Sant Joan d’Alacant

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Categories: Alicante Province, Sant Joan d'Alacant

What is the position of Sant Joan d’Alacant?

The position of Sant Joan d’Alacant is in the South East of Spain, in the area called the Costa Blanca. Sant Joan d’Alacant is located to the north of Alicante, and to the South of Denia and Benidorm. Unless you are driving cross country, you need to arrive by one of the airports which are Murcia Airport in the southern province of Murcia, Valencia Airport to the north, and Alicante Airport which it is obviously the closest being inside the province and the international airport of the province.

Accommodation in Sant Joan d’Alacant

There are ample places to stay here counting Sant Joan d’Alacant hotels, guest houses, and self catering accommodation. There is Sant Joan d’Alacant accommodation to suit all finances. There is also broad variety of accommodation styles in the adjacent towns of Alicante, El Campello, Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Agost, Novelda, Elche, Aspe, Mutxamel, and Villajoyosa.

Car rental in Sant Joan d’Alacant

There is no real public transportation in this locale so you actually have to rent a car. If you don’t intend to go any distance, Sant Joan d’Alacant is very well apportioned in terms of bars, restaurants, and shops. But there is loads to see in this area and by getting a Sant Joan d’Alacant car hire you will be able to take pleasure in the surrounding areas. There are numerous companies in Sant Joan d’Alacant where you can rent a car, or you can always choose to pickup from the airport as you disembark.
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What to see in Sant Joan d’Alacant

Sant Joan d’Alacant is a municipality in the province of Alicante. According to the National Spanish Institute and the population of Sant Joan d’Alacant in 2008 was 21,681 people. It is located in the traditional Huerta de Alicante. The land is very flat and total area of the town is about 9 .5 km².

Like many other towns in this region, the history of Sant Joan d’Alacant is very close to that of the history of Alicante itself. There were a many settlers over the region from the earliest peoples during the Bronze Age and of course several ancient civilizations vied for control over this area because of the possibilities that came with both the land and the position near the sea. The first time that Sant Joan d’Alacant was referenced was during the eighth century and a time when the Arabs first invaded.

The Arabs were the new conquerors following the Romans and after the Moorish conquest, the town of Sant Joan d’Alacant was included in the Christian kingdom of Orihuela. Under the Pact of Tudjman, Christians were able to conduct themselves within their religion and had some form of autonomy so long as they paid their taxes. The Muslims introduced irrigation to the area as the title Huerta de Alicante suggests. Much of this irrigation system is still in place today. It was around this time that there was the first mention of the town.

Sant Joan d’Alacant was recaptured from the Muslims in 1246. After this, the Arab mosque was renamed and dedicated to St John the Baptist which gave the town its name which previously had been known as Benali. Under the Treaty of Torrelas, the town was incorporated into the Crown of Aragon in the year 1304. During the 16th century, there were many attacks from the Barbary pirates. Several of these attacks were particularly bloodthirsty and called for something to be done. Many watchtowers were constructed along the coastline in order to watch out for attacks.

Sant Joan d’Alacant acquired the university status along with the neighboring small hamlet Benimagrell. This was a step towards having complete separation from the city of Alicante. This was put on hold in 1619 by the Treaty of Aggregation and Concord, which once more saw the town becoming closer to Alicante. This was apparently due to the inability of Sant Joan d’Alacant to come up with the cost of constructing the Tibi dam.

In 1609, Philip the third expelled all the remaining Moslems. The problem with this was that the Arabs were expert in the field of agriculture and many other industries. This expulsion had a very negative effect on these industries and many families had to emigrate in order to survive. This meant that the population of Sant Joan d’Alacant was decimated.

Independence finally came to Sant Joan d’Alacant and Benimagrell in 1779 with only the monastery still remaining in the hands of Alicante. During the war of independence in 1812, 29 people were murdered by French troops who had failed in their attempts to take the city of Alicante. In 1885, King Alfonso the 12th accorded the town the title of Villa de Sant Joan.

The Spanish civil war broke out on 26 July 1936. During the war, Sant Joan d’Alacant was known as Villa Ascaso in honour of Francisco Ascaso was an anarchist. Drinking water was finally brought to the town in 1938, and the fountain was built in the Plaza de España. The population of the town has gradually increased since the 1950s especially since the new national road was built. Part of the neighboring town of Benimagrell was destroyed in the building of this road. Since the increase of the population, the town has begun to flourish and expand.

Whereas once agriculture was the only source of economic return for Sant Joan d’Alacant, now the town is moving far more towards the tertiary sector. Industry is really opening up and there are many shops and restaurants that have appeared in around the national road. Because of Alicante is very close and the beach of San Juan is only 2 km away, the local economy and others survive because of this interoperability with Alicante. There are many of the local citizens that commute to work in Alicante every day.

Some of the sites for the tourist to see within the area includes the Church of John the Baptist which was built on the site of an old mosque. The Church suffered very badly during the civil war but it has been reconstructed scenes and has regained some of its previous splendor. Other religious highlights in the area include the chapel of Santa Ana which was built in the 16th century and restored in 1996. Also there is the Calgary Heritage which stands on a hill of the same name. This was built in the 18th century. It was restored after the civil war but fell into deterioration until 2007 when it was again restored by the city. You should also take a trip to the coast where you will see some of the defensive military architecture that was constructed to repel the Barbary attacks.

The house of culture was opened in 1993 and is dedicated to many different kinds of cultural events and artistic activities. There are also several parks and gardens in Sant Joan d’Alacant where there are always attractions for children. The soil in this part of the world is particularly fertile and you will see some fabulous exhibits of flowers and trees.

The main fiesta here is held in honor of the holy Christ of peace which is in September. Another festival held here and one which is typical of the region is the Bonfires of San Juan which is held towards the end of June. Fiestas in this part of the world always involve plenty of fun and everyone is welcome to participate.

The area is widely accepted as one of the premier outdoor activities spots in Spain. There are so many different walks that you can partake in either towards the coast or up to the mountains. Also, with the cities of Alicante and Benidorm being only short distances away, you can really let your hair down and enjoy yourself on a thrilling night out. If you’re a golfing enthusiast, Sant Joan d’Alacant golfing has much to offer with several golf courses up and down the region.

What to eat in Sant Joan d’Alacant

In addition to the enjoyable Spanish cuisine which is offered in Sant Joan d’Alacant, you can partake of excellent food from several nationalities counting Dutch, Chinese, Indian, Cantonese, English, and Hungarian. So you will on no account be stuck for something to eat. Much of the cuisine of the local area is based around what was available to the local farmer which meant that they were always plenty of fresh garden products used in the local diet. Typical dishes of the area include paella. Because there are so many almond plantations in the area, this is represented in the food with almond cake and a typical summer soft drink of the area … almond horchata.

The weather conditions in Sant Joan d’Alacant

Plenty of sunlight is the common state when it comes to weather conditions in the area and of Sant Joan d’Alacant. The summer climate is by and large hot with the winter temperatures in general being fairly temperate. Rainfall is something which is delighted in within this region, a breather from the steady sun, but don’t be concerned because rain doesn’t come that often.