Casa Costa
Mediterranean lifestyle magazine: discover, live, savour and settle on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida.
43 articles
Grown between mountains, rivers and irrigation channels in north-west Murcia, Calasparra rice has a PDO and behaves very differently in the kitchen. Bomba, Balilla x Sollana, the autumn harvest, cooking it and mistakes to avoid.
Alicante’s Mercado Central is far more than a covered market: Mediterranean produce, local life, early 20th-century architecture and the memory of the terrible bombing of 25 May 1938. Here’s how to see it differently.
On Saturday 3 October 2026, Crevillent lives one of the big days of its Moros y Cristianos, a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest. Comparsas, music, costumes, history and the Entrada Cristiana at 6.30 pm: what to understand before you go.
Built more than 2,000 years ago for around 7,000 spectators, Cartagena’s Roman theatre lay hidden beneath the city for centuries before being rediscovered in the late 1980s. History, visiting, 2026 prices, opening hours and tips.
Lunch at 3 pm, dinner at 10 pm, a drink before eating and children still out late in the evening: why are Spanish hours so different? History, climate, social habits and recent changes in a way of life that always surprises newcomers.
A Belgian frituur in Ciudad Quesada: I tried Hola Patatas, run by Rosa and Carmelo. Belgian fries, sauces, snacks, carbonnade stew, vol-au-vent, brunch and waffles.
Restaurante Luka in Guardamar del Segura, tried several times: a terrace you can’t miss, a complimentary pumpkin velouté, stunning confit duck croquetas… and an honest caveat about my steak.
Punto Caliente restaurant in Benejúzar: Spanish and Mediterranean food, menú del día, a terrace and the municipal pool right next door. Our verdict, family-tested.
Verti-Go, Big Bang, the wave pool: everything you need to know about Aqualandia, the big water park at the foot of the Serra Gelada, with 2026 prices and tips for families.
Altea’s hilltop old town, its blue ceramic domes, its viewpoints and its artistic soul: our guide to visiting Altea, parking, wandering and enjoying the bay.
Torrevieja’s water park in practice: official online and gate prices, free entry under 1 metre, the summer season, and ideas for extending the day by the pink salt lakes.
Wave pool, slides and a kids’ zone: Aqua Natura, the water park next to Terra Natura in Benidorm, in practice — tickets, zoo combos and tips.
The Peñón de Ifach, a 332-metre rock rising from the sea, its access rules (mandatory booking, 300 people a day), the flamingo salt flats and Calpe's beaches: our guide.
Hemisfèric, science museum, Umbracle, Palau de les Arts and Oceanogràfic: how to visit Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences, what’s free, what you pay for, and our tips.
Founded by the Carthaginians in 227 BC, Cartagena combines a Roman theatre, city walls, modernist façades and a naval port: our guide to visiting, with Roman Theatre Museum prices.
Granadella, Moraig, Portitxol, la Fustera: our pick of the Costa Blanca's turquoise coves, with summer access and parking rules and tips for really enjoying them.
The Palmeral of Elche is not a giant palm park: it is a farming oasis organised around an ingenious irrigation network inherited from Al-Andalus. History, acequias, dates, white palms, routes and tips for seeing this unique Costa Blanca heritage differently.
The Albir lighthouse path, the Guardamar pine forest, the Peñón up to the tunnel, Valencia's Turia gardens and the Fonts de l'Algar: our easy, family-friendly walks on the Costa Blanca and in Valencia.
The clifftop village of Guadalest with its bell tower on the rock, San José castle, the turquoise reservoir and the museums: our guide to visiting Guadalest and dodging the crowds.
Waterfalls, crystal-clear pools and a riverside trail: our guide to the Fonts de l'Algar near Callosa d'en Sarrià, with official prices, swimming rules and our insider tips.
Theme parks, water parks, zoos, calm beaches, nature and rainy-day plans: our guide to choosing family days out on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida by age, weather and energy level.
800 hectares of pine forest planted over a century ago to halt the dunes, near-pristine beaches, a Phoenician town and a 10th-century rábita: our guide to Guardamar del Segura.
A 22 km strip of sand between the Mediterranean and the Mar Menor: how to choose your spot in La Manga, enjoy both seas, the Cabo de Palos lighthouse and the wild beaches of Calblanque.
The Costa Cálida's great saltwater lagoon: shallow water ideal with children, lakeside villages, the Lo Pagán mud baths, and what you need to know about its fragile ecological balance.
Which market today? Our street markets day by day, from Torrevieja to the Mar Menor, with sources, plus Valencia’s and Alicante’s Mercado Central and our tips for shopping like a local.
Benidorm’s marine animal park in practice: dolphin and sea lion shows, animal encounters, prices, the 2026 season, free parking and the combo ticket with Aqualandia.
Europe’s largest aquarium, as we experienced it: our weekend in Valencia, the shark tunnel, the belugas (my favourite), 2026 prices by date, parking and our visiting tips.
Everyone knows the word empadronamiento. But some foreigners must renew their registration every two years — and don't know it. Here are the exact rules by nationality and status.
Santa Pola’s small family amusement park in practice: official prices, summer evening opening, recommended ages, and ideas to fill the day around it (port, fortress, salt flats).
The Canelobre caves, Alicante's MARQ, the Valor chocolate museum, the Oceanogràfic, Guadalest's museums and the covered markets: our best ideas for rainy days on the Costa Blanca.
The animal park set in a century-old palm grove between Elche and Santa Pola: official prices, opening hours, sea lion and macaw shows, the little train, swimming with sea lions and our tips.
Lions, giraffes, elephants and deer to watch from your car in the Sierra de Aitana: how a visit to Safari Aitana works, how to get there and our tips for a great day.
The only inhabited island in the Valencia region: how to get there by boat from Santa Pola or Alicante, the story of the walled village, Spain’s first marine reserve and tips for your day.
Tapas, raciones, pinchos, montaditos, marinera… How does tapeo really work in Spain? A no-folklore guide to what to order, when, how much, and how to enjoy tapas in Murcia and Alicante.
Pyramids, Greek temples, galleons and roller coasters: our guide to Terra Mítica with 2026 prices, parking, the themed areas and tips for a great family day out.
Tigers, lions, Indian rhinos and tropical birds: our guide to Terra Natura, Benidorm’s zoo organised by continent, with tickets, the Aqua Natura combo and practical tips.
Gulliver park, the Turia gardens by bike, Bioparc, the Oceanogràfic, the science museum and Malvarrosa beach: our plan for visiting Valencia with children without wearing anyone out.
Santa Bárbara castle (free), the Explanada and its mosaics, the colourful Santa Cruz quarter, the Mercado Central and Postiguet beach: our itinerary for a day in Alicante.
Villajoyosa’s famous colourful façades, its old seafront quarter, the free Valor chocolate museum and its beaches: our guide to a tasty day out between Benidorm and Alicante.
The magazine for discovering, living, savouring and settling on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida.
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