After breakfast at the hotel near Altea, I retrieved the bike from their storage area and headed south west towards Alicante. The Brutalist skyscrapers of Benidorm, which apparently has the most high-rise buildings per capita in the world, rose abruptly between the pretty hills and the Mediterranean.
The route went slightly inland following the tram line then rejoined the coast at the pleasant town of La Vila Joiosa, and after continuing west I stopped to see the light blue waters of Playa El Paraiso.
Once I had cycled through El Campello the route went alongside the beach at Muchavista for a while, which had quite a lot of surf. I stopped briefly in the centre of Alicante then continued south passing the airport and beneath an ascending Ryanair plane, and I arrived at the campsite at Santa Pola just before 5pm.
I enjoyed a swim in the large pool and the beers and company kindly provided by a very hospitable neighbouring British couple.
Distance: 45 miles
Maximum temperature: 29 degrees C
La Vila Joiosa
La Vila Joiosa
El Paraiso
Muchavista