La Playa San Juan

It is about to begin, “El puente de Mayo” (Spanish labor day weekend) , this date is celebrated in many countries as the day of work or labor and of course it is celebrated by not working. By Wednesday afternoon (April 30) the race begins to see who could leave earlier from work and head on out to their final destination. Caravans that sometimes become  kms. of endless cars begin forming.  The  La Jefatura de Tráfico mobilizes thousands of troops across Spain to maintain order in the circulation and prevent accidents and TV for their part repeats hundreds of times different slogans to ensure a safe and fluid traffic.

If you’re one of those who will travel  these days here are some tips: Before leaving check the levels of oil and water in your car, tires and do not overload the vehicle. Make sure you are well rested before departure, do not overeat because it  will make you tired and sleepy, but if you must eat and feel tired make sure you stop and rest  or sleep for a while, wash your face with cold water and then continue, respect all traffic signals and obey all law enforcement but most of all Don’t Speed!!

Remember, having the right of way doesn’t signify safety, precaution Yes. Do not let your vacation become a tragedy neither for you or your family.

Have a great trip. We hope to see you here in Playa San Juan.

photo flickr leo 

Little by little we are trying to get this blog off the ground. There are many people to thank along the way and they know who they are…but today I would like to give a special thanks to designer Roman Cortes who has designed our new logo. In no time at all he came up with this brilliant design that gives this blog a touch of distinction.

That special touch we needed to let people know what we are all about here in Playa San Juan. You can visit his blog to view his full impressive portfolio!

A few days a go the Port of Alicante welcomed one of the largest ships that has visited us, called “Ventura” from P & O cruises which specializes in travel between Britain and Spain. We have previously welcomed the “Voyager of the Seas” de la Royal Caribbean, another monster that carries about 4000 tourists and a crew that exceeds 1.5 00 men and women and now there is the scheduled arrival of MSC Sinfonia, a transatlantic, with an average rate but the same comfort and luxury than the others.

We would like to see this kind of increased activity in the Port of Alicante. The thousands of tourists who travel on these boats are an injection to the economy of the area because, not only do they stay in the capital but also visit other attractions of the province such as our Playa San Juan. It would be a wonderful idea if the authorities launched a promotional campaign and the Port of Alicante became a regular stop for these types of cruises .. We have much to offer.

source: diarioinformacion

Once we have decided where we want to go on vacation after choosing from beaches, mountains, towns, historic sites, national parks, etc.. the next thing is to find out what is the best and cheapest way to get there. These days with the high cost of fuel it’s not so easy to make this type of decision, we have to keep many things in mind when deciding and figure out which is the best option for us.

Playa San Juan in Alicante offers all this and much more with an airport 25 minutes away, several direct flights daily to Madrid and Barcelona and many other Spanish capitals , in addition to countless flights to many European countries and with connections to virtually the world. The train (RENFE) with its central station in the heart of Alicante allows us to travel to dozens of cities within Spanish , including of course, Madrid and Barcelona where several trains leave daily with very modern equipment and very affordable fares.

Traveling by car is sometimes the first choice when traveling through Spain and it is safe to say that most highways or freeways leading to Alicante are well-maintained and have easy access routes.. The port of Alicante also gives us another alternative to travel to Algeria and other nearby places .

We are confident that if you come to Playa Beach to San Juan this summer you will stay here for the duration of your vacation because we offer everything you need and expect from a place where you can rest, but you also have the options to visit other nearby sites with easy communication channels such as buses and the TRAM.

photos: renfe

ayuntamientoalicante

If there is anything that attracts tourists not only foreigners but also national ones to the Playa San Juan it has to be the Sun that Mother Nature gave us. The summer season is already approaching and soon thousands of visitors will come to enjoy our coast and get burnt “like grilled pork chops” because that’s what’s “in”.

If you take a stroll down the beach you will see hundreds of bathers ( in full season there will be thousands) exposed to the Sun directly, without any protection other than a swinsuit (some even “topless”) and other more prudent ones under an umbrella, without taking into account the danger posed by UV (ultraviolet)rays to the skin. Getting a gorgeous tan can turn against you if you are not careful. An exposure to these rays in excess can cause stains on the skin, dry patches, burns that need medical attention and the worst of all skin cancer. Of course it is not our intention to alarm you but rather get your attention to take the necessary measures.

Here are some suggestions:

Children : Cover their bodies with a minimm SPF 40, protect their heads with hats and make sure they drink plenty of water to hydrate them and most of all don’t allow them to be in direct sunlight for too long.

