INFORMATION AND LIVE WEBCAM LA CALA DE FINESTRAT COSTA BLANCA SPAIN

 

 

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LA CALA DE FINESTRAT COSTA BLANCA

 

LIVE WEBCAM FROM LA CALA DE FINESTRAT

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La Cala De Finestrat

About 5kms South of Benidorm just over the headland at the end of the Poniente promenade is the small tourist resort of La Cala de Finestrat. The resort is built around a blue flag sandy bay,  the sea is very shallow for about 20 yards out  making it ideal for children.   Looking out from the beach which is lined with cliffs along the right hand side, gives an uninterrupted view onto the med.  Around the bay there are Spanish and English restaurants and bars. La Cala is fairly small but there are a few hotels and plenty of apartments to rent.

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Within the next couple of years, a new hotel which will be the largest seafront hotel in the world, should be finished.  The hotel which was started about six years ago was beset by problems from the start.  A bad accident killed three workers and the construction work was halted while an investigation was carried out. It transpired that the hotel was eleven floors higher than shown on the plans. A ruling was made that eleven floors should be demolished. This didn't happen and after three years of inactivity, a compromise seems to have been reached.  One floor has been removed and other alterations made. The work  restarted but was very sporadic and it seems that permission to carry on until completion, has not yet been granted and it now stands idle again (May 2009).  Most residents just want it finished or completely demolished. In the past five years a massive new development of apartments has been built on what was scrubland. There are apartment blocks stretching back to the main road into Benidorm. An attractive boulevard lined with trees is the centrepiece of the new development.  Along the boulevard bars and restaurants have started to open.  This will continue to develop when most of the apartment blocks have been completed.  At the time of writing (May 2009) it is just about finished.  The final part of the new development was to have been a large water park with a hotel shops and restaurants.  This was due to start very soon but with the current economic climate, it appears to have been shelved. 

In June, La Cala is home to the festival of St Juan.  This is well worth visiting, families gather on the beach with picnics and barbeques.  The whole place is absolutely throbbing with people and the atmosphere is fantastic.  Close to midnight everybody gathers at the water's edge ready to wade into the sea at the stroke of twelve.  This is supposed to bring good luck.  The night ends with an amazing firework display which lights up the bay.  Have a look at the video below.

 

click here for a map of la cala de finestrat

THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND LA CALA

Go For A Drive

If you're here for a fortnight holiday and you don't want to spend every day on the beach, pluck up the courage to hire a car for a couple of days.  There are some great little villages nearby which are well worth a visit.  Finestrat is only about 10kms from La Cala.  To get there just drive straight up to the main road and straight across at the traffic lights, then continue on up to the first roundabout where you take the first exit . Then second exit at the  next roundabout (the big one near Carrefour) Drive straight on up the hill and continue straight at the next roundabout (2nd exit)  Follow the road as it winds around and takes you up and down a few hills and after about 7kms  you'll reach the roundabout on the outskirts of Finestrat. Go straight across this roundabout and up the hill past some houses which are perched on the edge of a cliff and up to the junction.  Turn right at the junction and find a place to park.  Have a wander around the town and up to the church.  There's a nice ex pat bar called Molli 2 on the main road where you can stop and have a coffee. When you've "done" Finestrat you could always turn around and instead of turning left and going  back down the hill out of the town and returning to La Cala, go straight straight ahead and follow the road through the hills to the main T junction at the end.  Turn right and you can go to Relleu  just follow the sign on the left after about a mile. As well as Relleu, if you go past the Relleu turn off you come to a very small village called Sella.  Park up in Sella and you'll find a couple of small bars, one with a chain mail curtain over the front door. Have a drink in here, if you walk through to the back, you'll find a terrace with tables and chairs where you can look out over a small valley.  This little bar has a special Sunday lunch menu which is really well known in the area.  You are presented with lots of typical dishes of the area one after the other.  If you fancy this, book it because apparently it gets very busy.  Other places to try within a reasonable driving distance are Villajoyosa, about 5kms away (I'm not going to give you directions to all these places because I haven't got the space, so you'll have to buy a map of the area)  A trip taking in  Altea, Moraira, Calpe and the Jalon Valley would make a great day out.  If you don't mind going a bit further afield, Denia and Javea up the coast are nice places to spend a few hours.   Alicante in the opposite direction is a really nice city with plenty to see.  If you go down the N332 instead of the motorway, you could drop in at El Campello on the way.  There are other places worth a mention, Guadalest is a fascinating place, it used to be quite a stomach churning mountain drive but about four years ago, a new road was opened between La Nucia and Guadalest which only takes half an hour from La Cala.  The quickest way to La Nucia is to drive up to the Terra Mitica road and drive right along the dual carriageway. Don't take the turning into the Terra Mitica theme park, just follow the road.  The first roundabout you come to has a fine water mist and on the right there is a large hotel complex which looks like a small Spanish village.  Keep going straight on and you'll come to another large roundabout with sails.  Carry on straight and at the end of the road is the final roundabout, take the second exit here and continue up the dual carriageway until you come to a roundabout which has a sign to Alcoy and Guadalest.  Take this exit and just follow the road.  The dual carriageway to La Nucia has about ten roundabouts so you'll have to lookout for the one with the Alcoy/ Guadalest sign.  I took some pictures in Guadalest a couple of months ago (March 2009) to give you an idea what it's like.

