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.
- Find more information from the Region of Valencia website
- For more information on protected natural areas, see the Murcia regional tourist office website
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.
- Find more information about the Sierra Espuña (in Spanish)
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.
- Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada
At: C/ Floridablanca 84, Barcelona - The official Spanish tourism website provides information about official walking routes in Spain
The Regional Committee of Walking in Murcia (Comité Regional de Senderos de Murcia) has information on walking routes in the Costa Cálida region.
- Comité Regional de Senderos de Murcia
At: C/ Francisco Martínez García 4, 30003 Murcia
Tel: 968 340 270
Fax: 968 255 372
email
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.
- Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (in Spanish)
At: Dirección del Programa Vías Verdes, Santa Isabel 44, 28012 Madrid
email - Find further information and a list of Vías Verdes routes
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.
- Find local information on climbing in Valencia (in Spanish)
- The Spanish tourism website has an article offering advice and routes for climbers on the Peñón de Ifach, El Ponoch and el Puig Campana
- To search for crags in Spain
- Read a guide to climbing in the Costa Blanca
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.
- Federación de Montañismo de la Región de Murcia (in Spanish)
At: C/ Francisco Martínes García 4 bajo, 30003 Murcia
Tel: 968 340 270
Fax: 968 255 372
email
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:
- Federación de Ciclismo de la Comunidad Valenciana (in Spanish)
At: C/ Cocentaina s/n, 46035 Benimamét
Tel: 963 904 932
Fax: 963 904 934
email
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.
Federación Espanola de Ciclismo (in Spanish)
At: C/ de Ferraz, 16-5, 28008 Madrid
Tel: 915 400 841- Federación Ciclismo Región Murcia (in Spanish)
At: C/ de la Torre s/n, Pabellón la Torre, 30006 Puente Tocinos
Tel: 968 302 846
email
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).
- Real Federación Hípica Española (in Spanish)
At: Menorca 3, 28009 Madrid
Tel: 914 364 200
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.
- Federación Hípica de la Región de Murcia (in Spanish)
At: C/ Gonzalez Adalid 11 Entlo.Dcha. Puerta 3, 30001 Murcia
Tel: 968 211 881
email
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:
Real Federación Aeronáutica Española
At: Carretera de la Fortuna, 28044 Madrid
Tel: 915 082 950
Fax: 915 110 310
email- Federación de Deportes Aéreos de la Comunidad Valenciana
At: c/Ricardo Micó, 5 Despacho 103, 46009 Valencia
Tel: 963 154 489
Fax: 963 154 490 - Federación Deportes Aéreos Región de Murcia
At: C/ Avd de la Fama nº 32 Bajo nº 6, 30006 Murcia
Tel: 868 910 796
email