Landmark Sights and Refreshing Beaches of Alicante

Alicante

Located on the Spanish Mediterranean shores of Costa Blanca is the popular tourist destination of Alicante. The city has an elegant charm with its marina, terrace cafes, wine bars and sea-food restaurants that line the wide white palm tree pavements. Located within the Marina area is the shopping mall which has around 100 shops and department stores and Alicante’s historical landmark the castle of Santa Barbara that dates back to the 9th century proudly sits high on a mountain overlooking the city.

While not a primarily a sunbathing retreat Alicante does have some rather nice stretch of beach which is accessible by car or coach as it is around 5km away from the city centre or you could take a boat trip from the esplanade to Algeria and the Balearic Islands. Due to Alicante’s hot summers and warm winters tourism primarily contributes to Alicante’s economy and with that in mind many of the hotels offer discounted long stay holiday accommodation which is snapped up by retired travelers.

Travelling to Alicante is a short two and half hour plane journey from all UK Airports. Thanks to the Costa Blanca’s package holiday industry Alicante airport is the busiest in Spain as it is the main airport for holiday resorts of Benidorm and Malaga which are extremely busy during high season.

Sightseeing

Alicante is a historical city and most of the sights can therefore be found in the historical quarter. A walk up to the Castle of Santa Barbara is a must and the Church of Santa Maria which was constructed on a mosque and its gothic architecture contributed by Michelangelo.

The main sights and attractions are accessible by foot, whether you want to wander through the shopping Mall or take a long walk along the esplanade or sit and relax on the beach. The train system in Alicante is superb and with this in mind a day trip to several other Spanish cities is possible including Madrid and Valencia and a short 45 minute drive away is the coastal town of Benidorm.

Dining Out & Nightlife

Typical Spanish dishes of Calamari, mussels in red wine and Paella are displayed on most menu’s throughout Alicante’s restaurants and Bistro’s. Not everyone is a lover of sea-food so a Burger King , pizza slice or international dish is also available. You will find that restaurants don’t actually open until late on in the evening in Alicante, normally you will see all the locals and tourists out and about after nine o clock at night and during the hot summer months many locals like to eat outside where it is cooler.

Nightlife is extremely busy during high season, there are plenty clubs and bars to drink in until the early hours. Themed and international bars are plentiful here - but why come to Spain to drink in a British pub when you can experience some Salsa dancing and eat at a tapas bar.