Benissa Costa property: coves, villas and what to check
Benissa Costa property explained: the coast of coves below an inland town, villas on terraced plots, the coastal law, strict water rules and the planning base.
What you will learn
- How Benissa town and Benissa Costa differ for a buyer
- What the coastal law means for plots near the coves
- The local water rules for gardens and pools, and the planning base
Benissa Costa property is mostly villas on their own plots, in residential areas on the slopes above a coast of small coves and cliffs between Moraira and Calpe. Benissa itself is an inland town, and the coast belongs to the same municipality, which had 12,471 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to INE, the Spanish statistics office. For a buyer, three checks matter most here: the coastal law on plots near the sea, the water rules, and the planning that applies to the plot.
Benissa town and Benissa Costa
The town hall describes Benissa as a Marina Alta town whose centre stands about 200 metres above sea level, with a coastline of small coves and cliffs, where La Fustera is the busiest and best-equipped beach. In summer 2026 La Fustera had lifeguards from 15 June to 15 September, and the coves of Baladrar and L'Advocat from 1 July to 31 August, according to the town's summer programme. A coastal promenade follows the shore, including the stretch between the coves of La Llobella and L'Advocat. For paperwork, the town hall's citizens' office has a second desk on the coast, at Avenida de la Marina 307, which saves owners on the coast a trip up to the town.
When buyers say they want Benissa, they usually mean the coast. Homes there are villas on their own plots, around La Fustera, along the shore by Baladrar and L'Advocat, and in newer areas such as the Racó de Galeno sector. Many are built on terraces cut into the hillside. That gives views and privacy, and it also means steps, retaining walls and drainage to check. Near the boundary with Teulada-Moraira, confirm which municipality the plot belongs to, because that decides the planning rules, the local taxes and the water supplier.
Benissa Costa property and the coastal law
Plots close to the coves fall under the national coastal law. Its protection zone generally runs 100 metres inland from the shore, and buildings for housing are not allowed in it (Ley 22/1988, de Costas). In areas that were already urban when the law came in, the zone can be narrower. An existing house inside the zone can be repaired, improved and modernised, but not enlarged in volume, height or floor area, so read the rules before you price the works.
The Valencian coastal law of 2025, Ley 3/2025, adds a regional layer, and parts of it have been before the Constitutional Court, which on 21 July 2026 kept one article suspended. The position is therefore checked plot by plot: the official boundary line (deslinde), the width of the protection zone, and what the regional plan says. This is general information, and your own case should be confirmed by an independent lawyer before you sign.
Water: a municipal service with strict rules
Benissa runs its own water: the supply is a municipal service of the town hall, not part of a consortium with other towns. In June 2024, after two dry years, the town hall said the municipality draws on aquifers in Benissa, Benigembla and Benidoleig, closed the foot showers at La Fustera and Baladrar for the summer, and reminded residents that the municipal water rules do not allow drinking water to be used to water gardens or to fill private pools (town hall notice).
For a villa with a large garden and a pool, that rule matters. Ask the owner how the pool is filled and topped up, how the garden is watered, and whether there is a cistern or a well, and check that any well is legal. Plan a new garden around plants that need little water.
Planning and new builds
Planning in Benissa rests on an old base. In a notice in the DOGV in January 2023, the town hall itself referred to the general plan of 1982 when it declined to continue a change in the La Fustera area. Much of the coast is already built, so new villas are often built on established plots, sometimes where an older house stood. For a new build, check the licence, the builder and the contract with care. For any plot, ask for the planning information in writing before an offer. Our overview of building permits explains the licences.
On Benissa Costa, the view is the easy part. Check the coastal law for plots near the coves, the water arrangements for the garden and the pool, and the planning for the plot, in that order. To compare the town with its neighbours, read Moraira, Calpe or Benissa, and see the property for sale in Benissa and Benissa Costa, each one checked by us before you visit.
Homes for this post
Benissa
Written by Nicolas Strebel.