The high-end culinary series ‘Tres miradas, un Mediterraneo’ concluded last night at il Palco restaurant, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of Las Colinas Golf and Country Club in Orihuela Costa. The final event, held under the theme ‘Italia Km Zero’, showcased a unique culinary dialogue between authentic Italian traditions and sustainable regional sourcing.

Italian gastronomic advisor Fabio Morisi partnered with resident chef Jose Dolera to create a bespoke tasting menu specifically for the occasion. The collaboration highlighted how traditional recipes maintain their historical identity when prepared using fresh local components from the Mediterranean coastline.

A menu built on heritage and sustainability

The multi-course meal presented diners with an array of carefully constructed dishes. The experience commenced with a smooth mascarpone cream paired with local garden vegetables, followed by a traditional pappa al pomodoro incorporating Cartagena field tomatoes, stracciatella, and Genovese pesto.

Subsequent courses introduced a fiore di carciofo featuring artichoke, guanciale, and Pecorino Romano, alongside a cappellaccio filled with white ragu, foie gras, morel mushrooms, and truffle-infused Kinara cheese.

Seafood elements also featured prominently in the menu. Chefs served a classic risotto alla Parmigiana using Parmigiano Reggiano and premium Denia red prawns. This was followed by an orata alla norma, which paired fresh sea bream with aubergine, Sicilian tomatoes, and ricotta salata.

The savoury selections finished with a traditional coda di bue alla vaccinara, an oxtail stew served with potato cream. For dessert, guests received a strawberry sorbet infused with Ferrari Maximum Rose and basil, followed by a classic Sicilian cannolo filled with sheep’s milk ricotta, dark chocolate, and pistachios. Each course was accompanied by a selection of DOC wines.

Fifteen years of culinary innovation

The evening represented the culmination of a deeply personal journey for the guest chef.

“When there is passion and craft, there are no borders,” Morisi explained. “In this unique environment, surrounded by a team of great professionals, we have managed to make Italy feel alive, close and authentic. For me, this experience is the culmination of a journey: bringing the essence of the Emilia-Romagna region to a sustainable concept where the product is king. We are good people because we cook with our memory set back, but we always look forward.”

Dolera added that the menu paid a heartfelt tribute to Mediterranean food culture by utilizing the highest quality local goods.

“In particular, last night we aimed to pay a heartfelt tribute to Mediterranean gastronomic culture with a menu that showed the best of Italian tradition with products from our territory of maximum freshness and quality,” Dolera assured. “And the result was an exclusive and memorable experience.”

This dinner concluded a three-month anniversary celebration at the resort. The series commenced in March with Ferdinando Bernardi, the head chef of Michelin-starred Casa Bernardi. The second event followed in April, featuring a joint menu by Dolera and Alejandro Ibanez, the chef of Barahonda, an establishment holding one Michelin star and two Repsol suns.

Gabriele Wuthrich, the Food and Beverage Director at the resort, reported excellent public feedback for the entire series. He stated that the success of these events encourages the team to continue introducing authentic dining experiences for international residents and visitors on the Costa Blanca.

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The Costa Blanca has once again strengthened its reputation as one of Spain’s top coastal destinations after collecting a huge number of Blue Flags for 2026.

The awards, presented annually by ADEAC, recognise beaches and marinas that meet strict standards for water quality, environmental management, safety, facilities and visitor services.

This year, the Valencian Community maintained its position as the leading region in Spain with a total of 152 Blue Flag beaches spread across 48 municipalities. Of those, 77 are located within the Alicante province.

Across the Costa Blanca overall, 151 Blue Flags have been awarded, further confirming the region’s importance for both national and international tourism.

Costa Blanca remains one of Spain’s top beach destinations

Spain also retained its position as the world leader for Blue Flag beaches, with 677 beaches receiving the distinction in 2026.

That figure is 35 higher than last year and represents the highest number recorded since the programme first began in 1987.

Popular tourist areas including Benidorm, Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar, Javea, Calpe and Santa Pola once again featured strongly among the winners.

The awards continue to play a major role in attracting tourists to the Costa Blanca, especially visitors searching for clean, safe and well-maintained beaches during the summer season.

Several Costa Blanca beaches receive new blue flags

Several beaches also received new or restored Blue Flags this year. These included Cala Lanuza in El Campello, Puerto Blanco and Raco in Calpe, Tamarit beach in Santa Pola and Arenal beach in Javea.

In addition to beaches, Spain also awarded 111 Blue Flags to marinas and six tourist boats as part of the 2026 programme.

The awards highlight growing recognition across different areas of the tourism industry. They also reinforce both the Costa Blanca and Spain’s position as some of Europe’s leading coastal holiday destinations.