On the Spanish east coast lies the Costa Blanca ('White Coast') with its healthy sunshine and cool sea breeze. The distance from London to Alicante is 1,888 km (including 1,660 via motorway). By air, London to Alicante takes just 2.5 hours. A visit to the city of Alicante (8 km away) is highly recommended. Pass the day in this town shopping or visiting museums and monuments. Don't miss out on 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, which dates from the 1600s, houses an archaeological museum and aquarium. Take the ferry from the coast of Santa Pola to the small island of Tabarca. Only 40 persons live here and almost everything is prohibited: camping, water-skiing, etc. Nevertheless 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 magistrates residence which houses the island's only hotel. A real must for young and old is a visit to the aqua park in neighboring Torrevieja (30 km). Here you will find huge 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 in this area are long (from the end of April until the second half of October) and winters are usually not colder than 12 C, so you can visit the Costa Blanca all year round!