10 Best Beaches on Costa Blanca (and Property Nearby)

Why Costa Blanca Has Spain's Best Beaches

Costa Blanca — the White Coast — stretches 200 kilometres from Denia in the north to Pilar de la Horadada in the south. It earns more Blue Flag awards than almost any other stretch of Spanish coastline. The name comes from the white light that bounces off its limestone cliffs, but it could just as easily describe the pale sand that lines dozens of its beaches.

For property buyers, beaches are not just lifestyle — they are value. An apartment within 500 metres of a quality beach commands 20–40% more than an identical property a kilometre inland. Proximity to the beach is the single strongest price driver on the Costa Blanca, above views, pool access, or building age.

Here are the 10 best beaches on the Costa Blanca, what makes each one special, and what property costs within walking distance.

1. Playa de San Juan, Alicante

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 6.2 km. Crowd level: Moderate — spreads well due to length. Sand type: Fine golden.

Playa de San Juan is the grande dame of Costa Blanca beaches. Nearly seven kilometres of fine golden sand backed by a palm-lined promenade, it runs from the northern edge of Alicante city into the suburb of Campello. The beach is wide enough — 60 metres at most points — that even in August it never feels unbearable. Lifeguards operate year-round. The promenade has restaurants, chiringuitos (beach bars), showers, and accessible ramps every 200 metres.

The tram line runs the full length of the beach, connecting directly to Alicante city centre in 20 minutes and the airport in 35. This combination — urban beach with genuine transport links — is rare in Spain.

Property nearby: San Juan beach is backed by medium-rise apartments built mostly in the 1980s–2000s. Front-line 2-bedroom apartments with sea views start at €180,000–250,000. Second-line (one street back) drops to €140,000–190,000. New-build developments in the Playa de San Juan area price at €220,000–350,000 for 2–3 bedrooms. The Alicante city end is cheaper; the Campello end is quieter and slightly more expensive.

2. Playa de La Mata, Torrevieja

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 2.1 km. Crowd level: Moderate to busy in summer. Sand type: Fine golden.

La Mata is the northern beach of Torrevieja, separated from the city by the pink salt lake that has made Torrevieja famous on social media. The beach itself is a generous crescent of golden sand backed by low dunes and a long promenade. What makes La Mata special is the combination of a quality beach with Torrevieja's extremely affordable property market.

The water is shallow for 30–40 metres out, making it ideal for families with small children. Facilities include lifeguards (June–September), showers, foot-wash stations, and several chiringuitos. The natural park of the salt lagoon sits directly behind the beach, offering walking trails with flamingo sightings.

Property nearby: La Mata is one of the most affordable beachside locations on the entire Spanish Mediterranean. 2-bedroom apartments within 300 metres of the sand start at €75,000–110,000. Renovated or newer properties with sea views range €120,000–170,000. Front-line penthouses with terraces overlooking the beach price at €150,000–220,000. These prices are roughly half what you would pay for equivalent beach proximity in Javea or Moraira.

3. Cala Granadella, Javea (Xabia)

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 160 m. Crowd level: Very busy July–August; peaceful off-season. Sand type: Pebble and gravel.

Granadella is regularly voted the best beach in Spain by Spanish media — and the accolade is deserved. This small cove sits at the bottom of a steep, forested valley south of Javea. The water is an almost Caribbean shade of turquoise, sheltered by high cliffs covered in Aleppo pine. Visibility is exceptional — you can see the seabed 10 metres down.

The beach is pebble, not sand, and tiny — perhaps 160 metres across. It gets extremely busy in July and August; the single-lane access road is closed to traffic once the small car park fills. Visit in June or September and you get the same crystal water with a fraction of the people. A single restaurant (Restaurante Granadella) serves excellent rice dishes directly on the beach.

Property nearby: Granadella sits in Javea's premium zone. There are no apartments directly at the cove — the surrounding land is protected. The nearest properties are villas in the hills above, typically 1–3 km from the beach. Villas with sea views in the Granadella area start at €450,000 for older properties needing renovation and range to €1,500,000+ for modern builds with infinity pools. Javea is one of the most expensive municipalities on the Costa Blanca — it attracts affluent Northern European buyers, particularly British, Dutch, and German.

