Pego is set in a stunningly beautiful area of the northern Costa Blanca, with unspoilt views of sea, mountains and countryside in every direction. Though only a short drive from the coast, you really feel you are at the heart of inland Spain - a combination that is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign property buyers in the region.

The lively town is set amid a patchwork of fields and as you leave Pego and head for the Guadalest valley, you pass terraced hillsides of almond and orange trees. The light here is exquisite and winters are mild.

The typically Spanish town is a sea of orange trees, amid which you'll find all the shops, bars, restaurants and services you'll need, including a school with a very good reputation.

There are three golf courses within easy reach with another one recently granted permission, along with 1,300 new houses just outside of the town centre.

Property is relatively cheap (there is a lot available for £50,000-£100,000) and ranges from old townhouses and fincas in need of serious work to modern apartments a few kilometres from the centre of Pego with shared pools, gyms, restaurants and mini golf courses for about £75,000. Monte Pego, near the town, is an exclusive residential development a in a beautiful setting overlooking the Pego valley.