Destination: Spain
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Mediterranean Coast
Let's assume you fly into Alicante and out from Valencia - something local car-hire companies will let you do for only a small, if any, supplement.
Resist, momentarily, the temptation to head for the beach and, from Alicante's airport, head southwest to Elche, northeast to Novelda, then sweep down the motorway (A7) and head north for a night or two of highlife or lowlife in Benidorm.
Work your way up the coast, calling in briefly on Altea, for it's old town, and Calpe, perhaps building in a walk up its Penon to stretch the legs, then allow yourself a night or two in Xabia or Denia, each popular summer resorts. Hit the A7 again and head for Valencia city, Spain's third largest, which merits as much time as your schedule with allow - and then some.
To sample more of the Comunidad Valenciana's discreet inland charms, take the A7 again for speed and leave the coast near Castellon for Vilafames, squatting on a hilltop, typical of the villages of the interior and with a remarkable modern art museum. Head for Sant Mateu - pausing to sip a coffee in its bijou main square - then build in an overnight stay in Morella. The run down to Vinaros and the coast is fun for its own sake, and a short curl southwards brings you to Peniscola, with its fine castle and old city clustered on the promontory. If it's high summer, better to beat a retreat from Peniscola's crowds and spend a night or two in Benicassim, popular and still very Spanish before returning to Valencia city.
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