4. Playa del Arenal, Javea (Xabia)

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 480 m. Crowd level: Busy in summer; pleasant shoulder season. Sand type: Fine golden (imported sand maintains the beach).

The Arenal is Javea's main town beach — a 500-metre crescent of golden sand in a sheltered bay overlooked by the Montgo mountain. Unlike Granadella, this is a fully urban beach with a promenade, restaurants, ice cream shops, and a lively atmosphere. The water is calm and shallow, and the beach is cleaned daily in season.

The promenade that backs the Arenal is one of the best people-watching spots on the Costa Blanca. Restaurants range from casual tapas to upmarket seafood. The Wednesday market in Javea port, 10 minutes' walk away, is one of the largest in the region.

Property nearby: The Arenal zone is Javea's most sought-after area for apartment buyers. Front-line 2-bedroom apartments range €250,000–400,000. Second-line drops to €190,000–280,000. Penthouses with Arenal views can reach €500,000+. New developments are rare — the area is mostly built out — so resale dominates. Walking distance to the Arenal carries a significant premium over the port or old town areas of Javea.

5. El Portet, Moraira

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 350 m. Crowd level: Moderate — smaller tourist volumes than Javea. Sand type: Fine sand and gravel mix.

El Portet is a sheltered cove on the eastern edge of Moraira, one of the most exclusive small towns on the Costa Blanca. The beach sits in a near-perfect semicircle, protected from waves on three sides. The water is transparent and shallow, and a line of small fishing boats adds character. Behind the beach, a handful of restaurants serve fresh fish and paella with their feet practically in the sand.

Moraira has no high-rise buildings — a strict urban plan limits construction to low-rise. This keeps the town quiet and upmarket, but it also means property supply is limited and prices are higher than average for the Costa Blanca.

Property nearby: Moraira is premium territory. 2-bedroom apartments within 500 metres of El Portet start at €220,000–300,000. Villas in the surrounding hills — many with private pools and sea views — range €400,000–900,000. The town attracts retirees and second-home buyers from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia. It is quiet, safe, and beautiful, but nightlife and winter buzz are minimal.

6. Playa de Poniente, Benidorm

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 3.1 km. Crowd level: Busy — but excellent facilities manage the volume. Sand type: Fine golden.

Benidorm divides opinion, but its beaches are objectively excellent. Poniente is the western beach — three kilometres of golden sand that is slightly less famous (and less crowded) than the Levante beach on the other side. The sand is fine and golden, the water is clean, and the beach is serviced to a standard few European resorts can match: lifeguards, accessible bathing chairs, first aid, showers every 50 metres, and chiringuitos at regular intervals.

What makes Poniente interesting for property buyers is the contrast between the beach quality and the prices. Benidorm's reputation as a mass-tourism destination keeps prices below what you would pay in Javea or Moraira for similar beach proximity. The western end of Poniente, near the old town and the viewpoint, is the most pleasant stretch.

Property nearby: Apartments within 300 metres of Poniente beach are remarkably affordable. Older 2-bedroom apartments in high-rise towers start at €110,000–160,000. Renovated properties range €150,000–220,000. Modern new-builds near the beach price at €200,000–320,000 for 2–3 bedrooms. Benidorm also offers excellent rental yield — 6–8% gross — thanks to year-round tourism, including a strong winter season from Northern European visitors.

7. Cala Cabo Roig, Orihuela Costa

Blue Flag: Yes (Cala Capitan section). Length: 400 m across several small coves. Crowd level: Moderate. Sand type: Fine golden.

Cabo Roig is a series of small coves and a pine-backed cliff walk on the southern Costa Blanca. The main beach (Cala Capitan) is a sheltered crescent of golden sand flanked by low rocky headlands. The water is calm and clear. Above the beach, the Cabo Roig strip — a walkway lined with restaurants and bars — provides the social life.

This area is the heart of the Orihuela Costa expat community. The Saturday market is enormous, the restaurants cater to international tastes, and English, Scandinavian languages, and Dutch are heard as often as Spanish. For buyers who want a ready-made community with beach access, Cabo Roig is hard to beat.

