Who can blame them? The Spanish beaches are amongst the most wonderful in the entire world and Spain has an enormous coastline, more than 3900 km long.

It would take us to far to give a description of all the beaches along this vast coastline so we will just talk about three of the well known coasts: the Costa Brava, the Costa Blanca and the Costa De Sol.

• Costa Brava, between the Mediterranenan and the Pyrenees, is the popularly accepted name of the littoral of the province of Girona.

  Its nature, climate and history create a setting of odd, haunting beauty that is hard to grasp, but that never fails to seduce, with its lush vegetation propped against the blue and green immensity of the sea.

  Right up to the edge of the sea, hanging on occasions over abrupt cliffs, on others in the actual proximity of the beaches , the vegetation paints the fine golden sand green, blending with the ochre of the earth, inland, and together with the dominant landscape.

  The 16ºC of average annual temperature, with moderate rainfall, and the 2,500 hours of sunshine that illuminate the historic-artistic vestiges, recalling the existence of a notable past, are only the visible aspects of a reality that has a hidden pulse waiting to be discovered.

  Its 214 kilometres of coastline stretch between the beaches of Blanes in the south, surrounded by El Maresme and El Montseny, and Portbou in the north, on the French border.

  Beaches, coves, cliffs and woods sit among renowned places like S’Agaró, Tossa de Mar, Begur, Cadaques and Portlligat. The modern tourist infrastructure of the area has turned Costa Brava into one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations.
  
  
  

• Costa Blanca takes up the stretch of Mediterranean beach that corresponds to the province of Alicante, a great example of what is known as Mediterranean landscape.

  The traveller can choose any part of this beach line, from the liveliest, most cosmopolitan stretch to areas that still maintain a rural feel. Wherever you decide to go, try to visit the neighbouring regions where you can discover the beautiful Mediterranean landscape.

  The horizons of the Costa Blanca beach feature many different types of attractions ranging from the valleys, where the memory of its Moorish past is kept alive in its terraced vegetable gardens, to the palm trees.

  The climate is also variable. The temperature is generally mild – the annual average being slightly higher than 17ºC – with little rainfall, and in the northern mountains in the area, the rainfall is logically higher than that registered in the lowland surrounding Elche and Orihuela.

  The combination of almond tree fields, vineyards, orchards and magnificent palm trees creates a type of vegetation that is unique in Europe.

  
  

  
  
  
• Costa del Sol takes up about 300 kilometres of the Mediterranean littoral that corresponds to the province of Malaga.

  Protected from the northern winds by a mountain chain that in some parts comes down to meet the sea, this sheltered coast is shaped by a succession of extensive beaches, coves almost hidden between cliffs, marinas and anchorage for fishing.

  The mild climate, infrequency of rainfall and the sea breeze make for semitropical vegetation in which palm and cypress trees, bougainvillaea, oleander and hibiscus are common.

  The proximity of such different landscapes -the mountain, the valleys blanketed in vegetable gardens and the sea- is, without a doubt, one of the greatest attractions of this beach line which combine all the appeal of the Mediterranean landscape and culture.

  Residential areas, marinas, golf clubs, entertainment centres, nightclubs and many more tourist attractions have been built around and now coexist within the peaceful ambience of country villages, which have astonishingly conserved their traditional town centres.

  Summer beach holidays and all the appeal that this can offer along this stretch of the Mediterranean is not, however, the only attractions offered by the Costa del Sol: you will have the chance to uncover the most genuine, authentic features of the Andalusian culture very close by.

  In addition to the folkloric displays in the tourist centres, you can also experience the lively and popular celebrations. The fiestas, Easter parades, song contests and the bull runs without a doubt claim first place on the list of recommendations for travellers who want to see beyond what first meets the eye.

  Tasting country wines in the intimate cellars of yore and having some traditional fried fish (cooked to perfection by the local folk) are some of the temptations that will seduce all visitors, specially those that prefer the wonders of local gastronomy over the ever-present international fare.

