The cucaracha: an (almost) fond ode to the Costa Blanca cockroach
Who she is, why she turns up in summer, whether she is dangerous, and how to limit the visits: making peace with the Costa Blanca cockroach.
Living LGBTQIA+ on the Costa Blanca: reassuring, with eyes open
Spain is Europe's number one for LGBTQIA+ rights in 2026 and the Costa Blanca, led by Benidorm, is one of its calmest coastlines. The strengths, and the points to watch.
LGBT-friendly nights out on the Costa Blanca: the practical playbook
Where to drink, catch a drag show, hit the beach and meet the community, from Benidorm's old town to Alicante. Your practical LGBT-friendly guide to the Costa Blanca.
Processions and brass bands: the Costa Blanca's endless calendar of fiestas
1,100 community wind bands, Moors and Christians at Alcoy, the Misteri d'Elx, Holy Week at Orihuela and the Three Kings: why the Costa Blanca lives its traditions in the street.
The LGBTQIA+ scene on the Costa Blanca: Benidorm, Europe's gay capital by the sea
Benidorm is one of Europe's great gay capitals: 30-plus bars and cabarets in the old town, Benidorm Pride, and a coastline where nobody turns a head. A map of the Costa Blanca's queer scene.
The Spanish way: the queue, the round and the bill, the little codes that catch you out
The ¿quién es el último? instead of a queue, rounds you don't split to the cent and tipping taken lightly: the micro-codes of everyday Costa Blanca life, from a newcomer's view.
Valencian: the Costa Blanca's other language, a newcomer's view
The Costa Blanca speaks Castilian - and Valencian, the region's own language, strong in the Marina Alta. Between false friends and the pidgin you improvise, a newcomer's linguistic journey.
LGBTQIA+ health on the Costa Blanca: testing, PrEP and support
Free anonymous HIV testing at the CIPS in Alicante, free PrEP, the trans pathway and English-speaking support lines: the LGBTQIA+ health guide for newcomers to the Costa Blanca.
Children, noise and late nights: life outdoors on the Costa Blanca
Kids running on the plaza at midnight, firecrackers all year, terraces that never sleep: on the Costa Blanca life happens outdoors and loud. A newcomer's fond first take.
LGBTQIA+ in Spain: your rights, your remedies, the guide to protecting yourself
Marriage, the 2023 trans law and expats, filing a complaint after an attack, your employer's obligations: your LGBTQIA+ rights in Spain and on the Costa Blanca.
Kissing, tú and talking loudly: the Costa Blanca's social codes
Two cheek-kisses (start on the right), the instant informal tú, and a volume that reads as warmth, not aggression: the Costa Blanca's social codes for newcomers.
SOS, I've had an accident on the Costa Blanca: the guide to the right moves
The first moves, car accidents with or without injuries, towing and assessment, home accidents, getting treated as a tourist or resident, and the numbers to keep.