Alicante

Alicante is the Valencia region’s second-largest town. Brimming with fresh projects, it has transformed itself in less than a decade from a seedy port to an attractive place with a spirited nightlife. And unlike its coastal neighbours, it’s a real town, living for much more than tourism alone.

In between the constant nights out, feasts of excellent paella, siestas and bouts of basking on the beach, there are loads of other things to keep you busy. The shopping is excellent, there are plenty of museums and historical places of interest, delicious weather and lots of water-based sports.

Festivals & Heritage

Santa Faz Pilgrimage
7 Apr 2005 (annual)
Alicante
Every year around 200,000 people walk to the Monasterio de Santa Faz on the second-largest pilgrimage in Spain.
Alcoi Moors and Christians Festival
22 – 24 Apr 2005 (annual)
Alcoi
Head for Alcoi to see a spectacular re-enactment of the battle between the Moors and the Christians, as part of the celebrations to honour Saint George, patron of the region.
Moors and Christians Festival
9 – 12 Jun 2005 (various dates)
Alicante
The Moors and Christians Festival is one of the major celebrations in Alicante’s calendar, a mixture of religion, history and street carnival.
Saint John’s Bonfires
Jun 2005 (annual)
Alicante
The Fogueres de Sant Joan is Alicante’s main fiesta, paying homage to Saint John and celebrating the summer solstice with bonfires and fireworks.
Denia Harbourfront Bull Run
Jul 2005 (annual)
Dénia
The Valencian town of Dénia works itself up into a frenzy for the much-anticipated Toros/Bous a la Mar. This bull running extravaganza is staged annually to commemorate the Day of the Sacred Blood…

Attractions

Castillo de Santa Barbara
Long a symbol of Alicante, the Castillo de Santa Barbara, the stuff of fairy tales with its high walls and domed turrets, sits on the summit of Mount Benacantil, overlooking the city and the Mediterranean Sea. You can reach it by car or, better, on a passenger lift from Postiguet beach. The various parts of the castle date from medieval times to the sixteenth century and offer plenty of castle-type fun: drawbridges, stone passages, hidden tunnels, a real dungeon and – more surprising – a beautiful garden filled with works by Spanish master sculptors.

Isla de Tabarca
This tiny island, 17km (10 mi) off the coast of Alicante, was once a base for pirates, who would doubtless sit on the beach counting pieces of eight and playing with their peg-legs in the sand. Today, more appealingly, you’ll find a medieval fort, a pleasant little beach and some fine seafood restaurants. It’s a perfect day trip, with underwater treats: you can take a glass bottom boat from Alicante Port, snorkel around the marine reserves off the island, and submerge in a small yellow submarine that makes short trips from Tabarca’s harbour.

MARQ (Museo Arqueológico Provincial)
The Museo Arqueológico Provincial, or MARQ, was nominated as the European Museum of the Year in 2004 for its strong collection of ceramics and Iberian art. Exhibits are displayed to give the visitor a very visual, high tech experience. The only drawback is the lack of information in English.

MUBAG (Museo de Bellas Artes Gravina)
The Museo de Bellas Artes Gravina is an inspiring fine arts museum housed within a beautiful 18th-century mansion. Nearby, the Iglesia de Santa María has a flamboyant facade and ornate, gilded altarpiece, both contrasting with the nave’s Gothic simplicity.

Museo de la Asegurada
Built in the 17th century, this formidable building was once used as a prison and a munitions store. Today it houses an impressive collection of 20th-century art, with works by Gris, Miro, Picasso and Dali, as well as lesser-known Spanish painters such as Chillida, Mompo and Zobel.

The area around Alicante has been inhabited for over 7000 years, with the first tribes of hunter gatherers moving down gradually from Central Europe between 5000 and 3000 BC. Some of the earliest settlements were made on the slopes of Mount Benacantil, where the Castillo de Santa Barbara stands today. By 1000 BC Greek and Phoenician traders had begun to visit the eastern coast of Spain, establishing small trading ports and introducing the native Iberian tribes to the alphabet, iron and the pottery wheel. By the sixth century BC, the rival armies of Carthage and Rome began to invade and fight for control of the Iberian Peninsula. The Carthaginian general Hamilcar established the fortified settlement of Akra Leuke, where Alicante stands today.

You may prefer not to visit Alicante and its surrounding towns over summer (June-August), because millions of other people do. During the summer peak tourist season, prices are higher, accommodation is hard to find without a reservation, and the sun is at its hottest, the temperature rarely falling below 30°C (86°F). Advice like that may miss the point though: you might want to go in summer precisely because this means the biggest holiday crowds, wildest parties and hottest sun of your life. Let’s just say if you’re looking for something quiet this year, summer in Alicante might not be for you.

It’s certainly worth visiting Alicante at other times of the year though, when there will be thousands fewer harassed, sweating groups of tourists on the beaches. The sun shines all through autumn and spring, and most of winter. There are some heavy rains in spring (March-May) and autumn, (September-November), but these don’t happen very often, and the sun quickly evaporates what hasn’t been sluiced underground. Winters are mild, with the average temperature hovering at an easy 18°C (64°F).

Getting There and Away

You may prefer not to visit Alicante and its surrounding towns over summer (June-August), because millions of other people do. During the summer peak tourist season, prices are higher, accommodation is hard to find without a reservation, and the sun is at its hottest, the temperature rarely falling below 30°C (86°F). Advice like that may miss the point though: you might want to go in summer precisely because this means the biggest holiday crowds, wildest parties and hottest sun of your life. Let’s just say if you’re looking for something quiet this year, summer in Alicante might not be for you.

It’s certainly worth visiting Alicante at other times of the year though, when there will be thousands fewer harassed, sweating groups of tourists on the beaches. The sun shines all through autumn and spring, and most of winter. There are some heavy rains in spring (March-May) and autumn, (September-November), but these don’t happen very often, and the sun quickly evaporates what hasn’t been sluiced underground. Winters are mild, with the average temperature hovering at an easy 18°C (64°F).

It’s best to start exploring Alicante on the beachfront, along the city’s main pedestrian walkway, the Expanada de Espana. Spread out in front of the main part of the city, this elegant boulevard, stretching around the harbour, is shaded with palm trees and lined with shops and cafes (and unfortunately bagsnatchers and pickpockets, so be alert).

Northwest of the Expanada, towards the centre of the city, you’ll see the imposing Catedral de San Nicolas, and around it, the narrow streets of the El Barro, or old quarter, which has most of the cheaper accommodation and the best nightlife. To the southwest, near the Calle de Italia, you’ll find the main tourist office, post office, and the city’s central bus and train stations.