The Orange Blossom Coast: the Spanish costa you’ve never heard of

21.07.2023 - 08:05 / roughguides.com

Spain is known for its costas, the sandy strands that attract thousands of visitors seeking sun and sangria every year. But most people tend to head to the big hitters: the Costa del Sol, the Costa Brava and the Costa Blanca.

But of course these are just the bright and brazen names that have made it into international acclaim. Spain, with its more than 3000 miles of coastline, has plenty more shimmering sands, costas that perhaps you’ve never even heard of, and that the Spanish have managed to keep (largely) to themselves. At least until now.

© Alex Tihonovs/Shutterstock

One of Spain’s unsung beachy stretches is the Costa del Azahar, or Orange Blossom Coast. It’s quiet, for now, but from September Ryanair will be flying in from London Stansted and Bristol to the costa’s once-white-elephant airport of Castellon. It was opened in 2011 at a cost of €150 million but has been flightless, save a handful of private planes, ever since.

So just what have the Costa del Azahar’s mainly Spanish visitors been keeping to themselves all this time?

On the Orange Blossom Coast you can beach hop all the way from Castellon to Vinaros, 50 miles north. Find a crowd in Benicassim? Simply head on north to Oropesa. Packed out in Benicarlo? Peniscola is just a few minutes’ drive away.

Peniscola is top pick for families, with water so shallow even the shortest of adults won’t be up to their knees until they’re a good 20m from shore. You’ll find sandcastles, buried padres and families playing bat and ball along the sands of Playa Norte here. Playa Sur can be slightly quieter, but this isn’t the place for chilling.

Playa del Pebret, in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Irta is perfect for an escape. Relax among the dunes here and spot sea lilies in the ever-moving sands.

Vinaros also tends to be quieter, and is the best place for a beer with your toes embedded in the golden grains – it has a handful of bars right on the seafront (it’s common along this part of the coast for the road to divide the bars from the sands).

Don’t leave without checking out Playa de las Fuentes in Alcossebre, where freshwater springs bubble up through the sand and will swallow human limbs whole if you step into their ribbons of quicksand. Don’t worry, you’ll see them before they seize you.

Vinaros has a lofty reputation: it’s argued they have the best langoustines in Spain. This seems like a bold claim until you order lunch atRestaurante Bergantin, where plump, juicy langoustines are served up whole and grilled (a la plancha) with slices of lemon, as well as in any number of paella-style rice dishes. Try the rossejat con espardenyes, which comes with a Mediterranean sea cucumber that melts into the rice, and don’t leave without posing next to the giant