On the Spanish east coast lies the Costa Blanca (the 'White Coast') with its healthy sunshine and cool sea breeze. The distance (by car) from London to Alicante is 1888 km (including 1660 km via highway). London to Alicante by air takes about 2.5 hours. A visit to the city of Alicante, 8 km away, is highly recommended. Here you can pass the day shopping or visiting local museums and monuments. Don't miss the town of Santa Pola with its salt water lakes, also only 8 km away. This idyllic fishing port was once an important Roman harbor. The fort, dating from the 1600s, accommodates the archaeological museum and an aquarium. Take the ferry from the Santa Pola coast to the small island of Tabarca. Only 40 inhabitants live here and almost everything is prohibited: camping, water-skiing, etc. Yet the island attracts hundreds of visitors daily. The city wall surrounding the village has three towers. Several narrow streets lead up to the church square. The most peculiar house is the stadholder's residence, which houses the island's only hotel. A real must for both young and old is a visit to the aqua park in neighbouring Torrevieja (30 km). Here you will find huge water slides and several swimming pools. You can enjoy horseback riding with Dutch instructors (beach rides or lessons) or visit the Rojales golf course 10 km away. Summers are long in this area (from the end of April until the second half of October) and winters do not get colder than ca. 12 C., so you can visit the Costa Blanca all year round!