The Spanish Costa Delicious! Moraira has some of the best paella in the country – and none of the hustle and bustle of nearby Benidorm

Here I am in the Costa Blanca resort of Moraira, which is the Spanish term for a paseo – a leisurely early evening stroll – to see the huge bronze statue of El Gigante De Sal (Salt Giant).

It is artists Coderch and Malavia’s ode to the human spirit’s ability to be reborn after a collective tragedy.

Covid comes to mind.

Located next to the ruins of the 18th-century Castle of Moraira, the sculpture – a human form ready to come to life – is an extraordinary sight against the dark sky, but just as life-affirming is the local scenery.

A salsa band is in full swing and children spin on the esplanade, lost in the fun. The aroma of fresh paella rises; Locals hang out in three-generation family groups on their way to dinner, where cheerful conversation and wine flow well past midnight.

Moraira, about 50 miles north of Alicante, is a rarity that eluded the rampant building boom of the 1960s and is a long way from Benidorm, 40 minutes south. Its popularity among Spanish holidaymakers has kept it authentic.

Captain Andy’s (Spanish owned for 30 years) has a rooftop terrace with lovely views over Moraira’s posh marina, where the rich enjoy a modern version of sangria with cava.

Housed in one of the city’s oldest residential buildings, El Lloc Del Poble serves classic tapas such as tortilla, calamari and grilled sardines. Inside, on the Casa’s whitewashed walls, look for the black and white photographs of Moraira from the 1940s and 1950s, when it was a simple fishing village.

“This is my great-grandfather,” said the owner, pointing to a faded photograph of a man with a wide-brimmed straw hat and trousers rolled up, slightly darker below, wet from the wading of the boat to shore.

While my three sons (aged 17 to 22) go to L’Ampolla beach, where water sports equipment and volleyball nets are available for hire, I prefer the beautiful El Portet beach in the village, which has two shops, a hotel and three restaurants with same name, less than a mile from Moraira. In this bay, a strip of sand dips gently into clear, shallow water and my favorite restaurant – Restaurante El Portet – sits above it, overlooking the Penon de Ifach, a huge limestone cliff.

The smell of fresh paella wafts through the resort streets, reveals Kate (file photo)

The steep ridges of Ifach, covered by thickets of juniper, lavender and white pine, are ideal breeding grounds for seagulls and cormorants. To see these limestone cliffs, rent a self-propelled boat from Moraira Marina and bring binoculars to watch the peregrine falcons hovering on the hot thermals, ready to raid seabird nests.

At Moraira’s weekly open-air Friday market (one of the largest on the Costa Blanca) I browse Mediterranean plants while dreaming of a garden of lemon trees with a hammock (also available here) stretched between them; before grabbing any treats for breakfast.

Head inland and Gata de Gorgos is perhaps the most picturesque town with an ornate church dating back to 1535. We stop at a simple restaurant and order a smoky paella cooked over a wood fire. If ever there was a scene that assured me that human life will continue, this might be it.