There is only one word that can truly describe Alicante: completely underrated. All right, it’s two words. But this is not the point here. The main point is that when I visited Alicante, I didn’t have high hopes about the city. Although it is quite close to Valencia, the city where I currently live, I wasn’t very keen on visiting it. Boy, how wrong was I.
Where is it?
Due to its size, you might not have heard about Alicante before. Let me tell you where it is: it’s located South of Valencia, at around 182 km by highway. The access to and from Alicante is very simple either it is by car, bus or plane.
Airport
The El Altet airport is located 11 km from Alicante and it has domestic and international flights that connect Alicante with the most important Spanish cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao).
Once you get to the Alicante airport you can take the bus towards the center (the bus runs every 40 minutes, from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm), the last stop being Plaza del Mar.
Bus
Estación de Autobuses
Avenida de Loring S/N
03003 Alicante
Alicante is well connected with other countries suck as Belgium, Germany, the UK, Poland, France, etc. ALSA INTERNACIONAL is one of the most famous bus companies which manages international and national trips.
Santa Barbara’s Castle
It’s impossible to miss this amazing and imposing castle. Being one of the largest medieval fortresses existent in Europe, the castle is located on Benacantil Mountain, covering almost the entire mountain. It was built in the 10th century by the Moors and it was named after the conquest of King Alfonse the Wise.
During the months of July and August, the Town Hall organizes different events on Friday and Saturday nights. The entrance is free and the events usually start at 22:00. Just imagine sitting under the starry sky with a glass of wine and listening to music. Absolutely perfect!
Beaches
Some of the most popular beaches in Alicante are Almadraba, San Juan, the Cabo de las Huertas and the Urbanova beach. The intense blue waters and the silky sand are two of the elements that will make you extend your holidays in Alicante.
And since you are in Alicante don’t forget to stop by Tabarca Island. This is the only inhabited island in Valencia. As a matter of fact is not even an island but an archipelago that includes three islets (La Cantera, La Galera and La Nao). It is 1,800 metres long and measures 400 metres across at its widest point.
The Santa Cruz neighborhood
One of the reasons why I fell in love with this city instantly was its little houses, decorated with flowers and different colors. The Santa Cruz neighborhood is the one where you will find the most picturesque houses and the Santa Cruz Hermitage. The Hermitage dates from the 18th century and it can be found over the Ampolla Tower, representing the departure point of the processions held during the Holy Week.
Besides the Hermitage you will have the opportunity to get in touch with a completely different vision of what houses look like. An abundance of flowers and vivid colors will pave your path all the way to the top. Here you get the most spectacular view of the rest of the city and of the blue sea.
Tip: get lost in the city. The narrow streets will take you into a new dimension and you are bound to forget about reality for a while.
San Francisco street – mushrooms everywhere!
No, you haven’t gone completely bonkers; this is one of the most famous streets in Alicante and in Spain due to its gigantic mushrooms positioned along the street. Not until long ago this street was the complete opposite of what it is today: prostitution and illegal businesses were booming and threatening the peace of the population. But Sonia Castedo decided to take action and although her mushrooms cost Alicante over 60,000, the trick worked. More and more tourists became interested in this street.
Don’t waste your time. Book a flight to Alicante and go enjoy this amazing city right now!
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