Relleu Costa Blanca Spain

Relleu is a quite isolated village, situated about 12kms inland from the coastal resort of Benidorm. Relleu is a village of approx 1000 inhabitants. Relleu meaning "relief" is overlooked by the ruins of an 11th century castle. Relleu is typical of the inland villages. It is set in a valley with truly spectacular views. The old town is a maze of narrow streets flanked either side by tall whitewashed houses. There is a tiny square outside the church where the old men sit and reminisce. The locals are extremely friendly and will go out of their way to say "hola". Perhaps surprisingly owing to its location, the village is becoming popular with second home owners form outside Spain. It would be very nice to own a place in Relleu old town. Everybody knows each other and crime is virtually non existent, hopefully that will continue with the influx of people from outside the area.

I was told by some English teenagers who were brought up in the village that if the bar owners decide to lock up when there are still people sitting having a drink, the customers leave the money on the window sill for the bar owner to collect the next day. The village itself is still unspoiled but there are some new developments just outside which have not been sympathetically designed to blend with the surroundings. Most are two storey terraces painted white but without much imagination. In my opinion, these developments lend nothing to the area and some may say spoil it. It would be interesting to hear what the locals think about the new houses, I'm sure they are resigned to this sort of development which is affecting a lot of inland towns.

The area around Relleu is still a true wilderness with majestic mountains and valleys. Moving to Relleu could mean a tranquil village life for anybody who doesn't mind the isolation. There are a few bars and restaurants in the town, which is still relatively cheap compared to resort standards. Without the local bars and restaurants, I doubt many drivers would make the scary(ish) night time drive from Relleu to say La Cala de Finestrat and back, for a meal out. More information on the possibilities of living in Relleu can be found at http://www.thespanishvillage.com/ . The Spanish Village, is owned by English people who live there and have a wide local knowledge. If you would like to see some photos of Relleu taken 2008, click here

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