When you go backpacking with others, it's a social event. You enjoy scenery, feel good hiking trails, and you get to know people in a different setting than usual. There's usually a lot of talking, and you feel relatively safe as part of a group. It's a good experience.

Solo Backpacking Trips

When you are alone in wilderness, it's different. There is a peacefulness that can never be there when you're with others. With nobody to talk to, you stop defining everything and start seeing things more directly.

I remember sitting by an alpine lake at 12,000 feet in Sierra Nevadas, after not seeing anyone for two days. The sun was shining, and silence was broken only by clatter of rocks falling from cliffs above. I was relaxed, and I felt like it was most beautiful place on earth. It isn't same when I'm with friends.

Lets take a closer look at some of these fantastic holiday spots. Each village is considered to be someones favourite because it has something extra special that will tickle your fancy!

Javea on east iberian peninsula

Javea is found about 90 kilometres from Alicante and a little over 100 km. from Valencia city. Both of these cities have international airports which make travel very easy. When you look at map of Spain, highway A-7 connects Javea to rest of Europe with exit ramps at Ondara no. 62 or at Benissa no. 63.

Found near landmark of mountain peak Montgo, Javea is rich in natural landscapes, beautifully cared for beaches and a World Heritage history which has given Javea some of its most interesting cultural and traditional past times.

Bullfighting in streets - You might have always thought that you would have to buy expensive tickets to get a good seat in bullring, but in summer time, it is very popular here to bring bulls out into streets. The young lads who are or will be 18 years old make all plans for this traditional show. They block off a series of streets and at end of one of them, a makeshift corral to enclose bulls is installed. The idea behind this is for young lads to show how brave they are once they have become young men. Sounds prehistoric, doesnt it? On some occasions at night, rags, which have been soaked in petrol, are tied to bulls horns and then lit up. The young fellows once again try to defy these brave bulls.

The Raisin Market - This activitiy was transcendental in Javeas past. In summer, majority of local people go to their country villa homes not far from town centre where they harvest grapes. Harvesting grapes is a very long and hard process, using part of moscatel grapes characteristic in this area for making raisins. The grapes, once they have been cut, are taken to scolding bins where they go through a mixture of water and boiling saltwort which cracks grapes skin so that they dry quicker. Javea was a great exporter and became internationally known, bringing an economical growth to this area. So in market there are many products which now include raisins.

Pick another city around Costa Blanca for your holiday

Not letting plants grow under your feet, you can quickly move onto seaside town of Moraira for a relaxing apperitive sitting right on waterfront of fishermens wharf, or continue down coast to Calpe which is just before you reach Altea. Calpe has always attracted a large German and English population because its beaches were practically untouched and there were a lot of villa to be rented instead of staying in a hotel. But this has changed considerably, for better, and now there are more accomodations, international restaurants and typical ones in port area which serve a delicious lobster stew called caldereta or you can point your finger at live fish or seafood you want and it is done right then and there. Altea is another town which has grown with demand of travellers to Costa Blanca area. In July it has a spectacular water fireworks show which starts at around 9.00 p.m. after everyone has set up their picnic equipment on pebbly beaches to enjoy this event, dining under stars. Benidorm is a year round holiday spot thanks to its weather and variety of entertainment for people of all ages. Other than theme parks, which are quite a few, you can explore crystal clear waters in a submarine like catamaran. As you sing Beatles famous song, We all live in a yellow submarine, sailing to Benidorms island, you will see colourful beautiful birds and fauna. Or you can leave Benidorm Marina at 11.00 a.m. to take a boat ride along coast to Calpe, returning at 3.00 p.m. Never a boring moment!