Original subtitles

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- Our journey along the Mediterranean coastline

of Spain begins at La Manga,

a sporting paradise

built on a spectacular natural spit of land.

Heading north, we find Tabarca,

a tiny island little changed since the 18th century.

Continuing on our journey,

we reach Benidorm,

a town built on package tourism

where in 60 years,

a sleepy fishing village has been transformed

into one of the most developed holiday destinations

in the world.

To the north, we find Valencia,

a magnificent city blending both medieval buildings

and cutting edge contemporary architecture.

Our journey ends at Peniscola,

a magnificent walled seaport built by the Knights Templar.

And a filming location for many Hollywood blockbusters.

In the southeast of Spain in the region of Murcia

is the town of La Manga.

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In Spanish, La Manga means sleeve

and it gets its name from the long, sleeve like spit of land

on which the town is built.

21 kilometers long and only 300 meters wide,

the narrow strip divides the Mediterranean Sea

to form the largest lagoon in Europe.

La Manga is packed with hotels, bars and restaurants

and on either side, sandy beaches.

It's particularly renowned for its sporting facilities,

it has tennis courts, running tracks

and three 18-hole golf courses.

These world class facilities have made La Manga

a destination for professional sports people

from around the world.

Particularly footballers,

who come from the top leagues across Europe

to relax and train.

The lagoon, the Mar Menor

is another opportunity for exercise.

The swimmer and Hollywood star, Esther Williams

called it "the largest swimming pool in the world."

With its salty waters,

it's also home to many unusual birds

such as these flamingos.

This area often receives flocks of over 1,500 of them.

The birds use the Mar Menor as a stopping point

on their migrations between Europe and Africa.

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Our own migration continues north

to the salt works of San Pedro del Pinatar.

Salt has been harvested here since at least

the 14th century,

and today it's exported across the world.

We now reach the town of Cabo Roig.

The town's multitude of swimming pools

is perhaps unsurprising.

Cabo Roig gets on average 325 days of sun each year.

And in 1986, the World Health Organization

proclaimed its climate

to be amongst the healthiest in the world.

Close by is Torrevieja,

one of the fastest growing towns in modern Spain.

Once famous for its salt and fishing,

the town is now better known for tourism.

Its harbor has mooring for 300 fishing ships

and over 900 pleasure boats.

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And it's by boat that travelers get to visit this,

the small island of Tabarca.

20 kilometers of the mainland,

the island is just two kilometers long

and less than half a kilometer wide.

Today, little has changed since the island was developed

in the 18th century because no cars and no roads.

Instead, the 4,000 tourists who visit each day

during the summer must explore the island by foot

or water taxi.

Tabarca's many sights include the old square

at the island's heart.

At the northern end is the old, walled graveyard.

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In the middle is the Torre de San Jose

a defensive tower built in the 18th century

to protect the coast.

The wide open space is known as El Campo or the countryside.

The clear and clean waters of the island's shores

are perfect for swimming and snorkeling.

Our journey returns to the mainland,

where on the far side of this open countryside

we discover Alicante Airport

and a chance for us to re-fuel.

This is the main airport of the region

and one of the busiest in Spain.

The airport carries almost 10 million passengers each year.

And also ships cargo.

Such as aboard this Russian Antonov AN-124.

This airplane was introduced over 30 years ago

and still remains the largest military transport aircraft

in the world.

To the north of the airport is the historic city

of Alicante itself.

The area has been inhabited for over 7,000 years.

Overlooking the town is Santa Barbara Castle.

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Artifacts have been found here from the Bronze Age,

Iberian and Roman settlers.

But Alicante is most famous for its beaches.

And at the foot of Monte Benacantil

is the Playa del Postiguet.

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In the heart of the busy city,

this 900 meter wide arc of golden sand

is regularly awarded

the important Blue Flag for cleanliness.

Giving the three million tourists who visit each year

the perfect place to soak up the sun.

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To accommodate these visitors,

Alicante has been heavily developed.

And behind these apartments is a glimpse

of the city's Roman past.

Once, Alicante was called Lucentum

and the name lingers on in this Roman archeological site.

