Alicante Attractions

A city trip to Alicante?

Alicante is a Spanish coastal city located on the Costa Blanca and the capital of the Alicante province of the same name and in the Valencia region. The city with more than 320,000 inhabitants is an important port for the export of central Spain and the region with its beautiful sandy beaches attracts many tourists. It is the second largest city on the Costa Blanca after Valencia. Alicante in Spain is also easy to reach from the Netherlands via the airport, which is 12 kilometers from the center. A city trip to Alicante can be summarized as art, culture, seafood and beautiful beaches.

The fact that tourism is an important source of income is evident from a number of facilities in the city. Alicante has a beautiful boulevard along the coast (Explanada de España), a number of modern shopping centers and lively terraces, which are often well visited even in the winter months. Many tourists often use the city purely as a gateway to the Costa Brava, while the city still has a lot to offer for a nice city trip. Beautiful sights are, for example, the castle of Santa Barbara on Monte Benacantil (a hill of 166 meters), the old town (Casco Antiguo) and interesting museums. In addition, Alicante is ideally located in the Valencia region for day trips in a beautiful area of islands and beautiful mountain landscapes with caves.

Eating and going out

You will find good tapas bars throughout the old center of Alicante. You often have a drink with accompanying free tapa for relatively little money. Furthermore, the local cuisine is of course characterized by freshly caught fish and shellfish, for example processed in the paella. Another popular area at night is the Puerto deportivo, or port. Around the harbor are numerous restaurants, bars, casinos and nightlife. Especially in the evenings (after ten o'clock) and at weekends it is lively around the harbor. In this city you don't have to be afraid of a boring nightlife

Shopping during your city trip

The shopping enthusiast will certainly find what he is looking for in Alicante Spain. The main shopping street in the Rambla de Mendez Nunez with also many bars. You can buy fresh products at the Mercado Central, the covered fresh market with lots of fruit, wines and other delicious foods. You can shop for clothes in the large shopping center Panoramis at the end of the boulevard at the port of Alicante. In addition to large retail chains, a cinema and restaurants, there is a children's play park 'Aventura Park' here.

Tours & Activities Alicante Region

From Alicante you can easily go on a day trip to interesting sites in the region, such as the Canelobre Caves, Guadalest and the Algar waterfalls.

1. Alicante Castle: Castillo de Santa Barbara

The huge Castle of Santa Barbara sits on top of the 166-meter-high Monte Benecantil. During the Moorish rule a first settlement arose here, which after the reconquest by King Alfonso X of Castile was further expanded as a castle with a strategic location and a prison. In the castle there is a small museum about the history of the castle (Museo de la Ciudad de Alicante, MUSA).

You can reach the ruins of the castle in several ways. You can walk through the Parque de la Ereta, a wooded park laid out on the hillside, or walk over the ramparts to the castle in about an hour. An elevator has also been installed to make visiting the castle easier. To do this, take the walking tunnel from the entrance of Calle Jovellanos. The castle can be visited for free, you only pay for the elevator. The castle with stunning views is by far the number 1 attraction of Alicante.

2. Explanada de Espana (Boulevard)

Beautiful promenade along the coast and perhaps the most beautiful boulevard in Spain. Walk the wide path among the palm trees and stalls with a refreshing breeze from the sea. The boulevard of Alicante is an important meeting point in the city, especially in the evening.

3. The Barrio Santa Cruz . neighborhood

The Santa Cruz neighborhood is the neighborhood you encounter when you walk from the center to the Monte Benacantil hill. The district is also called 'El Barrio' and is the authentic working-class district of the city with friendly residents. The neighborhood is not touristy and shows the real Spanish life of the city.

4. Basilica of Santa Maria

The Basílica de Santa María is the oldest church in the city, built on the remains of a mosque. The Gothic basilica was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and consists of one nave with six chapels. In the church are beautiful works of art and a golden altar.

5. Beach: Playa del Postiguet

The popular and lively sandy beach of the city of Alicante located on the Costa Blanca. The beautiful 900 meter long beach is located at the foot of Monte Benacantil and has good facilities. The ideal place to relax during your city trip.

6. MACA museum

The 'Museo de Arte Contemporãneo de Alicante', or MACA, is a modern art museum in the center of the city. It is located in Plaza de Santa María square near the basilica. The museum is housed in a 17th century Baroque town house, the oldest civil building in the town. The collection contains more than 800 works from the 20th century by Pablo Picasso, Juana Frances, Joan Miró and Juan Gris, among others.

7. Casco Antiguo - center of Alicante

The small and historic city center of Alicante with narrow streets and nice squares. The district has several attractions such as Plaza Ayuntamiento, Mercado Central (Spanish fresh market), Palacio Maissonnave and the basilica. Take a stroll through this historic city center and be sure to check out the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the square with the baroque town hall.

8. MARQ Archaeological Museum

The MARQ is the archaeological museum of Alicante and tells more about the history of the Santa Bárbara castle and the surrounding Guadalest valley. Learn about the history from the Romans, the Moors and the Spanish kings.

9. Tabarca Island

Tabarca Island is an island located 15 kilometers from Alicante Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. The Marine Protected Area is an ideal place for snorkelling and has many birdlife. The island (1800 by 400 meters) has a small village and a beach and three boats sail daily in 45 minutes from the port of Alicante. Also try the local dish caldero.

10. Puerto deportivo

The harbor 'Puerto deportivo' is a nice area to walk around (especially in the evening) between the many yachts, cozy restaurants, discos and casinos. The harbor has a pirate boat with a restaurant (Barco Restaurante El Trinidad) and a free museum about the famous Volvo ocean race.

11. Cycling in Alicante

The most relaxed way to discover the city is by bicycle. Discover the historic center, the harbor and cycle along the beach. Be surprised by the enthusiastic stories of the guide on this bike tour for all ages or rent a bike yourself.

12. Environment and region of Alicante

Do you have a (rental) car? Then you can visit a number of interesting places in the 'Valencian region', to which Alicante belongs. Interesting are the Guadalest valley (photo), the castle of Peñiscola, the old town center of Altea and Las Salinas, or the salt lakes of Torrevieja.

Source:Spaansesteden.nl