Sella, Spain

A sprawling Costa Blanca classic, Sella is a scattered limestone crag in the hills behind Benidorm in Alicante province, one of the most popular winter sport-climbing venues in eastern Spain thanks to reliable sun, gentle approaches and an enormous variety of routes.

The rock is grey and orange limestone, offering everything from gentle slabs to steep walls and tufa lines across many sectors, including the well-known Wild Side and Divino. The climbing is bolted sport, mostly single-pitch, and the grade range is exceptionally broad, from easy 3s and 4s perfect for beginners to overhanging 8s, with a huge stock of 5s and 6s that make it a favourite for groups, courses and improving climbers building mileage.

The setting is dry and open, almond and olive terraces below the crags, the village of Sella nearby and a well-known climbers' guesthouse serving the area with beds and beta. Approaches are generally short and straightforward, and the sheer number of routes means it rarely feels crowded despite its popularity through the winter months, when the Costa Blanca fills with visiting climbers.

Autumn to spring is the season, when the Mediterranean sun keeps the rock warm while northern Europe shivers; summer is too hot except at dawn. With Alicante airport close, cheap flights common and inexpensive lodging all around, Sella has become a staple of the winter climbing circuit, ideal for a mixed-ability trip in the sun where every member of the party can find rewarding routes at their own grade.