WHEN Brits think of Costa Blanca, the places that come to mind are probably rowdy Benidorm and busy Alicante.
But one woman revealed to Sun Travel that the “jewel” of that coastline is actually the small town of Moraira.
It has all the best bits of Spain like white-washed houses with terracotta tiles, sandy beaches with bright blue waters, and a little harbour filled with boats and yachts.
While lots of holidaymakers like to mix up the places they visit each year, the Sun’s Jade Dadalica and her family have been returning to the town of Moraira, several times a year since 2021.
Jade explained: “My family and I go one or twice a year for around two weeks. We went on holiday to Jávea which is a nearby town and went for a day trip to Moraira, which we actually preferred.
“We booked a villa there the following year and have been going back ever since. A lot of the Spanish go on their holidays there, and you only get a few Brits, it’s not rowdy at all.
“We love it, if I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is buy a place there.”
While Moraira might not have everything that a busy city does, the laidback town still has plenty to offer.
Jade added: “It’s got loads of restaurants, bars, shops, ice cream parlours, and Ale-Hop of course. There’s a market once a week too, that sells everything from clothes and souvenirs to fruit and veg, a lot of locals go and it’s always really busy.
“One of my favourite places to eat is what my family call the ‘windy bar’, but it’s actually called El Cafeti de la Mar. From there you can see the sea and the castle and we love it. We go so much that the owners know who we are.
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“It’s always popular with locals, especially in the mornings because they go for breakfast there. But lunch and dinner are amazing too.”
On its menu, El Cafeti de la Mar serves up simple breakfast croissants, bagels, crepes, and Huevos Benedict.
There’s plenty of tapas to choose from, as well as mains in the evenings from salads, to fish dishes, burgers, ribs and steak.
Another of Jade’s favourites is a spot literally called The Secret Bar where you can sip on classic cocktails like margaritas and blueberry daiquiris.
Other places that Jade recommended are La Malquerida, a Mexican restaurant and The Ribs Bar, which has speciality dishes of ribs, steaks and kebabs.
Once you’ve filled your stomach, why not stretch out on the beach for an afternoon siesta – and Moraira has a few playas to choose from.
The main beach in Moraira is Playa de l’Ampolla but when Jade is on holiday, she goes around the corner to Playa del Portet.
Jade said: “The main beach is sandy and is always quite busy because it’s the one the locals use. We go to one on the other side, Playa del Portet, it’s a little less known, so we go out there and hire paddleboards.”
If you want to venture out of the town, then it’s an easy vantage point to take daytrips too.
Jade told us: “From Moraira, you can get to a town called Calp, which isn’t far at all. There are also some waterfalls, called Fonts de l’Algar, which are under an hour’s drive away.
“You have to buy tickets, but these are €8 (£6.95) during the summer, and €6 (£5.21) during off peak, for the whole day. You can go swimming, or climb up the waterfalls, it’s a great place for pictures.
“Of course, Moraira is close to Benidorm, which is funny because it really doesn’t feel like it. We drive down that way to go to the waterpark called Aqualandia for a family day out.”
If you think that it’s too late in the year to take a break to the Moraira to get good weather, you’d be wrong.
In October, it still has highs of 19C and next week during half-term, you can get flights to Alicante, which is the closest airport, for as little as £14.
Ryanair offers one-way direct flights from London Stansted, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham for under £15.
Although if you do book for half-term hoping to visit Aqualandia, it has closed for the season and will reopen in May 2026.
Jade told us: “I went to Moraira in late September and the weather was still really warm. You can still go on the beach, I even got sunburnt. We always go in September and June which are quieter because it’s out of school holiday time.
“It’s not like other places across Spain which close when the tourists leave either. My dad was speaking to owners of the local bars and they’re open all year round.”
Plus, here’s a tiny Spanish town that’s actually in the middle of France that you can visit for the day.
And for anyone wanting to make a permanent move to Spain, here’s another coastline where you can still buy property for a bargain price.