  
  
  
  info and photographs courtesy of http://www.spain.info/

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  Below you will find an article written by Ed Majors, he runs the website http://www.alabama-beach-advisor.com/ and is an expert on all things beach!
  
  

  Beach Packing List - What Will I Need To Take?

  
  
  Whether you are staying in a condo, hotel room or privately owned cottage , there are some essentials you will need to bring along to make your vacation stay more convenient and enjoyable.

  I have prepared this beach packing list to help you prepare for a fun, carefree vacation at the Alabama Beach location of your choice.

  A condo or beach house can sometimes have its advantages over just a hotel room. When you don't feel like going out to a restaurant , its great to have your own kitchen to fix that special dish from our recipe page. Not to mention the luxury of sleeping late while the kids make their own cereal breakfast!

  Grocery prices in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach area stores tend to be about the same as inland - not over-priced. No need to pack and bring down a ton of food. You can always dump a bit of coffee or spices into a small zip lock bag to bring along.

  You will find an initial round of toilet tissue in your condo when you arrive, but you will need to bring or buy extra for your stay.

  You will need a roll or two of paper towels. All condo kitchens are fully equiped with plates and utensils & dishwashers, but paper plates are very handy for a no-work vacation.

  Being able to toss wet swimsuits right into the washer is a huge advantage of condos and private homes, so be sure to bring or buy some detergent. The new tablet type dishwasher detergents are very popular.

  If you have leftovers, they are easy to toss in a zip-lock bag to take home. Larger Zip Lock bags are great for taking home wet swimsuits, if you have to leave before everything is dry.

  Please contact me, if you think of things I should add to this online packing list or just to say how it may have helped.

  Thanks and have a great vacation!

  And now for the LIST!!

  BEACH PACKING LIST

  GENERAL CONDO SUPPLIES

  Paper Towels

  Napkins

  Paper Plates

  Dishwasher detergent

  Salt & Pepper

  Laundry Detergent

  Bath Soap/Shampoo

  Bathroom Tissue

  Kitchen Garbage Bags

  Coffee Filters

  Coffee, Sugar, Coffee-Mate

  Zip Lock bags-several sizes

  MISCELLANEOUS

  Movies

  Camera (with fresh batteries)& film

  Laptop, Video Games, CD's & Player

  Sunglasses Beach-bag

  Books & Magazines

  Writing materials, stamps & journal

  Friends & Relatives addresses for postcards

  Friends & Relatives E-mail addresses

  Stamps

  Flashlight & batteries

  Recipes for vacation cooking

  Destination maps, books, literature

  School work assignments and books-if any

  Paper and pen or pencil

  Games, cards, etc.

  Zip Lock bags

  SMALL CHILDREN LIST

  Small carry-on or pack

  Stuffed animal

  Favorite blanket

  Games & favorite toys

  Rainy day toys

  Food & juice

  Coloring books, crayons, etc.

  Picture books

  Favorite or new movies

  Zip Lock bags

  SNORKELING & SWIMMING

  Mask

  Fins

  Snorkel

  Aqua socks or dive booties

  Air mattress

  Waist flotation device

  Beach Towels

  Blow-up Water Toys

  Beach Umbrella

  Radio

  Zip Lock bags for shells

  SPORTS

  Fishing Pole and Tackle

  Tennis rackets

  Golf clubs

  Surfboard, boogie board

  Diving gear

  Bicycle

  CLOTHES

  Shoes – sandals, flip-flop, tennis, walking

  Shorts

  Tank-tops/T-shirts

  Slacks/dress

  Hat-baseball, straw

  Cover-ups (swimsuit)

  Bathrobe

  Pajamas/night shirt

  Underwear, socks, etc

  Swim suits

  Light jacket/wind-breaker

  Ladies-jacket or sweater for restaurants

  
  
  

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