Ultimate 7-Day Costa Blanca Road Trip from Alicante (2026 Guide)
I still remember pulling into Alicante's harbor that first time, the Mediterranean sun dipping low and painting the yachts gold. It was 2018; I'd snagged a cheap Ryanair flight from London, rented a Fiat 500 reeking of churros, and just drove. No rigid plan. That chaos sparked my love for this stretch of coast—the cliffs crashing into turquoise water, orange groves scenting every breath, villages around every curve like secrets from a storybook. Now, for 2026, I've honed it into a tidy 7-day loop that skips Benidorm's frenzy for quiet coves, rugged hikes, and those surreal pink salt lakes down south.
This Costa Blanca 7 day self drive itinerary from Alicante draws from three of my own trips, updated for smoother roads after floods and more Repsol fuel stops along the N-332 (around €1.65/liter—plenty every 30km). Download the GPX track—your Costa Blanca beaches road trip map 7 days—from here. Total: 500-600km, €300-450 per person (fuel €80, eats €150, sleeps €150, extras €50). It suits kids with shallow sands or sunset drives for two. I've tucked in the hidden gems Costa Blanca road trip from Alicante locals guard and the best hikes Costa Blanca road trip from Alicante. Fuel up, queue some flamenco on Spotify, and let's go.
Day 1: Alicante Awakening – Castle Views and Beachfront Buzz (Stay: Alicante)
Land at Alicante-Elche Airport, grab your rental from Sixt (English GPS a must), and you're palm-lined avenues in 15 minutes. Kick off at the Central Market on Av. Alfonso X El Sabio. Senses explode: prawns from Tabarca glisten, Manchego wheels cut sharp, vendors bark amid knife clangs. I haggled boquerones once—fried them beachside for €5 bliss, chin dripping orange juice from Valencia's best.
Next, hike up to Castillo de Santa Bárbara on Plaza de Santa Bárbara (10am-8pm, €3 or free evenings). At 166m, ramparts sweep 360° over the bay—the Explanada's mosaics sparkling, ferries puffing to Tabarca. A freak squall soaked me silly one visit, shoes sloshing, but those views? Unbeatable. Drop to Playa del Postiguet for a swim: kid-perfect sands, gentle rollers for fort-building. Lunch at Neptuno beach bar on Passeig Marítim (€12 paella: mussels popping under salty crust).
Stroll the Explanada's elegant curve, buskers strumming. Dinner's Nou Manolín on C/ Villegas 3 (€40pp, book ahead): arroz a banda with fish stock that hums. Crash at Hostal Les Monges Palace on C/ San Agustín 4 (€80/night)—creaky 17th-century charm. Negligible drive. Alicante grips quick.
Day 2: Chocolate Coast to Artist's Haven – Villajoyosa to Altea (Stay: Altea)
Villajoyosa's Sweet Rush
Dawn espresso from a thermos, then N-332 north (40km, 45min—twisty, cyclist alert). Villajoyosa hits with cocoa fog: Valor Chocolate Factory on Av. País Valenciano 51 (tours €5). Beans from Ecuador roast since 1881; snag 70% dark with sea salt. Chocolate smeared my map once—sticky-fingered detour to a churrería, laughing all the way.
20km on to Altea, cliffs draped in bougainvillea. Park Plaza de la Iglesia (€2/hr), wander casbah lanes: white casas, blue-glazed ceramics echoing the sea. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Consol's blue dome crowns it (free). Thunder crashed around me once inside—felt electric.
Afternoon at Playa de la Roda: calm shallows for paddles, pine shade. Snorkel parrotfish. This family friendly 7 day costa blanca drive alicante shines here. Dinner Ca Pere on Carrer de l'Horta 3 (€25pp): fideuà negra, squid ink briny and black. Altaya Hotel on Calle Altaya 1 (€120/night), terrace killer. N-332 speed cams? 80kmh max. Cava at sunset seals it.
Day 3: Rock of Legends – Calpe Conquest (Stay: Calpe)
15km up: prime Alicante to Calpe road trip stops 2026. Park Puerto Pesquero (€1.50/hr). Harbor strolls yield nets like lace, salt bite. Las Salinas de Calpe: flamingos strut pink. Startled a flock once—feathers everywhere.
