punta del Canfali, you have a wonderful view of the city, with its many skyscrapers and beautiful Poniente and Levante beaches. The two 18-hole courses of the Viiatanan Golf Course in Benidorm have the same name. Both were designed by golf icon Jack Nicklaus and are located right next to the beautifully designed grounds of the Meliá Hotel.
www.meliavillaitanagolf.com
Don't miss a short detour to the picturesque town of Altea. The port town is just around the corner from Benidorm and is particularly popular for its snow-white old town on a hill overlooking the sea. Our walk took us through narrow cobbled streets, past pretty boutiques and beautiful viewpoints to the church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo, which enchants with its fascinating blue domes. The welcoming Spanish tourist office "Turespana" in Munich also put a lot of thought into the hotels: the well thought-out selection in Alicante fell on the stylish Hotel Hospes Amérigo in the middle of the old town and near Altea on the Asia Gardens Hotel, in my opinion the best in the area - even for non-golfers. As the name suggests, you stay here in a wonderful park, full of palm trees and flowering plants and feel like you're in the Garden of Eden. Although the rooms are a little dated, the Asian influence is unmistakable - even in the spa. The best place to recover from a strenuous game of golf.
www.spain.info/de/region/costa-blanca/
Text & photos: Elsa Honecker
