102C1/4 at Gran Alacant, in Spain

On the Spanish east coast lies the Costa Blanca, the 'White Coast', with its healthy sunshine and cool sea breeze. The distance from London to Alicante by car is 1888km (including 1660 via motorway). London to Alicante by air takes 2.5 hours. A visit to the city of Alicante (8 km) is highly recommended. Spend the day in this town shopping or visiting museums and monuments. Don't miss the town of Santa Pola with its salt lakes, also 8 km away. This idyllic fishing port was once an important Roman harbour. The port, which dates from the 1600s, now accommodates an archeological museum and an aquarium. Take the ferry from the Santa Pola coast to the small island of Tabarca. It has a mere 40 inhabitants and almost everything is prohibited: setting up tents, water-skiing, etc. Yet the island attracts hundreds of visitors daily. The city wall surrounding the village has three towers. Several narrow streets lead up to the church square. The most peculiar house is the stadtholder's residence, which today houses the island's only hotel. A real must for both young and old is a visit to the Aquapark in neighboring Torrevieja (30 km). Here you will find huge slides and several swimming pools. You can also enjoy horseback riding with Dutch instructors (beach rides or take lessons) or visit the Rojales golf course (10 km). Summers last long in this area (from the end of April until mid-October) while winters do not get colder than ca. 12 C so you can visit the Costa Blanca all year round!