 

A walk to Benidorm will take you down the new Poniente promenade which will probably be finished later this year (2009)  Walk around the bay in La Cala and up the steps after you pass the old Amancio restaurant (which is due for demolition) When you get to the top, turn left and follow the road past a large apartment block. Another road joins it just after this. Keep straight on and you come to a T junction, walk straight ahead and you'll find some steps down on the left.  This will take you to the promenade of La Cala de Benidorm.  Just follow the promenade and you'll end up in Park Elche in the old part of Benidorm.  The walk to Park Elche will take you about 45mins. 

Tram Ride

On the way up to the Terra Mitica theme park, there's a small station where you can catch a tram to El Campello and Alicante in one direction and Altea and Denia on the other.  The walk up to Terra Mitica station will take you approx half an hour. Alternatively, there's a small station at the back of the Marina Centre.

Marina Centre

La Cala de Finestrat is within easy walking distance of the La Marina shopping centre which contains some top name shops like Zara and Mango, plus a six screen cinema complex and  bowling alley, as well as bars restaurants and a small kiddies play area.  The centre is open until late at night when it comes alive.  If you don't fancy the walk, for 1.20 euros you can catch the number 12 bus which stops outside the opticians as it comes down the hill into La Cala.  Don't confuse it with the number 12 going out of La Cala which stops on the opposite side of the road near the small Chinese restaurant.

Golf

Recently, a number of new golf courses have opened in the area, including two which are part of the Real de Faula hotel development near Terra Mitica.  There is also an excellent 9 hole course (described as pitch and putt) on the new road into Benidorm.   This is open to anybody but you have to hire shoes, clubs etc so it will end up costing around 30 euros.  To get there by car, drive up to the main road and turn right at the lights. Turn right at the next lights past Mercadona and take the first road on the left which passes the Bali hotel.  Turn left at the junction and go straight ahead through the lights and follow the road until you come to the roundabout.  Go straight on at the roundabout (i.e. second exit) this is a new dual carriageway which goes into Benidorm.  The golf is situated down a road on the left, you'll see the signs saying pitch an putt. 

Outside The Bay

Outside the bay area there are lots of new bars lining the boulevard catering mostly for Spanish visitors.  There are also bars owned by other nationalities. If you feel like a bit of a hike, at the top of the boulevard  there is a very chic bar/nightclub with a large fenced off garden area and an outside bar.  The best beer is the draught Galician served at the Romanian owned bar just around the first corner as you walk up the boulevard.  Turn right and walk down to the next corner. There used to be huge copper barrels in the window but these have now gone.  Every drink is accompanied by a tapas, great value.  Walking from the bay to the main road at the top you pass a small Chinese restaurant which never seem very busy and a bit further around  the corner on the opposite side of the road a large new English owned restaurant called Deja Vue 2, formerly Bizzie Izzy's the food here is supposed to be good but I haven't tried it yet.  There are a few more bars and snack bars before you arrive at another Irish pub called Shenanigans, again showing football on a large screen.  Keep walking up and you come to "Good Vibrations" on the right hand side. With a bit of imagination, this place has huge potential as a restaurant.  It has a large courtyard which could be developed into something special using vine trellises  candles soft music and up market food but at the moment it belongs to the same category as many of the other bars i.e plastic tables and chairs, draught english beer etc.

