Excursions from Alicante include a run inland to Guadalest , a village perched like an eagle's eyrie high in the mountains and accessible in the last stages only by donkey or on foot. Also of great interest are several historical sites, including castles at Elda and Villena , and Elche , where there is a forest of over a million palm trees, Botanical Gardens and the Basilica , where the medieval 'Mystery' passion play takes place every August. The region of the Costa Blanca has expanded rapidly in recent years and has developed most of the coastal towns between the Pe n de Ifach and Alicante as tourist resorts. Being further south, temperatures are hotter than the Costa Brava and in general the beaches are larger, particularly the beautiful twin bays of Benidorm , the largest and most popular resort. The new theme park at Terramitica attracts a lot of visitors.
All resorts are very busy during the summer.
This region lies to the south of Valencia and Alicante and is thinly populated except in the areas around the river valleys. The mountains of Andaluc a reach right down to the sea. Murcia , the town, has both a university and a cathedral. During the summer, temperatures can be almost unbearably hot. The most impressive festivals are in Holy Week and during the spring when there is a 'Battle of the Flowers'.