Photo: Jesús Alenda

Alicante is a city on the Costa Blanca coastline. It is the capital of the Alacant province, in the south of the Valencian Community.

What to do and see in Alicante

The Castle of Santa Barbara is a large fortress, built as a fortification in the 12th century. The Castle sits on Mount Benacantil, in the center of Alicante, 166 metres above the sea level. The castle offers a magnificent view, from where you can almost see the entire Alicante bay.

Beaches

Alicante’ s best tourist attractions are probably its excellent beaches. The most important ones are:

El Postiguet – located in the Alicante city centre, at the foot of the Santa Barbara Castle

San Juan – almost 3 kilometres of golden and quality sand

Sports

The city is also an ideal place to play golf, with two 18-hole fields in the city and another three nearby.

Alicante is also a great place for water activities, such as jet skiing, sailing, diving, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, fishing and water skiing. A wide range of companies and clubs offer these services all year round.

Tabarca Island

The Tabarca Islands are 20 kilometers to the south of Alicante. The surrounding waters are a Mediterranean marine nature reserve.  It is the perfect spot for relaxing, while enjoying the pristine waters surrounding the island.

BENIDORM

Benidorm has been known as tourism and leisure city in Spain for decades. Benidorm was designed with the tourist’s enjoyment in mind, and features famous, beautiful beaches. The city offers a wide range of accommodation, leisure facilities, services and restaurants.

Terra Mitica

Terra Mítica is a theme park located in Benidorm. The park is divided into 3 themed zones that represent three Mediterranean cultures: Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The park features attractions and amazing shows in spectacular surroundings, making it worth a visit, especially if you are travelling with kids or teenagers. There are also separate attractions in Alicante, such as the Mundomar animal park and Aqualandia.

LES FONTS DE L’ALGAR

The Algar Waterfalls are located 15 km north of Benidorm.  The area consists of a circuit, 1,5 km in length. You can walk along the river Algar, see the spectacular waterfalls and the numerous fountains that spring from the rock and the natural pools, or take a dip in the refreshing crystal-clear water.

VILLAJOYOSA

Villajoyosa lies to the northeast of Alicante, 10 km southwest of Benidorm. It is a lovely destination for a day trip. Villajoyosa has an authentic Spanish charm, with vibrantly coloured houses, a busy fishing harbour with an afternoon fish market and quality beaches.

In the last week of July, the town of Villajoyosa really comes to life for the Moors and Christians festival.

• Shopping 
  • El Corte Ingles is Spain’s largest shopping store chain. Two stores can be found in Alicante: the first one sells fashion clothes and accessories, and the other sells household appliances and food.
  • Plaza Mar 2 is one of the newest shopping malls in Alicante. This department store in the city center sells pretty much anything. The 162-squaremeter mall offers products like sportswear, cosmetics, hairdressing, jewelry, glasses, home furnishing and pet products. There are also several restaurants and 16 cinemas in the mall. The popular Postiguet beach is in the neighborhood.
  • Panoramis is a shopping center designed in American style. It has a breathtaking view of the Alicante harbor, several restaurants, a multi-screen cinema and the best bars in the city.
  • The shopping mall Gran Via has over 100 shops, where you can buy things like clothes, electronics and toys. It also has a cafeteria.
  • Outlet Stores is a cosy shopping center, where you can buy fashion clothes and use services, including free parking, ATMs, restrooms, a mother and baby room, a children´s play area as well as several restaurants and fast food places.
  • Puerta de Alicante is an entire entertainment center full of restaurants, cinemas, retail shops and fashion brands.