Benidorm And The Beaches

Benidorm boasts two of the finest beaches in Europe, the Levante and the Poniente.  Benidorm headland which contains the old town separates these two large bays.  The Levante beach is popular with English and other European holidaymakers, while the Poniente is dominated by mostly Spanish tourists. 

The Poniente

The Old Town

Many tourists miss the old town but is really is worth visiting. A maze of narrow streets seperates the Levante and Poniente beaches and here you can find a bit of the real Spain with tapas bars and some great atmosphere.

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Bars And Restaurants In The Bay

Amancio's

Sadly, Amancios was closed last year after a large piece of masonry fell off the dilapidated apartment block above it. Amancio's was one of the most popular restaurants in the bay serving good value family food.  The whole building is now due for demolition.

Ole sole mio restaurant

O Sole Mio

O Sole Mio as the name implies is an Italian restaurant.  It has seating inside and out.  The food ranges from a large variety of pasta dishes to fillet steak and shoulder of lamb. There are also a few fish dishes including sea bass (Lubina) Swordfish (Emperador) and Sea Bream (Dorada)  The shoulder of lamb is slow cooked and tender.  The fillet steaks can vary from excellent to okay, probably 80% excellent.  The seafood spaghetti ( Spaghetti Marinara) is always good as are most of the pasta dishes. If you're going for one of the more expensive dishes, splash out on a decent bottle of wine (Rioja Campo Viejo is a good choice for red at about 11 euros and  for the white, try Frascatti which is about the same price) the house wine can be a bit acidic.  Try the bruschetta as a starter. The price of the meal will obviously be reflected in what you choose.  If you choose one of the higher priced dishes, with a decent bottle of wine expect to pay about 60 euros for two but a pasta dish with house wine more like 30 euros.

El Arenal

Recently given a makeover, El Arenal is a Spanish restaurant with a varied menu.  A lot of seafood dishes including paella but also the usual chicken, steak etc.  Fairly basic but seems quite popular.

 upstairs bar la cala

Upstairs Bar  Next To Hotel La Cala

This bar caters mostly for younger people but before it gets too late in the evening, try it, if only for the amazing sea view from the huge balcony window.  This is La Cala's nearest equivalent of a club, it has quite an intimate atmosphere but isn't over the top. There are flat screen TV's, dimly lit nooks and crannies  and some decent background music.  Don't expect to pay the same prices as the other bars.

Peter's

Nice family run restaurant.  The food is excellent value for money with meal of the day including wine costing only 10 euros. Always had decent food here, the staff are friendly and helpful. I recommend the fish soup followed by the cold meat mixture (Entremesas) and then the roast lamb (Cordero Asado)  I really don't know how they manage to do all this complete with a bottle of wine and dessert for only 10 euros  Both Peter's and Cala Fin (next door) were in desperate need of a makeover and this year they have both had a new canopy, tables and chairs which has made a massive improvement.   Peter's is next door to the little bar.  

marina bar la cala

Marina Bar

This is the expat bar, where everyone knows everybody and you can always find somebody to chat to.  Opened about five years ago by two brothers Antonio and Pepe it has been incredibly successful.  It is one of the only bars which  succeeds in catering to every nationality and is  very  popular with the locals and  tourists.  Much of the Marina's success has been achieved by the friendliness of Pepe , Antonio and the waiters, plus the excellent speed of service.   The food is mostly snacks but all cooked fresh on a large griddle.  This is the most popular bar in the bay and on hot summer evenings, its difficult to find a place.  A word of warning, if you have a few drinks at the Marina, you will probably get a free one when you come to pay the bill, bear that in mind when you think you've had enough.

the old ship la cala

Old Ship

The Old Ship was La Cala's only  pub a couple of years ago but it now has competition from Molly Malone's and the Bay View.  The Old Ship is always popular with British holidaymakers, they have regular entertainment including quizzes and bingo.  The full English breakfast is a favourite.  There are number of small screen TV's showing English premiere league via satellite

bay view la cala

Bay View

This, recently replaced "Changes" and to my knowledge has continued in much the same way.  Open for coffee in the mornings and a full menu at lunch time and in the evening.  The food is based on a standard "English" menu, steak and chips full English breakfast etc.  Large screen TV showing English premiere league football via satellite.

