Where to go in Alicante!
Alicante is the Comunidad Valenciana’s second largest city, the capital of the Costa Blanca and a major Mediterranean port. There are two Alicantes. The city of Alicante, which features in this article, and the province of Alicante – the wider area around the city.
Alicante was founded by the Romans originally but the present day city owes much to the Moors (Arabs) who ruled there until it was captured in 1246 by Alfonso the 10th. As a port, it has often been under attack with some of its aggressors including the French and the English.
Alicante had an important part to play during the Spanish Civil War. It was the last outpost for the Republicans and some tragically chose to end their lives there rather than be arrested by the Nationalists, led by Franco.
On a brighter note, it’s now a vibrant, exciting city to visit with a fashionable port, old town and plenty of high street shopping. With museums, beaches, places of historic interest and cultural centres, there are plenty of ways of spending time and money.
Shopping and strolling
There are some pretty good shops here for those with money to spend. Commercial centres mean that you can window shop out of the rain on those odd occasions when it pours it down in the Costa Blanca. Gran Via is set at the top of the town and includes all the usual cha¡ns of retailers you expect to see in Spain such as Bershka, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, as well as some you might not expected to see such a Primark.
El Barrio is Alicante’s Old Quarter and includes lots of unique shops. It is also the centre of the city’s active nightlife with most forms of entertainment to suit a wild variety of tastes. However, with its narrow streets and some fine architecture to reflect on, it shouldn’t just be left to the night time.
A focal point of Alicante is the Explanada de España which is located opposite the marina. In the summer it hosts a famous market and is a really good place to stroll. It is lined with restaurants and bars if you want some refreshments and is notable for its undulating marble mosaic. It’s a great people-watching place and allows you to really absorb the atmosphere of this interesting city.
Alicante – the fun
Alicante is on the coast, so as you would expect, there are plenty of beaches to visit. San Juan beach is just to the north of Alicante and is host to a range of bars and restaurants. The beach is perhaps particularly well known for the San Juan’s bonfires with which people celebrate the summer solstice at the end of June.
Playa del Postiguet is perhaps the busiest and the most crowded in summer. It’s not far from Alicante Marina which has recently been refurbished and includes a range of restaurants, cafes and even a shopping centre.
Traveling a little further out you might be better to visit Playa Arenales if you want sea and sand and a little more space. The dunes here are particularly popular and worth a visit.
If you want open space but don’t like the beach, there are plenty of parks to choose from too. Canalejas Park is the oldest park in the city and includes stone sculptures, fountains and a map of Spain carved out of stone.
You can’t miss El Palmeral which, as its name suggests, is full of hundreds of palm trees along with waterfalls and lakes. It’s just opposite the port at the side of the main N332 coast road. It’s an excellent spot for taking a picnic and getting away from it all.
If you like horseriding, the Rancho La Ofra is a popular stables situated a little inland. From there you can go hacking on the Costa Blanca as part of a guided excursion. Guadalest is a beautiful area and travelling through the valley on horseback is perhaps one of the best ways of appreciating it.
Alicante – the famous
Standing on the top of Mount Benacantil is the Castle of Santa Barbara. The hill on which it is situated has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and Arabs built the first fortress there in the 9th century. Overlooking Alicante, it provides the opportunity to get a good view of the city and to take some marvellous photos.
Santa Barbara is one of the largest surviving castles in Spain and includes watchtowers and parks as well as the barracks buildings themselves. If you do get time, pause in the Parque de la Ereta which includes an amazing bridge, a water cascade and pavilions.
Not all the buildings of architectural interest are no longer in use. Alicante town hall is one example of fascinating baroque architecture. Iglesia de Santa Maria (St Mary’s Church) also has a Baroque façade and was in fact constructed over the ruins of a mosque.
If you want to sample a local museum there are plenty to choose from. For modern art lovers there is ‘Museo de arte contemporáneo de Alicante’ or The Museum of Contemporary Art. Located in the heart of the old town, the building itself is a piece of art work. A collection donated to it by Eusebio Sempere includes works by Picasso, Dalí, Tàpies and Miró.
The archaeological museum or Museo Arqueológico de Alicante (MARQ) is definitely worth a visit. Housed in an old hospital close to the castle, the museum includes sections devoted to each age in history and uses multimedia so that visitors can get a real feel for the past. There are plenty of gadgets to keep all ages entertained and it’s pretty ‘hands-on’ for those people who find the traditional ‘don’t touch’ art gallery a little less inspiring.
Do visit
So, by all means use its airport and road networks for your onward journey, but don’t forget to stop and pause a little in Alicante and sample some of the attractions right under your nose.
More information
Top 10 Alicante Landmarks:
http://www.alicante.com/v/city_info/
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Isla de Tabarca
The Island of Tabarca is as beautiful as it is quaint.
The low lying outcrop was once a prison island for pirates before becoming home to a small community of local fishermen and their families. Today it is a marine reserve and a swim in the warm clean waters will prove what a success this has been for the marine life – it is like swimming in an aquarium! It’s takes 2hours to sail to the island from Alicante or just half an hour in a motor boat. Many small boats anchor up to enjoy the crystal Clear Waters around Tabarca. You will want get the swimming gear on and maybe enjoy some paella made with the local catch of the day in one of the beach side restaurants ashore.
If you are exploring by boat we recommend a little further north where there are many beautiful bays to anchor in for a swim and a bite to eat. Most of the towns have a marina where we stop for the night, so after visiting Benidorm Island you’ll find us in Altea, where we walk up the hill to the beautiful and famous old town for dinner, or Calpe where we berth under the awesome Ifach rock which can be seen for miles around, or Moraira with it’s fabulous fish restaurants or Javea, nestled in a fabulous bay. Further afield, and if we are on an extended voyage, we visit our favourite places….Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. All of the Balearic islands offer world renowned sailing waters, cristal clear and full of wildlife. We prefer to stay overnight in any one of the hundreds of protected bays, most of which have small local restaurants catering to the arriving boats. Of course a few glasses of wine are sipped whilst we watch the sun go down! To fully enjoy the islands we recommend a charter with Costa Blanca Sailing, fully equipped with everything we need to make life of board as comfortable as home, but with the added benefit of true outdoor living! Costa Blanca Sailing can also https://costablancasouth.net/listing/costa-blanca-sailing/
User Review of a Day trip to Tabarca. The boat trip from Santa Pola took about 30 minutes to reach the island, and cost only €10 per person for the return journey. Arriving nearby the shore, the boat took a 5 minute pause to allow passengers to go beneath deck and look at the hundreds of………. fish. This was a fantastic addition to an already enjoyable crossing to the island. On deck you can step outside to enjoy these sights from above, with the lapping waves and fresh salty air. Once docked, we departed the boat and took a short walk to the reasonable sized beach where there are sun loungers and umbrellas available to rent, but if you want to save your money you are free to take your own parasol and deck chairs. I would advise against simply taking beach towels, as this is a pebble beach.
Once we paid to reserve our sunloungers, we couldn’t wait to explore the tiny island. My expectations were not disappointed. The greeny blue tint of the clear waters are so inviting. Along the coast there are many people snorkelling, laying on the large boulder-rocks, soaking up both the sun and the atmosphere. In the short distance, there are several private boats anchored, with passengers enjoying the glorious shallow waters and stunning sights that snorkelling here can bring. There are lots of fantastic places to visit by boat on the Costa Blanca, and of course you have the privilege of arriving by sea and enjoying a unique view of your surroundings!
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