The beaches close to Cabo Roig and La Zenia on the Orihuela Costa are stunning but well-manicured and perfect and sometimes a bit of wildness and peace is needed. My secret beach (well not any more!) is close to Los Belones, about an hour´s easy drive South from the Orihuela Costa.
You simply follow the AP7 South on the road to Cartagena, turn off at La Manga and follow the signs to La Manga, until you turn off into Los Belones, a small village with some nice restaurants and bars. Half way along the main street is a Bank, and next to it a turning to the right that has a very small sign saying “Fuente”. Take this and carry on following the road up over a bridge and then onwards until you reach a parking area by the Fountain, having passed the Rancho de la Fuente equestrian centre on the right.
You can park there but then you have a very long walk, so better to take a dirt track to the right and keep following it straight on (carefully, it is rough in places, but I have done it in a very small car) until you reach a small parking area again. Here you can go no further with the car, and you will find a rough path to your left hand side that leads to the sea in about a 20 minute walk. But not only to the sea, also to two coves… secret coves, smuggler´s coves, where very few people go and you can quite happily take dogs or a small barbecue as no one is going to disturb you there. There is even some shade.
But bear in mind there is nowhere to buy food, drink, loos etc.
Cala de la Zorra in Torrevieja is another idyllic cove, this time on the Costa Blanca. It is the perfect place to go in winter to fish, enjoy the beautiful views of the Mediterranean, or to take a walk on the rocks. In the Summer, there is a place to dive off rocks from, if you like the rush of a 4 metre drop, and there is even a small underwater cave for the more daring. There is lots of marine life to see, for the snorkeller among us, and you can even collect a type of clam to take home to eat.
Another little known cove is the Cala del Charco in Villajoyosa, Alicante. It is somewhat difficult to get to, but that only adds to its qualities. It takes its name from the Charco Tower, a 17th C watch tower built to help protect the area from sea attacks, situated in a strategic location on the cliffs. The best time to visit this cove is at sunset, when the evening sun behind you creates a magical feel over the crystal clear waters, perfect for having an evening dip.
