Alfas del Pi is located in the Spanish region of Alicante on the Costa Blanca. The town originally developed as a fortified settlement to ward off the Barbary pirates who used to plague this stretch of the Spanish coast. The name Alfas (often spelt locally as Alfaz) means "sown land" and was given to the town by the Moors who originally grew fruits and almonds in this area as well as mining metals and gypsum. Now this small town, once a frontier at the heart of the Moors and Christians battles, has developed into one of the Costa Blanca's most popular tourist centres. Just 47 kilometres north of Alicante and 127 kilometres south of Valencia, Alfas del Pi is within easy reach of these two major international airports. Flying time from London to Alicante is two and a half hours and Alfas del Pi is just 20 minutes drive from the airport. The beachfront at Albir boasts one of the most beautiful views offered anywhere along the eastern coast of Spain. The attractive palm fringed esplanade looks out over the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean towards the Peñon de Ifach at Calpe (a huge rock reminiscent of Gibraltar) and the hillside town of Altea with its distinctive blue-domed church. Alfas del Pi has a resident population of around 13,000 people and about half of those are foreigners - primarily British but also Germans, Norwegians and Dutch. It's a testament to this area's beauty and many attractions that so many foreigners visit it.then decide never to leave! The population swells by thousands during the summer months when the beachfront and surrounding area burst into life with bars, restaurants, shops and water sports all geared to the needs of foreign visitors. A wide range of holiday accommodation is available - from hotels and self catering apartments to villas with private pools.

But Alfas del Pi has a thriving community and cultural life of its own, aside from its highly successful tourist industry. It's famous for its annual international film festival which takes place in July. The beachfront esplanade is called Paseo de las Estrellas (Stars' Promenade) in honour of the famous actors and actresses who have scooped awards at the festival. Both the resident community and summer visitors benefit from the excellent local facilities in Alfas del Pi - these include a sports centre, health centre and a thriving cultural centre. The cultural centre includes a concert hall, radio and television studios and is the venue for the film festival, a big jazz festival in October, regular classical concerts, art and sculpture exhibitions. Graphic sourced with thanks from Thomson.co.uk

Wikipedia articles for Alfas del Pi

• L'Alfàs del Pi
• Aqualandia
• Edificio Kronos
• Polop
• La Nucia
• Estadio Municipal de Foietes
• Altea