The Costa Blanca vies with the Costa del Sol as the number one destination in Spain for holidaymakers and second home owners. By the Costa Blanca, we mean the coastline on the East of Spain which runs from Gandia in the north down to Murcia in the south, a region blessed by an excellent climate and endless kilometres of golden sands of such well-known resorts as Javéa, Dénia, Calpe and Benidorm. We are taking Alicante as the dividing line between Costa Blanca North and Costa Blanca South. Now more foreign buyers are starting to explore inland too, buying property in traditional villages set among terraces of olive trees and orange groves.

PROPERTY PRICES
Costa Blanca's house prices are cheaper than those on the Costa del Sol, where the average price is £200,000. In Costa Blanca South, there is a lot of property available for under £100,000 on the coast and inland you can still find old properties in need of renovation for as little as £20,000.

New developments are predominant in Costa Blanca South, from Torrevieja and heading south through new towns such as Santa Pola (its Gran Alacant area is one of the nearest residential areas to the airport), Punta Prima, Cabo Roig, Campoamor and La Zenia. Here you will find you get good value for money, if you don't mind waiting about 18 months for your home to be built. Resale properties in Costa Blanca South are good value too with villas in Torrevieja from £150,000 and apartments for under £100,000. Campoamor is popular with golfers and prices are slightly higher.

The pretty seaside town of Guardamar is currently seeing a lot of development, with new developments on the edge of town for about £75,000. Further South around the Mar Menor, in towns such as San Pedro, prices are lower still as the area is just starting to see mass development and is in the throes of building its infrastructure.

Prices in Costa Blanca North are higher as the property market is far more established and there are fewer cheaper new-build options as there are very few large areas of land left to develop. There is a large variety of property for sale here, from apartments and townhouses to villas and rural homes. You can often get sea views from inland properties as the terrain here is hilly. Expect to pay more, of course, for a sea view.

A two-bedroom apartment in central Calpe costs from £150,000, a spacious villa with private pool from around £260,000 or a two-bedroom villa in Benidorm from £300,000. In Alicante, there are new off-plan developments with apartments for £100,000 or less. Naturally you can also pay far higher prices in these areas if you want sheer luxury.

CLIMATE
The weather is one of the Costa Blanca's great attractions, with more than 3,000 hours of sunshine annually and very little rainfall between April and September. During the summer months, average temperatures are around 30 degrees, and are usually far higher inland as the mountains act as a windbreak. As you head south towards Murcia, the climate becomes drier (along with the terrain) and hotter. Swimming in Murcia's Mar Menor in summer is like taking a warm bath.

Winters are mild, with temperatures around 15-20 degrees during the daytime and chilly nights, so you will need some source of heating in your home. January is the coolest month.

GEOGRAPHY
Tourism and development are concentrated on the coast and some resorts - notably Benidorm - are like a mini Manhattan with their passion for high rises apartment blocks and hotels. But drive for just 10 minutes inland and you will be surrounded by beautiful landscapes dotted with small rural towns and villages linked by excellent roads, which make travelling around the region easy and immensely pleasurable.

The Costa Blanca has two distinct halves. The north is green and mountainous, with sierras which rise suddenly from the coast and terraced hillsides used to cultivate numerous products including almonds, oranges and olives. It makes for wonderful walking or hiking country, also popular with mountain bikers, nature-lovers and bird-watchers, with 20 natural parks in the region.

South of Alicante the terrain is flatter and becomes more arid as you head towards Murcia. Here you will find lots of farmland, with large expanses of vegetable crops and orange groves. There is also a bigger expatriate population in the south, particularly around Torrevieja, favoured by British, German and Scandinavian holiday home owners. Guardamar is a popular place for Spanish families to own a second home beside the sea.

To cater for the foreign markets, these places are rapidly developing a good infrastructure of shops, services and golf courses.

GETTING THERE
The Costa Blanca is a two-hour flight approximately from the UK. Alicante is the main airport, handy for both Costa Blanca North and South as it's the dividing line for the two. Airlines which fly from the UK are Iberia, British Midland, EasyJet, BMIBaby, MyTravelLite, Jet2, Air Berlin, Fly Monarch, Flybe, Air Europa and the usual charter airlines.

Murcia's San Javier airport is handy for locations in Costa Blanca South. Airlines flying from the UK to Murcia are Iberia, EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, MyTravelLite, BMIBaby, Air Europa and Flybe.

Valencia airport, 10km from Valencia, is a useful alternative if you are flying to Costa Blanca North. Airlines flying there from the UK are Iberia, ThomsonFly, Air Europa and the usual charter airlines.