molly malone's la cala

Molly Malone's

This took over from the Spanish Zarzuella restaurant in 2007.  The owners run a successful bar in Benidorm and there is no reason why this shouldn't be as popular.  A large wooden decked patio area gets the sun most of the day, the food is good down to earth British with occasional Indian, Italian and Irish dishes.  If you fancy a cold Guinness, being an Irish pub, this should be the place.  Large screen TV showing most of the English premiere league games on satellite in high definition. 

puig campana la cala

Puig Campana

A Spanish restaurant specialising in seafood.  Some really good dishes well presented and excellent wine. Very popular with the Spanish and the waiters speak decent English.  A bit pricey but if you enjoy seafood, worth splashing out for a special meal.  The wine has been well chosen and compliments the seafood dishes extremely well, the waiters seem to have a knack of knowing which wine is best with the various fish dishes.  Expect to spend around 60 or 70 euros for a meal for two.

Cala Fin

Next to Peter's bar. Large outdoor eating area, Catering for the tourist, reasonably priced. Varying reports, some people saying the food was great but others not very impressed.  I haven't tried this one so I can't give a personal opinion.  Expect to pay around 20 euros for meal of the day for two people with wine.

BA or Small Bar

This little bar is always immaculate.  There are about 5 tables on a narrow pavement facing the beach.  To make as much of the space as possible the tables are very close together, so a great place to start up a conversation with the other customers.  Inside there are about six tables including one by the window which looks out onto the bay.  The beer is served in iced glasses by very friendly staff.   Not much in the way of food but the burgers are excellent.

kala kala bar la cala

Kala Kala

This bar stays open late and is frequented mostly by Spanish customers.  There is a large plasma screen  inside usually showing a Spanish music channel.  A lot of money has been spent  over the last few years and the decor is modern and to a high standard.  In the summer months most customers sit outside.  My only criticism of this bar is the service which  always seems very slow.

Summing up, the food served in the bars and restaurants in La Cala caters mostly for the tourists.  For more up market restaurants, go  to the bottom of the hill opposite the Bali hotel where there are some pretty exclusive restaurants with prices to match. A great little outdoor place for snacks is Lite Bite (the Spanish pronounce this leetay beetay which always amuses me) Lite Bite is just around the corner opposite the expensive restaurants.  The best time is 2pm, it gets quite full and the atmosphere great.  Try the boquerones (small fried fish) chopitos (baby squid) mussels and sardines.

Resorthoppa

Resorthoppa is a private shuttle service which will take you from Alicante airport direct to your hotel or apartment in Benidorm, La Cala de Finestrat and Albir at a fraction of the cost of a taxi.   My wife and I recently (31st May 2009) used Resorthoppa to La Cala de Finestrat.   We arrived in Alicante half an hour ahead of schedule and instead of keeping us hanging around, they put us in a private taxi at no extra charge. This cost 23 euros for the two of us saving about 40 euros on the normal taxi price, which I thought was fantastic service.  The new ALSA bus service is excellent value at 9 euros each but doesn't drop you off at your hotel or apartment, so you'd have to catch a taxi from Benidorm bus station to complete your journey.  Taking this into account, the  Resorthoppa works out cheaper.   

Fast Reliable And Efficient

Resorthoppa are extremely reliable and have built up a large customer base mostly through word of mouth recommendation.  The journey to Benidorm and La Cala takes approx 45 minutes which is about the same time as a taxi. The ALSA bus takes about the same time but only runs  hourly so if you miss it you have to wait for up to an hour to catch the next one.

Finding Resorthoppa When You Arrive

The Resorthoppa reception desk is based in the terminal 1 arrivals hall.  Ryannair and Easy Jet are now using terminal 2 at Alicante.  To get from terminal 2 to the terminal 1 arrivals hall, go out of the main doors and turn right.  Follow the pavement past the terminal 1 departure entrance, cross over the road and walk down one of the ramps to the lower level (you'll see all the buses parked up) walk past the buses and you'll come to the main exit doors of terminal 1 arrivals.  Go through the doors and the Resorthoppa representative desk is on the left.

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LA CALA DE FINESTRAT