Outdoor Activities on the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida

Information on the natural parks of the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida, and on hiking, mountain biking, horse riding and other outdoor activities in the area...

  • Located in the Province of Alicante, the Costa Blanca spans over 200 Km of Mediterranean coastline; the Costa Cálida spans approximately 170 Km
  • There is a variety of terrain in both provinces, including a mountainous areas, natural parks, salt flats, beaches, rocky cliffs, coves, caves, sandy beaches and the lagoon of Mar Menor
  • Espuña is the highest mountain in the Alicante province
  • Spain's fifth longest river, the Segura, is also found in the region; three rivers, including the Segura, Murdo and Sangonera, intersect the province of Murcia
  • The Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida enjoy very hot, dry summers and mild, warm winters; temperatures generally decrease further inland in Murcia, particularly in wintertime
  • The average annual temperature is approximately 18 degrees and there is very little rainfall

The variety of terrain and favourable climate make the Costa Calida and Costa Blanca popular year-round locations for outdoor activities. Below is information on walking and hiking, climbing, cycling and mountain biking, horse riding and air sports.

Natural Parks

There are nine nature parks and many other natural areas on the Costa Blanca. There are seven regional parks, one nature reserve, eight protected areas and three other natural spaces located on the Costa Cálida.

The protected regional parks have limited sports facilities. For example, the Parque Regional Calblanque has four beaches, but no facilities for watersports. However, it is a good location for bird watching and beach walking.

Parque Regional Sierra Espuña

The Sierra Espuña regional park covers 25,000 hectares of land across the Sierra Espuña mountain range. There is a wide variety of flora and fauna, including pine trees, wild boars and the Espuña squirrel.

It is an ideal location for walking and hiking, climbing and mountain biking.

The Centro de Interpretación Ambiental del Parque Regional de Sierra Espuña also provides information on sporting activities in the area.

Walking and Hiking

The provinces of Murcia and Alicante are both ideal for walking and hiking, with national marked routes and the Vías Verdes crossing the region. The Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada is the federation for walking and climbing in Spain and provides information on routes and safety, as well as clubs and associations.

The Regional Committee of Walking in Murcia (Comité Regional de Senderos de Murcia) has information on walking routes in the Costa Cálida region.

Vías Verdes

Disused railway lines have been turned into cycling, walking and bridal paths, known as Vías Verdes. The project began in 1993 and has been a hugely successful way to redistribute tourism to the poorer rural areas, as well as winning a United Nations Best Practices Habitat International Award in 2000.

Information is available in English on the website, although to date most of the route plans available on the site remain in Spanish. Local tourist offices may have the routes in English on request.

Climbing

The Costa Blanca has the most famous climbing rocks in Spain. The Peñón de Ifach, El Ponoch and el Puig Campana are climbs within easy reach of Benidorm and Calpe. Around the Costa Cálida, the Sierra Espuña offers climbs for all levels, including crag and multi-pitch. The Paredes de Leyva is considered one of the best climbs in Spain. Climbing is generally possible until November, depending on the weather.

Climbing in Spain is regulated by the Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada.

The Region of Murcia Mountaineering Federation (Federación de Montañismo de la Región de Murcia) provides information on mountaineering and climbing in the province of Murcia.

Cycling and Mountain Biking

Cycling is a popular sport in Spain, and the Costa Blanca is an ideal region for cycling. Away from the busy coastal areas, there are trails and routes throughout the countryside: some are designed for road bikes and others for the BTT (Bici Todo Terreno) mountain bikes. The most gentle routes are along the Vías Verdes and disused railway lines.

The Cycling Federation of the Community of Valencia (Federación de Ciclismo de la Comunidad Valenciana, FCCV) provides information on cycling teams, bike tracks, what to do in the case of an accident and more:

The Friends of Cycling in Murcia (Amigos de la Bicicleta de Murcia) provides advice and information on mountain biking routes in the province of Murcia, as well as the rest of Spain.

The Spanish Cycling Federation (Federación Espanola de Ciclismo) and the Murcia Regional Cycling Federation (Federación Ciclismo Región Murcia) have information about routes, cycling events and road safety.

Horse Riding

Information on horse riding, licences to ride at clubs and horse riding disciplines is available from the Royal Spanish Horse Riding Federation (Real Federación Hípica Española).

The area around Mar Menor in Murcia is a very popular trekking destination.

The Regional Horse Riding Federation (Federación Hípica de la Región de Murcia) provides information on local clubs, horse riding licences and events in the Murcia region.

Air Sports

The Royal Spanish Aeronautical Federation (Real Federación Aeronáutica Española) governs air sports in Spain. It is responsible for licences and accident procedure legislation to ensure the safety of participants.

The local clubs can be found at these links below, as well as licence information and the availability of each discipline: