A Castle, a Promenade and the Costa Blanca
Alicante is a port city on Spain's Costa Blanca, in the Valencian Community, known for its sunny climate, hilltop Santa Bárbara Castle, palm-lined seafront and lively old quarter. The castle crowns Mount Benacantil, a rocky outcrop above the bay, and can be reached by a lift cut into the rock or by a winding path that gives views across the whole coast. At the bottom, the Explanada de España, a wave-patterned mosaic promenade shaded by palms, is the city's favourite place for an evening paseo.
The old quarter, Barrio de Santa Cruz, climbs the hillside in whitewashed lanes hung with flowers, while the Central Market, a modernist hall, fills with seafood, cured ham and local produce. Alicante's beaches, including Postiguet in the heart of the city and San Juan to the north, make it a rare place where a city break and a beach day are on the same tram line. For Spain visitors seeking a compact, sunny base, it offers everything within walking distance.
Rice, Turrón and Midsummer Fire
Food here follows the sea and the huerta. Arroz a banda, rice cooked in fish stock, and caldero are the classic dishes, tapas bars around the old town serve fresh prawns and anchovies, and the nearby town of Jijona produces turrón, the nougat that Alicante has made its own. The Hogueras de San Juan, held in late June, are among the city's great festivals, with huge sculpted figures built in the streets and then burned in a night of fire, fireworks and music.
Day trips widen the offer. The island of Tabarca, a short boat ride from the port, is a protected marine reserve with a walled village and clear coves, while Elche's palm grove, inscribed by UNESCO in 2000, lies a short journey inland. Along the coast, the old towns of Altea and Dénia and the dramatic rock of Peñón de Ifach at Calpe are easily reached. A tourist board could weave these into a single regional story, and the nearby resort of Benidorm adds a very different side of the Costa Blanca.
Read the full Alicante guide on Visit Travel Group, or see Alicante.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.