Barcelo Asia Gardens

There is such a thing, in the travel business, as a destination becoming a victim of its own success. It’s not that the Costa Blanca isn’t beautiful in itself, because it is, and the climate, of course, is paradise. But thanks to an excess of development in the coastal towns, many of us don’t bother taking a second look at the place — which, it turns out, is our loss. This is a place that, in all its overcrowding and overdevelopment, was practically crying out for one more hotel: a hotel like Barcelo Asia Gardens.

Apparently the idea is something like a Bali-style villa resort, with all the benefits of a developed tourist infrastructure, but very much aloof from the fray. There’s no lagoon per se, but there are no fewer than seven pools, so it’s safe to say you won’t be desperate for a swim on the beach, which is a mile and a half away.

From inside the rooms it’s possible to imagine you really are in the Far East; some of the interiors are more Western than others, and some look out over the Mediterranean in the middle distance — most importantly, you’re spared the riot of activity in the Costa Blanca’s more developed areas.


How to get there:

Barcelo Asia Gardens is about an hour from Valencia airport, along the A7 motorway.