Travel in the Time of COVID: Europe 2021 – Spain

Communidad de Valencia / Costa Blanca

Yes, I said I was going to do a food and drink of Croatia, but I prefer to write about what I am currently seeing and experiencing – so you’re off to southeastern Spain. 

Part one of the journey took us from Zagreb to Munich by turbo prop – with seats next to one of the props. It was an early morning flight, so the view from my seat was pretty spectacular as the sun came while crossing the Dinaric Alps. 

Our friends Liam and Alan live in Teulada, a beautiful town situated five kilometers above Moraira, which sits on the Mediterranean. 

They have created a small piece of paradise,

of which John and I get to avail ourselves for a few weeks while wandering the Costa Blanca with them, sampling local food and wine.

Many of the coastal towns in the Valencia region are homes to expats and holidaymakers, taking advantage of the beaches and beautiful seaside coupled with a low cost of living (away from the beaches in market towns such as Benissa – rent for a 2BR/1Ba apartment can be as low as 350 Euro a month -just under $400). 

We started with a day trip to Benidorm – complete with a boardwalk that separates the beach from restaurants and shops, crowded with people enjoying the Mediterranean sun and sand.

It reminded me of Ocean City, Maryland. One of the great attractions of the town not related to the beach is “Tapas Alley” – a 3 block stretch of streets with small taverns, each with their own snacks served with drinks, everything from boiled nuts to oysters. A regional tram can take you to Alicante – the main city with airport for this part of the Valencian district, and even back to Teulada. 

Calpe (also called “Calp” in Valenciana), a twenty-minute drive up the coast from Teulada, offers great views with an impressive rock defining its coast, nice beaches, and “the Queen’s Bath” –

according to legend, an area carved into the native coastal rock creating a natural private bath for the Queen of Valencia (in reality, they were a 2000-year old Roman fish farm, but that’s much less interesting). Even at the waterfront there are reasonably priced restaurants that offer a 3-course meal with drink (glass of wine/ small beer or water) for 20E/pp (though you’ll only pay 15E a few blocks further in). For those interested in continuing their education in retirement, there is a U3A (university of the third age), which includes classes in English and a choir. 

A little further up the coast, and over Montgo (a mountain landmark in the region), you arrive in Denia. A glorious beach town with 20 kilometers (about 14 miles) of coastline full of beachgoers, sailors and fisherfolk. We took advantage of the “Ruta de Tapas” special going from late October to mid-November, where over 30 local bars offer a drink and a special tapa for 3E per person.

My favorite was a grilled tuna taco with a lovely light sauce. We needed a long walk the next morning to recover (no, we did not go to all 30+), but with miles of beaches, it was easy to find a beautiful place to get in the much-needed exercise.

We spent Halloween at a Bar de Tapas called Casa Pedro, where the owner hired an English singer to entertain us while we enjoyed wine, water, and a seemingly never-ending selection of tapas (from olives to lamb chops and profiteroles for dessert) for 20E per person. 

We will be spending a few more days in Teulada, enjoying the town and its many lovely bars and restaurants, 

before going on a road trip covering much of the Andalusian region of Spain.