DENIA

The popular town of Denia with 20km of sandy and rocky beaches, combines history, culture, water sports, superb fish and restaurants and is a popular destination for the British and expat community.

Wherever you are in Denia you will enjoy the impressive backdrop of the Montgo massif, a 2,150 hectare mountain range between Denia and Xabia. In 1987 the Montgo was declared an official nature reserve and is home to an interesting variety of flora, fauna and wildlife including gulls, eagles, eagle owls, falcons and kestrels. Among the mammals living there are mice, rabbits, foxes, badgers and weasels. You can also find lizards and horseshoe whip snakes.

It's peak stands 753m above sea level and on a clear day you can see Ibiza.

Denia is also the gastronomy capital of the Costa Blanca with more than 300 restaurants serving traditional Mediterranean rice dishes and fish straight off of the fishermens' boats. the tasty red Denia prawns are considered to be the best in the world and fishing boats come in daily with a wide range of fresh seafood.

Denia is great for shopping too and thousands of bargain hunters flock to the Monday market for clothes, accessories and household items. On Fridays there is a colourful fruit and vegetable market. In the Summer at the Cervantes Esplanade you can snap up some souvenirs, handmade jewellery, leather goods and much more at the craft market.

For water sports lovers, Denia bay is the perfect spot for learning and practising, with its renowned sailing, diving, canoeing and rowing schools, which are run by professional instructors and equipped with the latest facilities to guarantee pupils' safety.

At Denia Port you can set sail for the Balearic Islands and reach Ibiza in 2 hours or you can enjoy a half-day excursion on a catamaran or take a boat to the neighbouring towns of Xabia or Altea.

Denia also has an impressive marina where you can charter a yacht or simply take a stroll and admire the many luxury vessels moored there.

Inland you can choose between horse-riding, tennis, squash, cycling, aerobics, shuttleball, floorball and the regional handball game Pelota Valenciana. Golf lovers will enjoy a round of golf at Denia's La Sella Marriott course or the Oliva Nova course close by.