Costa Blanca North round-up – Alicante up to Dénia – 12 October 2026

Costa Blanca North round-up – Alicante up to Dénia – 12 October 2026

Good morning, Terrace Crew. ☀️

Happy bank holiday Monday. The 9 d’Octubre and the Día de la Hispanidad have lined up for a long weekend, and the weather has played along nicely. Sunny, dry, and mild, with highs in the upper 20s along the coast and a bit cooler inland at night. Ideal terrace or beach weather if you’re not stuck in the queues, and hopefully you stocked up because the supermarkets in Jávea and Denia didn’t, and people saw empty shelves.

Here’s what’s been happening from Alicante up the coast to Dénia.

Alicante

We started Friday into a holiday weekend, Valencian Day and the national holiday. On the 9th, folk dances and traditional groups took over the Explanada, plus a fireworks display from the port at midnight. El Postiguet and the surrounding paseo were busy, with plenty of people making the most of the sun.

The Oktoberfest has been running at the Plaza de Toros since the 8th (live bands, German-style atmosphere, free entry). There’s also a Fiesta de la Hispanidad in Plaza Séneca with Latin music, dance and food stalls running through to today.

Supermarket hours have been the usual patchy bank-holiday mix. Mercadona has been closed for most of the long weekend (open Saturday only in many cases). Check Carrefour, Lidl and El Corte Inglés locally if you need something – some of the bigger places have been open on Sunday and Monday.

El Campello

Moros y Cristianos are underway (11–15 October). Around 2,200 participants this year. The big spectacle is the Moorish landing at dawn today (12th) on the beach – boats, gunpowder and the usual colour. Worth a look if you’re down that way.

Benidorm

Hotels have been reporting strong occupancy for the long weekend (heading towards 90% in some reports). The town marked the 9 d’Octubre with an institutional act (including a cultural distinction for long-time local photographer Francisco Pérez Bayona, “Quico”), a traditional fair in Parque de Elche, and a closing concert of Valencian music by the Societat Musical l’Illa.

Altea, Calpe and around the N-332

Friday (the 9th) brought the usual holiday traffic plus a few accidents that slowed things down, reported on the N-332 around Altea and on local roads near Calpe, among other spots. The DGT had flagged the stretch as busy for the bridge, which won’t surprise anyone who regularly drives the coast road.

Teulada-Moraira

They’re tying the 9 d’Octubre into the 750th anniversary of Jaume I. Institutional acts, traditional groups, and a medieval village recreation (soft combat, archery, workshops) running over the weekend in the old town/castle area. Family-friendly and very local.

Xàbia / Jávea

The XXX Premis 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xàbia were handed out, followed by a concert from Pep Gimeno “Botifarra”. Traditional dances were also on the programme. Down at the port there’s been an artisan fair (Marina Alta makers) running through the long weekend. The Cap de Sant Antoni area continues to open up more as a viewpoint – one of those local landmarks that’s gradually becoming easier to enjoy properly.

Dénia

They went big for the 9th and the weekend that followed. Live music on the Glorieta (Sangatxo, Cactus, Reina Mora and others), a correfoc through the centre, the institutional act in Plaza María Hervás with mayor Rafa Carrió and the usual local groups (Agrupació Artística Musical de Dénia, Dianium Dansa, Canya Badà), a giant paella for around 1,000 people, and a nighttime mascletà.

The programme carried on over the weekend with a children’s puppet workshop, the Día de la Pilota matches on the street, and the first Aplec de Gegants i Bèsties de Foc. There have also been free guided tours of the castle, archaeological museum, interpretation centre and (more challenging) the rock paintings at Cova de la Catxupa – some still running today.

The practical news bit

Roads have been busy all weekend and will stay that way into this afternoon as people head home. The sun is still with us, the sea is calm, and most terraces are open if you fancy a long, slow bank-holiday lunch.

If you’re heading out for the landing in El Campello, the giants in Dénia, or just a quiet walk, it’s been a good weekend for it.

See you next Monday for more Sun Sea News

Joanne xxx

I’m Joanne from Sun Sea Sangria.com, the Terrace Crew’s weekly notes from the Costa Blanca North. Real life from Alicante up to Dénia: local events, practical bits, terrace weather, and the odd glass of sangria. No brochure.

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See you next week. The terrace is open if you need it.

Joanne xx Sun Sea Sangria