From the moment you land in Spain you will feel more laid back and de-stressed about life, and when this happens you know you are following in the footsteps of the locals. You see the Spanish have it down to a fine art, it is a proven fact that they tend to live longer than us and this is why!

The nearest airport is Alicante, which is about an Hour and 15 minutes away by car. The roads leading out off the airport towards Benedorm are mainly very fast moving motorways, which in summer can be very crowded all day and into the night so please be ready for a little delay’s on this route. The scenery on route between these two places is mainly baron and dirty looking, but once past the ugly looking high-rise blocks and over crowded Benedorm, the whole countryside seemed to open up to look more like a fairytale picture book or holiday's from heaven programmed. Just before you leave the main motorway you should be aware there is a toll to pay, and i think it is one of the longest tolls in Europe. To the best of my knowledge when I was last there, the fee stood at around 4 Euros. Not too pricy but something you should know in case you are driving and need to pay yourself.

Starting with the Arenal, the long golden beach front lined with bars of all sorts and restaurants for all tastes, young or old you will find something just for you! In the day it is alive with small children running around happily having fun, and odd to say but quietly too. On the beach if you are feeling a little energetic there is volleyball net to invite your friends to a challenge or two. All along the beach you will also find for you convenience are small shower systems to wash your feet when leaving the beach, this is a wonderful idea if you just want to pop into one of the small bars for a Spanish Tapas... or to us a small snack and a cold beer. The beach has a tractor along early every morning to rake the sand for the new day making it look as good as new again, and one small but very valuable point is that the beach is disabled/pram friendly; it has ramps all along at intervals so all the family can join in.

If you have tired from your walk along this beautiful stretch then why not take a seat in one of the many bars, my personal favorite is called Champagne, where you will find good food, excellent friendly staff and a great atmosphere, but again sadly like any bar or club today it is best to keep a close eye on your drinks and if possible order at the bar and take your drink with you even when visiting the toilets. It has become a trend now not only in Spain but across the world to spike drinks and this is not what you want to happen to you when on holiday. the drinks in Spain are not too pricey, around £2 will get you a good size Vodka and mixer of your choice and beers can tend to be cheaper still, this will also tend to vary from bar to bar. One thing I found is that to eat out is cheaper than buying your won food to cook, and why not you are on holiday so you won’t want to be cooking.

On Thursdays in the old town there is an open air market that may take your fancy, all the goods you can think of are here, so just done your sun cream and take a wonder round, and if your into haggling you may come away with a bargain or too.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Javea when they have one of there many fiesta’s as I have been twice then you will be in ore of the show they put on and the atmosphere becomes electrical, even to the point of being able to feel it buzzing in the air. I have seen the June/July celebrations twice now and I still think of it with fond memories and think of my next trip...'Sant Joan' fiesta At the end of June is a week long thing that ends with a grand fireworks display in the town square that can be seen for miles and then the burning of the paper Mache figures. They certainly know how to party in style these people.