Though it is now dwarfed by the high rise blocks

in the modern neighborhood of Albufereta.

We continue on our journey north up the Costa Blanca,

the white coast of this Spanish region.

It's very popular with German and British holiday makers

and can get extremely crowded in high season.

The name Costa Blanca was actually devised

as a promotional label by a British airline

when they launched an air service back in 1957.

The popularity of the region

has lead to an enormous number of new villas being built

with some seemingly clinging to the rocky coastline

giving spectacular views across the Mediterranean Sea.

In recent years,

there's been a clampdown of illegal building

and a slowdown of new developments

in order to protect this coastline.

In some places, villas and apartment blocks

have been demolished,

sometimes with buyers losing all their investment.

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On a small, rocky peninsular is the Torre Vigia Zarco,

a watch tower overlooking this magnificent bay.

The tower was built in the 16th century,

one of a network of military buildings

constructed along the coast.

It was designed to defend against attack

by Barbary pirates from North Africa.

Continuing to the north,

we find the city of Benidorm.

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Until the 1950s,

Benidorm was a sleepy, fishing village.

Today it has the most high rise buildings per capita

in the world.

It has been called the birthplace of package tourism

and it's famous throughout Europe

as a destination for affordable holidays.

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It's a favorite with tourists from Northern Europe

and has a reputation for combining sunshine and sea

with all the comforts of home.

The town is even celebrated in a popular British TV sitcom,

called appropriately Benidorm.

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The city's many hotels provide ample opportunity

for visitors to relax.

And to indulge in a traditional British holiday pastime,

arguing about who put their towel on the sun lounger first.

Benidorm began as a tourist destination,

when Spain was still strict Roman Catholic country.

The church forbade the wearing of bikinis,

making it hard for Benidorm to attract sun seeking visitors.

Until the city mayor

approached the country's fascist dictator General Franco.

Franco personally intervened to permit the bikini

and this led to the rise of Spain as a holiday hotspot.

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On the city's outskirts

is Spain's biggest water park, Aqualandia.

Offering water slides,

river rapids, sunbathing and swimming pools.

Aqualandia is twinned with the nearby Mundo Mar,

a sea world enclosure letting visitors

get up close and personal with dolphins,

sea lions and pelicans.

We now head inland up into the mountains

where we discover 595 meters above sea level

on a granite outcrop,

the hilltop town of El Castel del Guadalest.

It has a population of less than 200

but each year,

Guadalest is visited by over two million people.

Making this small town the most visited village in Spain.

The castle was constructed by the Moors of North Africa

during the 11th century.

It was built as a strategic stronghold

to defend against attacks by Christians.

In 1974, the town was designated

as a Monument of Historical and Artistic Value.

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And today it has a number of museums,

craft shops and restaurants for brave visitors

willing to make the climb.

We move on through the mountains.

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These are the Sierra de Bernia,

an 11 kilometer long mountain range.

Today shrouded in cloud, its spectacular peaks

reach over 1,100 meters above sea level.

Descending from the mountains,

we head for the coast again and the town of Calpe,

overlooked by the extraordinary rock of Ifach.

This is one of the largest single rocks in the Mediterranean

a massive limestone outcrop rising 332 meters from the sea,

and linked to the shore with rock debris.

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Throughout histories,

sailors have called it the Northern Rock,

distinguishing it from the Rock of Gibraltar to the south.

In 1987, it was made a nature reserve

and today it's home to over 300 animal species.

Visitors can climb the rock to enjoy spectacular views

across the Mediterranean.

And on a clear day,

it's just possible to see the island of Ibiza

just under 100 kilometers out to sea.

We continue to the north,

entering the province of Valencia

and passing the Segguria mountain range,

a popular spot for hiking.

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The plains of this region are famous

for their productivity.

They are irrigated with waters from the Albufera,

a nearby lake.

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And with its sunny climate and rich soils,

this is one of the most fertile farming regions

in the Mediterranean.

A single farm here can produce up to four crops

in a single year.

It's known for its oranges,

but this region also produces grapes, olives and mulberries.

And perhaps most importantly, rice.

Rice is a key ingredient in paella,

the Valencian staple

that has grown to become a national dish.

