Moraira – getting to know the area 

One of the many benefits of owning a property in Moraira is its location. Nestled between the larger resorts of Javea and Calpe on the Costa Blanca North, it’s just 80 kms (1 hr) from Alicante and 110 kms (1.5 hrs) from Valencia – both with excellent air and road links.

Bursting with character, Moraira was once a small fishing village that has now blossomed into a charming resort. Popular with visitors from all over Europe, Moraira is also a favourite of Spanish visitors from Madrid and Valencia. 

Moraira’s location has another benefit – a wonderful subtropical Mediterranean climate, with cool sea breezes in summer and protection by surrounding mountains against the cold north winds in winter. On average Moraira has 325 sunny days each year. In fact, the World Health Organisation recommended its climate as one of the most equitable in the world – neither too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter.

Moraira boasts two beautiful, gently shelving sandy beaches, both awarded the prestigious EEC Blue Flags for cleanliness. They’re well-tended and very safe for family bathing. In fact, the whole of the Costa Blanca has 34 Blue Flag beaches – three times the number of any other Costa (Costa del Sol has eight).

You can choose how you want to relax here. Golf is well catered for, with 13 excellent clubs on the Costa Blanca, one in Moraira and three very nearby.  Or you can choose tennis, football, squash, all water sports, boat hire and trips, horse-riding, go-kart racing tracks for both adults and children, a small fairground and three good night clubs for all ages. And there are simply too many excellent restaurants to list, but suffice to say that eight of them are Michelin recommended restaurants, three of them being star-rated.

Whether you’re cooking a gourmet meal yourself, or just looking for delicious local produce, there are numerous well-stocked local supermarkets to choose from. You can get most of the products you’ll be used to in the UK. 

Looking for even more choice. Moraira has a weekly Friday market held in the big car park, or you could plan a visit to the various markets held at nearby Costa Blanca resorts such as Benissa market held in the Old Town on a Saturday. They are bustling and fun – as well as a great place for cheap fresh fruit and vegetables, local specialities, herbs and spices, leather goods, clothes, rugs, fresh and silk flowers, souvenirs, pottery and a whole lot more. 

Thanks to strict planning controls, the valley of Moraira remains unspoilt, with the luscious green landscape merely dotted with whitewashed villas.

Independent luxury villas and low-rise ‘pueblo-style’ apartment complexes mingle with the pinewoods, cultivated vine terraces and orange groves, providing the perfect setting for those seeking total peace and privacy. The area remains exclusively for villa owners and individuals who prefer home-from-home comforts and enjoy an independent, rather than a package, holiday.

There’s no shortage of places to explore around the Costa Blanca. Take in the other coastal resorts of Javea, Calpe, Denia, Altea, Benidorm, Villajoyosa and Alicante. Or enjoy spectacular scenery inland, including the wonderful mountaintop fortress of Guadalest, the Vergel Safari Park near Denia, Europe’s largest palm forest at Elche and the ancient city of Murcia.

Valencia (Spain’s third largest city) is an hour and a half away and Barcelona (the second largest) and the capital Madrid are just four hours away, all easily reached by motorway. Spain’s answer to Euro Disney, Port Adventura near Barcelona, is about four and a half hours away, and another theme park ‘Finestrats’ is only 45 minutes away.

Moraira has a sociable, international feel. The locals are friendly and patient with tourists and visitors – even though they don’t depend on tourism for their livelihoods. Most people are pleased to speak English, and even more pleased if you try and speak Spanish!

A great way to meet the locals is at one of the many fiestas held in this region throughout the year – with specific ones held in April, June, July and November in Moraira. The local tourist information centres will be able to provide dates for all fiestas in the Costa Blanca.