Help with Costa Blanca Hoiladay Jevea or Torrevieja area?

I'd agree Torrevieja isn't a great place. especially if you are going there in the summer all beaches are packed. But there is go-karting near Torrevieja and you can visit safari park in Elche, kids will love it. it's not much of a safari park, it's more like a zoo but you can feed all sort of different animals, my children loved to feed giraffes for example, they have a train and a dolphin show too. there is an "Aquapolis" aquapak, lots of bars, restaurants, shopping centre....well, that's about it I think, at least that's all I can think of.

I've never been to Javea itself but we visited our friends for a day, they rented a villa in Javea region. in comparison to Torrevieja it's a much greener area, not as overcrowded.so, if it's Javea then you should be prepared to go to visit Benidorm! ;) it's not that bad really. but it definately much nicer in the winter when there are less tourists. ;) There's a big water park in Benidorm called "Aqualandia", it's got loads of rides, cafes etc. There is also a section within it called Mundomar which is a marine and exotic animal park (but you have to pay extra to go in). Also if you are going in the summer, I'd suggest to visit Fonts d'Algar (waterfalls),it's about 30 mins away from Javea. there's a Nature Park in the mountains where re the Fonts d'Algar are situated. there's also a village called Guadalest (it's all in mountains, lots of steps, so no buggy), it's a bit further but worth it too. it’s very pretty there with lots of Spanish souvenir shops and a beautiful laguna.

a meal out can be anything from 20 euros for a family (like chinese restaurant or Macdonalds) up to...well, it depends on where you are going to eat :) for lunch I'd suggest "menu del dia" - menu of the day. most of the restaurants have them. it's cheaper to eat that way and it's tasty too! normally it's a 2-3 course meal and can cost from 7 to 15 euros per person (again depends on the place) the only problem is...the whole menu is usually in spanish, and waiter won't always speak English. Also tapas is really good but can be pricey if you order lots of dishes.

those 2 areas you've chosen are very different and it all depends on what sort of holiday you prefer.

Depends what time of year you are going. Torrevieja has the better climate as Javea is surrounded by mountains and has more rainfall. It is noticeable that houses in that area have gutters and downspouts, things unseen further south. Murcia is the main fruit and vegetable growing area as it is flat and has a dry climate.

Torrevieja has a good water park, lots of restaurants and bars and if you drive further south towards La Manga you will find it more peaceful. Eating out has become much more expensive over the last 2 years and a typical 2 course dinner will cost roughly £8 - £12 with the bottle of wine probably another £5 which is ridiculous when you can buy a good bottle of wine in the supermarkets for £2. If you self cater then the produce available is very good and even cheaper at the local markets. A loaf of bread will cost around £1 but baguettes about 50p. Fruit is plentiful and cheap. Try to eat where the Spanish eat and you will get better value than the typical "Brit" food, and children are always welcomed everywhere. Torrevieja has a large expat community but at night it is lovely to walk along the beautiful promenades, stopping for an ice cream, drink or crepes, while looking out at the Mediterranean sea. You will see mainly Spanish families with granny and all the family together (unlike UK) enjoying a stroll and you never see lager louts. I walk alone and never feel unsafe in these areas. Enjoy your holiday.

I have lived here for 17 years and would recommend Javea, its a nice little town and the beaches are far better than Torrevieja. I used to sell property in and around Torrevieja and it´s not a nice place. Javea is cleaner and a better class of restaurants, people etc.

Prices have gone up here too, but a 3 course meal in a local restaurant (not on the beach front) should be around 10E per person.

Bread 39 cents, depending on where you buy it

Milk 99c approx

butter 99c approx

meat like lamb is expensive, chicken is fairly cheap.

Javea there is Mercadona which is a large supermarket, Torrevieja has both Carrefour and Mercadona.

Hope this helps you, mail me if you like.

This is one of the best sites for finding holidays. It is compiled by the punters

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?q=jevea

I was in Ibiza last year and thought the prices were about the same as the UK. Prices went through the roof when Spain joined the Euro. I wouldn't go back to mainland or med destinations in Spain, the Canaries are so much cheaper.

Hi , i have been to both places and please dont take your family to torrevieja, it is a crime haven, not a very nice place for you and your young family, on the other one, jevea we found this to be very lovely with plenty to do and see, lovely beaches, resturants that are family friendly, and it's so cheap to buy food, and to eat out, We are thinking of moving there to live next year, we have been to most places in spain but found jevea to be one of the best. Good luck , you can go on the web to ask question about jevea, This will also help you.

Patsy girl is right please don't go to torrevieja, But please be very careful of Hamiltons of london, they build poor quality homes, i know i've repaierd a few they built, they use non spanish builders where ever they can and build quality is sub standard.

Patsy girl is 100% correct. I live in Spain and have been to the region several times.

i have been to torrevieja.not a nice place for families.if you can find somewhere else please do ,dont know about jevea