Property nearby: Cabo Roig and the surrounding Orihuela Costa area offer some of the best beach-value on the Mediterranean. 2-bedroom apartments within 500 metres of the beach start at €85,000–130,000. Townhouses with communal pools range €120,000–200,000. Villas with private pools within 1 km of the coast price at €200,000–400,000. Rental yields run 5–7% gross, and the area has excellent golf courses (Villamartin, Las Ramblas, Campoamor) within minutes.

8. Playa de Guardamar, Guardamar del Segura

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 5+ km of combined beaches. Crowd level: Low to moderate — surprisingly quiet for such quality. Sand type: Fine golden.

Guardamar is the Costa Blanca's hidden gem. Over five kilometres of golden sand backed by a forest of pine and eucalyptus dunes — planted in the 19th century to stop the sand from burying the town. The effect is extraordinary: you walk through shaded forest paths and emerge onto a wide, clean beach that stretches in both directions further than you can see.

Despite the beach quality, Guardamar never gets as crowded as Benidorm or even Torrevieja. The town is low-rise, residential, and Spanish-dominated (though with a growing Northern European community). The dune ecosystem behind the beach is a protected natural area with walking and cycling trails. The Wednesday market in Guardamar is one of the region's best.

Property nearby: Guardamar offers excellent value. 2-bedroom apartments within 500 metres of the beach start at €85,000–120,000. Properties backing the dune area — with forest views and beach access via paths — are particularly attractive at €100,000–160,000. Newer developments with communal pools price at €140,000–200,000. Guardamar is increasingly popular with Scandinavian and Dutch buyers seeking quality beach access without Torrevieja's density or Javea's prices.

9. Isla de Tabarca, Off Santa Pola

Blue Flag: No (island beaches are not classified). Length: Multiple small beaches and rocky coves. Crowd level: Day-trippers in summer; empty off-season. Sand type: Mixed pebble and sand.

Tabarca is not technically a beach destination — it is an island, the only inhabited island in the Valencia region, reachable by a 25-minute ferry from Santa Pola. But its waters are the best on the entire Costa Blanca: a marine reserve since 1986, the snorkelling is exceptional, with posidonia meadows, grouper, octopus, and barracuda in water so clear it looks like an aquarium.

The island itself is tiny — 1,800 metres long and 400 metres wide — with a walled historic village, a couple of restaurants famous for caldero (a local fish and rice stew), and a lighthouse. In summer, it is overrun with day-trippers. In the off-season, it is hauntingly empty. You cannot buy property on Tabarca — there are fewer than 60 permanent residents and no real estate market.

Property nearby (Santa Pola): The jumping-off point for Tabarca is Santa Pola, a genuine Spanish fishing town with good beaches of its own. 2-bedroom apartments in Santa Pola start at €90,000–140,000. Front-line properties with port or beach views range €150,000–230,000. Santa Pola has a strong local character and is less dependent on foreign tourism than many Costa Blanca towns. The salt lakes between Santa Pola and Elche host flamingos and are a designated nature reserve.

10. Playa Cantal Roig, Calpe

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 200 m. Crowd level: Moderate to busy. Sand type: Fine golden sand and gravel.

Cantal Roig is a small beach at the foot of the Penon de Ifach — the 332-metre limestone rock that is the defining landmark of the Costa Blanca. The beach is tucked into the sheltered side of the rock, giving it calm water and a dramatic backdrop that no other Costa Blanca beach can match. From the sand, you look up at sheer cliffs where peregrine falcons nest.

The beach is small and can fill up quickly, but the adjacent harbour area has restaurants with fish so fresh it was swimming that morning. Calpe has two larger beaches — Arenal-Bol (2 km of sand) and La Fossa — but Cantal Roig is the most photogenic and has the best swimming conditions.

Property nearby: Calpe offers a mid-range market. 2-bedroom apartments within 500 metres of the old town and Cantal Roig beach start at €130,000–190,000. Properties with Penon views command a premium — expect €180,000–280,000 for a 2-bedroom with a clear view of the rock. Front-line apartments on the larger Arenal-Bol beach price at €200,000–350,000. Calpe attracts a mixed European community, with particularly strong Russian and Scandinavian presence.

