Located in an exceptional geographical position, Alicante is the beautiful capital of the province in which tourism is one of the main stays of its economy. It was the Renaissance landowner Campanello who was the first to call Alicante the 'Sun City'. Its magnificent microclimate, its excellent beaches, and its varied gastronomy makes Alicante an incomparable destination.

The white fortress, as Alicante has been called by the Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans, is a city that includes, with ample gardens and avenues, its old part of town, known as El Barrio, between the castle of Santa Barbara, in the Benacantil hill, the Rambla de Mendez Nunez and the Explanada, with its marine promenade.

On the way down to the Roman port, also known as the old port, the "Casa de la Asegurada", on Villavieja street, holds a museum of paintings, sculptures and engravings of the XX Century, donated by the sculptor and painter, Eusebio Sempere.

But the real beauty of Alicante comes from the sea. From the South, the direction of the island of Tabarca, with a settlement from the XVIII century, there is an abundance of archeological sites, a unique underwater world, and good communications from the port to the capital. From the North, with Albufereta and San Juan beaches, after going around the Huertas cape. During the summer these beaches are the party centres with bars, restaurants etc. There is also the beautiful Explanada promenade, where the traveller who loves music can listen to concerts every Sunday morning during the winter, and on summer evenings.

Campello is a picturesque village just north of Alicante with a sheltered bay and whose inhabitants formerly worked in the fishing and salt industries. Today, as with so many other Spanish towns and villages, tourism has become the mainstay of its economy.

This is not at all surprising. The village is surrounded by superb beaches, among which can be found La Isleta and Muchavista the latter being a large cove lying between two rocky headlands.

There are enough expatriates of different nationalities living in the area to justify the presence of a modern, well equipped marina but the bulk of foreigners arrive as tourists during the summer months. Needs are catered for by a variety of well stocked shops, different types of restaurants, cafes and the usual bars.

Campello is a charming Spanish village. If you want to get away from it all, this is as good a place to start as any. Learning Spanish would add to your enjoyment of the area which in relation to those with large expatriate communities is really very different.