Are you thinking of visiting the beautiful city of Alicante located on the Costa Blanca but you’re not sure what to even see there? Which attractions to visit and which beaches to choose for relaxation? No matter if you’re going to Alicante for a day, a weekend or a week, today’s post will go over the best places to pay a visit to.
Alicante
What to see in Alicante?
Alicante is located on the hot and white Costa Blanca. You can grab a relatively cheap flight and get to the city centre by taxi, car or specially designated buses – the C6 bus goes from the airport terminal building to the centre of Alicante every 20 minutes, ticket will cost you €3.75.
Alicante is located on Spain’s white and hot Costa Blanca coast. It is a good place to relax and enjoy a holiday in Spain. Low-cost airlines fly to Alicante from several Polish cities, including Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Gdansk and Poznan on Ryanair planes. You can get from the airport to the centre, by taxi, car or special city buses – the C6 bus runs between the airport terminal building and the centre of Alicante every 20 minutes – the ticket costs €3.85 (you can find more details about fares at: https://www.alicanteturismo.com/en/bus-c6-alicante-airport/).
Though Alicante is famous for its beaches, that’s not all it hides. You can see some of the landmarks while still in your plane, like the Castle of Santa Barbara or the beautiful La Explanada de España boulevards. Remember that Valencian is a second language in addition to Spanish in Alicante, so many of the signs near attractions will be in both languages. The city centre is also quite close to the marina and the coast and, beyond the city walls, you can also find the Pink Lake in Torrevieja near Alicante.
La Explanada de España
Alicante’s boulevard
This is Alicante’s main and largest boulevard. It was designed by Jose Guardiola Pico in 1867 and built with 6,600,000 small tricolour tiles arranged in a wave pattern. The boulevard has many stalls, cafés and restaurants. It is also the main meeting and walking spot for tourists and locals alike. It’s a stunning place, so don’t skip out on that one.
Castell de la Santa Bàrbara
Castle in Alicante
Towering over the Old Town of Alicante, Castell de la Santa Bàrbara sits atop Benacantil, 166 metres above sea level. Originally built in the 11th century by the Muslims who ruled the area at the time – soon, in 1248, Alfonso of Castille conquered the place and the hot potato game began. It would change hands many times and each time it had to be rebuilt in some part. Closer to our times, it was used as a prison in the 18th century and now welcomes you with open arms.
You can visit both the castle and the beautiful mirador on top – entry is free, but you can pay for a lift which takes you to the top (about €3 per person). The entrance to the lift is by the Postiguet beach. There’s also a car park at the top if you have a car with you.
Alicante beaches
Alicante’s famed highlight
Okay, you knew this was coming. Alicante’s got plenty of beaches, some are even right by the city centre. The ones we would call ‘best’ are the Postiguet beach, San Juan beach, Almadraba, La Albufereta beach and the Saladares-Urbanova beach. All of these are Blue Flag approved, meaning they all have tippy top cleanliness and safety. You can find all the necessary infrastructure already on them, from sun loungers and umbrella rentals to restaurants and cafés. You really don’t have much of an excuse – you’ll find all you need right there and many are so close that you don’t even need to leave the centre. If you wish to pick specific ones, here’s our overview of the best beaches on Costa Blanca.
Plaza de Toros de Alicante
Bullring in Alicante
This tradition is, as you can imagine, becoming a thing of the past, with many opposing the fundamental idea altogether. The arenas, however, are not going anywhere, and you can still visit many of the bullrings in Spain. The arena in Alicante, built in 1847, hosts many sports/cultural events today. You can find it at Plaça d’Espanya 7.
Canalejas Park
Park in Alicante
The Canalejas Park in Alicante is located on the boulevard close to the Alicante Marina.
As the name suggests, it’s full of beautiful greenery and giant fig trees. It’s the oldest park in Alicante, built in 1886, and a great place to escape the scorching sun of Alicante. The entrance to the park is guarded by two stone lion sculptures. The park runs from Av Dr Gadea all the way to Plaça de l’Arquitecto Miguel López.
Parc de l’Ereta
Another park in Alicante
Parc de l’Ereta is located on the slope of the Benacantil mountain, at the foot of the Santa Bàrbara Castle. It’s perfect for walks and for enjoying the panorama of the Old Town. You can also use it to get down from Santa Bàrbara.
Casco Antiguo – Santa Cruz, El Barrio
The old town of Alicante
Casco Antiguo – Santa Cruz is the old town of Alicante, full of narrow winding white streets. The district sits at the foot of Castello, so some of the streets can be a bit steep. You can find plenty of cafes and restaurants here serving traditional paella and tapas. We highly recommend a stroll down the old town, as it has an unforgettable atmosphere.
Heladería Borgonesse
Ice cream in Alicante
What’s a good holiday without trying some of the local delicacies? Heladeria Borgonesse is an iconic ice cream shop in Alicante (and also in a few other spots in Spain). We still remember our delicious cheesecake flavour ice cream today! The price per portion ranges from €2,60 to €4,60. You’ll find it at Rambla Méndez Núñez, 7.
Golf in Alicante
Golf courses near Alicante
The temperatures in Alicante are so pleasant all year round that you can even play a round of gold on one of the nearby courses in winter. The price per tee-time is between €40 and €120. Recommended golf courses in the area are: Font del Llop Golf Resort, Club De Golf Bonalba and the Alenda Golf Club. Remember that on popular golf courses in Spain, golf buggies are often a requirement to speed up play. Have fun!
Mercat Central d’Alacant
Alicante’s Market Hall
Mercat Central d’Alacant is a market dating back to 1921. It has an area of more than 8,000 square metres with plenty of stands and stalls with food and traders around. It’s a great place to meet the locals. It’s located at Av d’Alfonso X El Savi, 8, and is open from 7am to 2.30pm during the week and until 3pm during public holidays.
Tabarca Island
A neighbouring island to Alicante
This small island (actually an archipelago) measures less than 2000 by 400 m. It houses a small town, old fortifications and a beautiful beach. Back in the day, it used to be a refuge for pirates raiding these waters. Only in the 18th century were the fortifications and the town built here. You can get here by boat, and the island is a perfect escape – it’s a charming, peaceful place full of greenery, untainted by the city rush.
Alicante Cathedral
Churches in Alicante
As per usual, Alicante also has a local cathedral and it’s also a great spot to visit. The Alicante Cathedral was built in 1616 on the site of a former mosque. The Cathedral’s patron is Saint Nicholas of Bari, about whom we wrote more in our article on Bari attractions.
The Cathedral is topped with a dome 45 metres high – the interior itself is designed on a cruciform plan and is actually quite austere in decoration.
The Pink Lake
Laguna Salada Rosa
You can find one last nugget in Alicante, or rather 50 minutes away from Alicante – the famed pink lake. It’s located within the Parque Natural de las Lagunas de La Mata y Torrevieja park opened in 1989. The waters are pink thanks to the presence of the microalgae called Dunaliella salina, bacteria which thrive in particularly salty environments. You can find more about the pink lake here.
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