Beach Property: What Drives Value

Across the Costa Blanca, the pattern is consistent:

• Front-line (under 100m from sand): 30–50% premium over similar inland properties. Limited supply — most front-line was built decades ago.
• Walking distance (100–500m): 15–25% premium. The sweet spot for value — beach access without the noise and salt exposure of front-line.
• Easy reach (500m–1km): 5–10% premium. Still marketed as "near beach" but noticeably less convenient in daily use.
• Beyond 1km: No meaningful beach premium. Price driven by other factors (views, pool, condition).

For investment, the 100–500 metre band typically delivers the best combination of rental demand, capital appreciation, and livability. Tourists want to walk to the beach in under 10 minutes — and will pay a premium on nightly rates for properties that deliver this.

Quick Comparison Table

Practical Tips

• Visit beaches off-season before buying. A beach that is paradise in October may be a sardine tin in August. Walk the route from the property to the sand — is it flat? Shaded? Safe at night?
• Check winter conditions. Some beaches lose sand to winter storms and are not replenished until May. Guardamar and San Juan are stable; smaller coves can be stripped bare.
• Blue Flag status can change. Beaches are reassessed annually. Check the current FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) listings, not last year's guidebook.
• Beach bars close in winter. If beach-bar culture matters to you, check which chiringuitos operate year-round. Benidorm and Alicante are best for winter beach life.
• Front-line properties suffer salt corrosion. Budget an additional €500–1,000/year for maintenance on balcony railings, shutters, and air conditioning units within 100 metres of the sea.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Playa de San Juan, Alicante?

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 6.2 km. Crowd level: Moderate — spreads well due to length. Sand type: Fine golden. Playa de San Juan is the grande dame of Costa Blanca beaches. Nearly seven kilometres of fine golden sand backed by a palm-lined promenade, it runs from the northern edge of Alicante city into the suburb of Campello. The beach is wide enough — 60 metres at most points — that even in August it never feels unbearable. Lifeguards operate year-round. The promenade has restaurants, chiringuitos (beach bars), showers, and accessible ramps every 200 metres.

3. Cala Granadella, Javea (Xabia)?

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 160 m. Crowd level: Very busy July–August; peaceful off-season. Sand type: Pebble and gravel. Granadella is regularly voted the best beach in Spain by Spanish media — and the accolade is deserved. This small cove sits at the bottom of a steep, forested valley south of Javea. The water is an almost Caribbean shade of turquoise, sheltered by high cliffs covered in Aleppo pine. Visibility is exceptional — you can see the seabed 10 metres down.

5. El Portet, Moraira?

Blue Flag: Yes. Length: 350 m. Crowd level: Moderate — smaller tourist volumes than Javea. Sand type: Fine sand and gravel mix. El Portet is a sheltered cove on the eastern edge of Moraira, one of the most exclusive small towns on the Costa Blanca. The beach sits in a near-perfect semicircle, protected from waves on three sides. The water is transparent and shallow, and a line of small fishing boats adds character. Behind the beach, a handful of restaurants serve fresh fish and paella with their feet practically in the sand.

7. Cala Cabo Roig, Orihuela Costa?

Blue Flag: Yes (Cala Capitan section). Length: 400 m across several small coves. Crowd level: Moderate. Sand type: Fine golden. Cabo Roig is a series of small coves and a pine-backed cliff walk on the southern Costa Blanca. The main beach (Cala Capitan) is a sheltered crescent of golden sand flanked by low rocky headlands. The water is calm and clear. Above the beach, the Cabo Roig strip — a walkway lined with restaurants and bars — provides the social life.

9. Isla de Tabarca, Off Santa Pola?

Blue Flag: No (island beaches are not classified). Length: Multiple small beaches and rocky coves. Crowd level: Day-trippers in summer; empty off-season. Sand type: Mixed pebble and sand. Tabarca is not technically a beach destination — it is an island, the only inhabited island in the Valencia region, reachable by a 25-minute ferry from Santa Pola. But its waters are the best on the entire Costa Blanca: a marine reserve since 1986, the snorkelling is exceptional, with posidonia meadows, grouper, octopus, and barracuda in water so clear it looks like an aquarium.