But tourism is never far away along the coast

as farms lie alongside several miles of hotels

and apartments at Growe Platja.

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We are now approaching Spain's third largest city, Valencia.

It was founded as a Roman colony in 138 B.C.

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Today it's known for its world class marina,

renovated in 2007 for the Americans Cup,

the Marina Real Juan Carlos I.

And the Serrano gate, once part of the ancient city wall.

Its cathedral is said to be home to the Holy Grail.

The nearby Plaza de la Virgen dates back to Roman times.

Valencia is rich with drama and history

and home to just under a million inhabitants.

Football is a passion for most Spaniards

and the Valencia Football Club play here

at the Mestalla Stadium,

which was opened in 1923.

The city also has the largest urban park in Europe,

the Jardines del Ria Turia.

This extraordinary green space

runs for nine kilometers through Valencia's heart.

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It was built in 1957 on the former river bed

of the River Turia.

The river had burst its banks in a devastating flood

killing over 80 people.

To stop it happening again,

it was diverted away from the city.

And the space left behind redeveloped for the public.

And today it's popular with walkers, runners and cyclists.

And at its eastern most point

is Valencia's most important modern tourist destination,

the City of Arts and Sciences.

This is the Palau de las Arts Reina Sofia.

This opera house was designed by Valencian born

international architect Santiago Calatrava.

Opened in 2005, it's the tallest opera house in the world

rising 75 meters.

It has 14 stories above ground and another three below.

The curved metallic roof is 230 meters long

and houses four separate auditoria.

Nearby is the hemispheric and IMAX cinema and planetarium.

It's designed to look like a giant eye.

Built in 1998, it was the first building of the City of Arts

to be completed.

The city also houses the Principe Felipe Science Museum,

an interactive museum designed to look

like the skeleton of a whale.

From the contemporary,

we move to the northern outskirts of the city

and find the monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes.

Built in the 14th century on the remains

of a Moorish farmhouse,

this is considered one of the greatest examples

of Valencian renaissance architecture.

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Today, the monastery is home to the city's research library.

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Continuing on our journey,

we find some fellow travelers

aboard this express train heading north.

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These trains run from Alicante in the south

to Barcelona in the north.

Over recent years,

Spain's railways have received significant investment,

much from the European Union.

But these trains now run at speeds

of up to 250 kilometers per hour.

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Passengers get spectacular views

as they pass through these fields of fruit trees.

Industry is never far away

and the Castellon de la Plana is a large oil refinery.

It's operated by BP and has a capacity to process

110,000 barrels every day.

Castellon also has an important port

where tankers can bring in crude oil

and container ships deliver cargo

across the Mediterranean and beyond.

This spectacular modernist lighthouse

overlooks the Mundina Cave

and marks the southern end

of the natural park of Serra d'Irta.

Established in 2002,

the 8,000 hectare park contains a few luxury hotels

which front the marine nature reserve.

It's along this protective coastline

that we can see in the distance our final location,

the magnificent town of Peniscola.

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Known locally as the city in the sea,

Peniscola is a fortified port.

Built on a rocky headland that reaches 67 meters high.

The castle was built in the early 14th century

by the Knights Templar

and is situation in an important strategic location.

It was constructed on a site

that was previously a Moorish fortress.

And it's said that even further back in history,

when it was captured by the Carthaginians,

Hamilcar Barca the general made his son Hannibal,

who would become an even greater general

swear an oath that he would never be a friend of Rome.

In the 15th century,

the castle was hope to Pope Benedict VIII

known locally as El Papa Luna.

After he was declared the anti-pope

by the official Catholic Church.

In 1960, the castle was restored, improved

and new walls added for the Hollywood blockbuster El Cid

staring Charlton Heston and Sofia Loren.

More recently, Peniscola has served as the backdrop

for parts of the television series Game of Thrones.

With its medieval walls and winding streets,

lined with white houses,

Peniscola has become an important tourist destination.

Remarkably for its small size,

it has over 200 restaurants,

making Peniscola with its extraordinary history,

spectacular scenery and many tourist attractions

the perfect place to end this journey.

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