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Alicante

What is the location of Alicante?

Alicante is located in the Costa Blanca, in the Alicante province between Valencia and Murcia. Some of the nearby towns include Elche, Orihuela, and Torrevieja to the south, Yecla to the west, and Benidorm, Denia, and Javea to the north. Of course the nearest airport is Alicante Airport which is just outside Elche, but there are alternatives as laid out below.

Alicante accommodation

Self catering villas, guest houses, camping amenities, Alicante hotels, are some of the places where you can stay in Alicante. You are guaranteed to find Alicante accommodation to suit all levels of wealth. There is also extensive selection of villas styles in the bordering towns of Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Mutxamel, El Campello, Monforte del Cid, Elche, Santa Pola, Agost, Aspe, and Novelda.

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Rent a car in Alicante

Although there is some great community transport in the city of Alicante, if you want to tour the surrounding areas you really need to hire car. If you don’t intend to go very far, Alicante is very well catered for when it comes to shops, restaurants, and bars. An Alicante car hire is going to allow you to see much more of the neighboring parts, and there are some really beautiful scenic parts around here. When you arrive at the airport, there are lots of car hire companies. Also, you will find loads of Alicante car rent companies to select from.

What to see in Alicante

The history of Alicante

The city of Alicante has got 3000 years of history behind it. To understand the city of Alicante, not only must you have a good idea about what is going on in the present not only must know its reality present but you must also be aware of its past. In order to do that you have to do a little bit more digging in to the idiosyncrasies of this city and its inhabitants.

The first inhabitants were located on the slopes of Mount Benacantil which is occupied today by the Santa Barbara Castle. This vantage gave a privileged position because of its proximity to the sea and the good altitude. There must have been an Iberian village here although there are no

archaeological remains. Another focus was on Benalúa area where there was once a Roman city called Lucentum. This was the most immediate antecedent of the city that we know today. Settlements have also been located in the same period in Albufereta and Serra Grossa.

With the coming of the Muslims, the present city began to take shape under the castle. The later would be Alfonso X the Wise conquered it in 1246. It was in 1308 when James I incorporated it into the United Valencia. In 1490 Ferdinand was awarded the city title.

One hundred years later Alicante was the natural port of Castile, which led to an active maritime trade, thanks to which a flourishing economy began which led to a significant population boom. Alicante was then claimed to be the third largest commercial city in Spain. Although the Alicante has not been out of the war is altogether, most of the wars that Alicante Sol had come from the sea.
In 1691, during the reign of Charles II, the French navy bombarded Alicante for seven consecutive days. Without almost time to recover, the city was plunged into the War of Succession. Alicante took the side of the Bourbons and suffered the bombing of the defenses of the castle of Santa Barbara by the British. During the War of Independence, Alicante was the provisional capital of the Kingdom to be occupied by Marshal Valencia Suchet.

In the eighteenth century began the recovery from the disasters of the wars. But it was in the nineteenth century when Alicante began the definitive takeoff. With the arrival of the railroad in

1858, the connection with the centre of the Peninsula ensured that the importance of the harbor in Alicante in the city a cosmopolitan air.


Alicante has the second highest population of any city in the Valencian Community, with almost 325,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the province of the same name, is one of the most recognized areas in the Costa Blanca, and tourism is currently one of the pillars of its economy.

Monuments

One of the first monuments that I would recommend you see is the Santa Barbara Castle. It six at 160 meters above sea level and is one of Spain’s grandest fortresses from the mediaeval period. It offers great views over Alicante’s beautiful bay from the top of Mount Benacantil. The castle itself was built during several different periods. For instance, the upper part of the castle was built in the 14th century, the mid-level dates from the 16th century, and the lower level goes back as far as the 18th century. You can reach the castle by car, by foot, and there is a lift which is built into the rock face opposite the beach. Next there is the baroque town hall which was designed by Lorenzo Chapuli. It was built on the site of the 18th-century former city hall. It is well worth visiting this beautiful building for the stunning architecture both outside and inside. There is the Santa Maria basilica, and the San Nicolas Co Cathedral among other things. There are also plenty of museums to visit including the provincial archaeological Museum, the Gravina fine arts Museum, the Fogueres Festival museum, the nativity scene Museum, and the bullfighting museum.

If you are into walking there is plenty that you can do in this area. There are also copious amounts of sandy beaches for you to relax on or play any different types of beach and sea sport that you want. Alicante golfing has loads to offer for the avid golf enthusiast. There are plenty of courses in this region, there is one in the city itself, and there are loads of golf clubs up and down the province for you to enjoy.

The festivals in Alicante are second to none. The first festival I want to mention is the Hogueras de San Juan Festival. This is a festival which has been given the international tourist interest recognition. It is one of the most important festivals in the year-long diary. The origins lie in a tradition of burning objects which are useless in preparation for the arrival of the summer solstice, a sort of a spring cleaning Festival. Then there are the Moors and Christians festival. This is one of the most important festivals in the entire region. Most places have a reenactment of the battles between the Moors and Christians and the Alicante Moors and Christians fiesta is no exception. There are other popular festivals which have religious significance which are held throughout the year.

One of the highlights of visiting Alicante is its diverse shopping facilities. There are very many different types of markets and shops for to you to browse through that you will never be short of choice. One of the highlights of shopping in Alicante is to visit one of the Alicante’s many markets. By far the best one is the mediaeval market (Mercado Medieval). Here you can purchase all different types of costumes, entertainment, and mediaeval handcrafts. There is also the central market which is arranged on two floors and sells everything from flowers, to fresh meat and shellfish, fresh fruit and vegetables, and just about anything else that you can want to buy. Then, during the summer there is the Explanada de España where you can buy anything from clothing to jewellery.

What can you eat in Alicante

This area of Spain boasts cuisine from several areas of the globe. To name a handful, there is Food from Spain, Germany, China, France, and Hungary. And you will not have to search out in order to find other types of delectable cuisine. So you will by no means be stuck for something to devour. Some of the best restaurants in this area include Not Just Desserts which is a bistro located in the Sierra Mar, a traditional Spanish plaza. Another one is the Barlovento which is located on Cabo Cervera.

The climate in Alicante

Just as it is everywhere in the province, the climate in Alicante is generally fairly hot and sunny. The winters are balmy and sun-drenched the summers are beautiful and hot. Rain does not happen very often but you may get the odd day when you will see some rainfall. It can often involve a thirst-quenching respite from the constant heat.

How do I find Alicante?

Directions from Alicante Airport to Alicante

Directions from Murcia Airport to Alicante

Directions from Valencia Airport to Alicante

Maps of Alicante

This post has also been translated into Spanish by using the Google online translation tool, Alicante de Espana is the translated post. If you feel you can add something positive to the Spanish translation please feel free to contact me through the comments section below or though The Olive Branch contact page, many thanks.