Use sunscreen even on cloudy days or if you are under an umbrella (UV cross clouds and fabrics), do not expose yourself to the Sun for a long time, make sure you are well hydrated, and protect yourself with polarized glasses and the most important thing in both cases and if you do not pay attention to these tips and you’ burn, go immediately to the doctor.

Also avoid exposure to the sun between noon and 3pm when the sun is at its burning max.

Enjoy the beach but don’t let a sunburn ruin your vacation, there are ways to prevent it. Have a great summer!!

photo:.ZIZA

This weekend we went on a little outing with the family to Castalla (about half hour from Playa San Juan) to the Campament de Fontes where we had a great time as a family. They have specialized monitors for children of all ages an adults as well. There is so much to do you wont know where to start.

The children will love to hike, go inside the caves, mountain climb and repel, walk through bridges, canoe and much, much more. All the monitors are very helpful and friendly. They offer summer camps for kids, weekend for families or field trips for schools.

If you want to get away and go be one with nature I highly recommend the Campament de Fontes for the entire family.

Toch is a great restaurant located in Playa San Juan, right in front of Torre Golf. A beautiful restaurant with a black and white theme decorated by Patricia Valdés, a “touch of class” is the perfect way to describe it. Very cozy, with candles and avant guard design.

Owned by Israel Aldeguer and Antonio Dominguez who serve the clients themselves, one as a host and the other the chef. The menu offers classic dishes with original twists. Olive oil being a main ingredient in to everything they touch. All dishes are presented in the classy manner as their ambiance. It’s an overall luxurious experience for all the senses.

There are plenty of parking spaces and walking areas for a stroll after dinner.

TOCH

Tapería

C/ Enric Valor, 2

Tel.: 96 635 47 03

A few days a go I wrote on this topic and we gave you some information on the agreements reached between merchants and GTP (network manager for Transport and Ports) for the work that is to be carried out during the summer months which would cause many inconveniences to traffic and a reduction in the number of parking spaces (for work) in the area of Ave Costa Blanca, Playa San Juan, Alicante, however store owners, with good judgment, accepted these dates because once the project improvements are over the conveniences will far surpass the inconveniences.

The works are progressing on schedule and contractors have warned that steps have been taken to ensure that inconvenience will be minimal. The route will be as follows: In the part of the Costa Blanca Avenue closest to the beach and in the direction of El Campello, they will construct a 3.5 meter sidewalk , line parking, a platform for the tram and the median also maintaining existing vegetation. The road to Alicante will also have a wide sidewalk, trees will be planted and there will be increased lighting. In addition to all this, they will place more sewage collectors, repair the existing sidewalks that are damaged and many more things. We hope that after all the inconvenience this will create, La Playa San Juan will be compensated …. And become more beautiful.

source provincias 

The summer is almost here and with that comes long summer nights and walks on the beach. With this said, it is also time for the “Top Mantas” the Spanish name given to street sellers who place a sheet on the floor and sell everything form piroted dvd’s and cd’s to fake designer purses, wallets and sunglasses…

Last weekend while strolling the Playa San Juan boardwalk , we found some of these vendors offering their supplies. I’m still not sure of the laws against this but I was wondering what you thought? Do you think it’s Ok for these people of offer these good at discounted prices or do you think its not ethical and are stealing the rights from the rightful owners?

Please send us your comments, we would love to hear from you!!

La Playa San Juan up to a couple of years a go didn’t have many options when it came to choosing a telephone, internet or Television service. But it seems that now that most major providers have gotten their cables around the city they are starting to promote their services, and with competition come good prices for us!

Just yesterday a telemarketer from Jazztel called me to offer me their TV, internet, phone package at 20 megs of internet speed, free national local calls and all the TV channels you want for 40 bucks the month of June then it goes up to 60 thereafter…ummmm, sounded very interesting so I started to check out the others to see who had the best deal.

What I found out is that first it depends what are you are in, some companies have not gotten their cables everywhere yet, specially if you like in a new urbanization.. but here is the general rundown:

ONO

They offer the 3 pack (phone, internet, Tv) for 28 euros a month for the first two months then jumps to about 60 euros a month or more depending on what packages you choose. Free national phone calls and up to 6 megs depending on your location.

JAZZTEL

They offer the 3 pack (phone, internet, Tv) the first month at 30 euros then jumps to about 60 euros thereafter. Free national phone calls and up to 20 megs depending on your location.

TELEFONICA

They offer the 3 pack (phone, internet, TV) for 19.98 for life *** with the hidden fees of the set up cost of about 90 euros and add to the 19.98 the telephone surcharge of 13.97. Free national phone calls adn 1 to 3 meg depending on your location.

They all have their pros and cons and hidden charges, the best thing to do is first find out who serves your area then decide what package is best for you..There are also smaller companies offering interesting rates as well..