Peñon de Ifach pinnacle: free permit, 1.5hr chains-and-tunnel scramble (grippy shoes). Midway goat herd stalled me; herder's cheese on bread (€2 gold). Summit: Med endless, Moraira's capes clawing horizon. Scree slip bloodied my knee once, but clouds racing waves healed it. This ranks among the best hikes Costa Blanca road trip from Alicante.
Lunch Refugio de Ifach (€15 gambas al ajillo). Hop Playa de la Fossa: golden, pedalos (€10/hr, duck chases). Path widened for wheels now. Dinner Tasca del Racó on Av. Juan Carlos I 24 (€30pp): pulpo tender. AR Diamante Beach on Av. Europa 6 (€140/night), spa bliss. Howling wind rocked me to sleep.
Day 4: Coves and Clifftops – Moraira's Secrets (Stay: Moraira)
20km west, Repsol fuel Camí de Toixa. El Portet horseshoe: snorkel crystal (€8 rent). Chase hidden gems Costa Blanca road trip from Alicante—40min trail from Cumbre del Sol AP7 exit 63 to Cala Llebe: pebble paradise, cave echoes. Picnic jamón and membrillo? Ants routed us, salty retreat.
Cap de Moraira lighthouse perch: freighters silhouette sunset. Dolphins distracted my freelance pitch here once, cicadas humming. Fits the romantic costa blanca drive itinerary 7 days alicante.
Lunch El Chamizo dockside (€20 caldereta de langosta). Kayak Cumbre (€15/hr, octopus ink). Dinner La Plaia Calle Abanilla 8 (€35pp): crisp sea bass. Hotel Los Limoneros Partida Baladrar (€130/night), lemon wafts. Moonlit strolls, stars spilling.
Day 5: Mountains to Sands – Jávea and Montgó (Stay: Jávea)
25km southwest CV-745, orange blossoms thick. Parque Natural del Montgó center Camí Vellà a Jesús (free). Font Roja trail (2hr): olives to Arenal views, vultures soar, thyme crunches. Ankle twist in '20; finca herbed tea fixed me. Another best hikes Costa Blanca road trip from Alicante.
Arenal's 7km blonde: family friendly 7 day costa blanca drive alicante spot. Chiringuito Papagayo (€12 sangria, kid pancakes). Snorkel Posit rocks—neon wrasse. Old town murals, Gothic church.
Off-trail cave etchings thrilled me once—heart pounding, Indiana-lite. Dinner La Siesta near BonAmb Calle Isabel La Católica 36 (€25pp): suquet de peix hug. Parador de Jávea Av. del Mediterráneo 233 (€160/night), cliff luxury. Rain applauded the sea.
Day 6: Salt Dreams South – Denia to Torrevieja (Stay: Torrevieja)
50km east-south: quick Castell de Dénia peek Plaza del Consolat del Mar (€3, Phoenician punch). Skip Ibiza ferry; AP-7/N-332 (€10 tolls, 1.5hr) past Guardamar dunes, La Mata flamingos.
Torrevieja's Laguna Rosa viewpoint Camino de la Laguna (free). Dusk algae glows cotton-candy; herons hunt, windmills groan. Chased perfect light once—tripod mudded, camera grit-blasted, shots legendary. Goatherd crossing delayed 30min; kids tossed scraps, instant pals.
Acequion curve for sunset walks. Budget Costa Blanca 7 day road trip planner win: markets slash to €3 tapas hauls. Dinner Restaurante 40 Cannons Calle Arquitecto Larramendi 2 (€22 salt cod croquettes). Hotel Masa Internacional Av. de las Habaneras 38 (€90/night). Bar thumps? Earplugs. Night air hummed with promise.
Day 7: Lakes to Loop Close – Santa Pola and Alicante Return
50km east: Santa Pola's Clot de Galvany Ctra. Far d'en Fenosa (free boardwalks)—marshes alive with bee-eaters, egrets stabbing fish, more pink flock dances. Morning market Recinto Ferial (Wed/Sat): olives bursting, fresh bread crusty.
45min back Alicante, car drop. Reflect on the 7 day costa blanca road trip itinerary from Alicante. Explanada gelato caps it. Flat tire near Calpe? Local mechanic waived fee over beers—pure serendipity. New 2026 N-332 bike lanes incoming.
This loop delivers it all: pulse-racing trails, lazy shores, tastes that echo. Kids splash wild, partners snag cape kisses. Loose plans, heavy sunscreen—that's the key. Costa Blanca doesn't visit; it sticks.
