Alicante

Introduction

Alicante — or Alacant, as it is known in Valencian — is a city and municipality in Spain's Valencian Community, where it serves as the capital of the province of Alicante. It is a historical Mediterranean port, and its position on the coast has shaped it into one of the region's principal cities.

Both of its names are in everyday use, so you will see and hear Alicante and Alacant interchangeably depending on whether Spanish or Valencian is being spoken.

Before you go

Getting there

Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC), also known as L'Altet Airport, sits about 11 km south of the city centre and operates from a single terminal, the new terminal; the older T1 and T2 are no longer in use. Bus C6 connects the airport with the city every 20 minutes, departing from the bus stop on the departure level (level +2) of the new terminal — not the bus level (level -2), which serves charter buses. The ride into the centre takes roughly 20 minutes and follows a circular route, stopping near the Alicante bus station, at Plaza Puerta del Mar, near the Archaeological Museum, next to the central market, at Plaza Luceros, and near the train station on the way back to the airport. Buses run around the clock, and tickets can be bought from an attendant on the platform by card or cash. Taxis leave from the arrival level (level 0) of the new terminal, and a dozen car rental agencies, including Avis, D and Europcar, operate at the airport. Coach services reach towns across the region, most notably Benidorm and Elche, though frequencies are erratic.

Estación de Tren de Alicante, on Avda de Salamanca, is served by Renfe trains from Madrid and Barcelona, with high-speed AVE trains from Madrid taking between two and two and a half hours and the trip from Valencia just under two hours; conventional rail from Barcelona takes up to five hours. Renfe's Cercanías line C1 links Elche in half an hour and Murcia in under an hour and a half. Rather than using the ticket machines, you can pass through most barriers with a contactless bank card. The station has a tourist information office, storage lockers, a café, a bookshop, a car rental office and bicycle rental. Tram Alicante (el Trenet) runs from its main station at Plaza de los Luceros along the coast between Alicante and Dénia, with Benidorm as the changeover point for destinations further north; sit on the right side for a sea view when heading to Benidorm, and note that you need your ticket to exit at some stations, including all stations in Alicante. The bus station on Muelle de Poniente is served by ALSA lines to Valencia, Barcelona and Granada, has free Wi-Fi throughout, and is the start and terminus for city bus lines 6 and 24 — but keep an eye on your bags, as it is well known for baggage thieves. The Port de Alacant handles cruise ships and ferries to Algeria, with Compañía Romeu as the local agent for Algerie Ferrie's bi-weekly services to Oran and Algiers.

Getting around

If you base yourself in the old town, most places of interest are within walking distance, so you may not need transport at all for sightseeing. Save the trams, buses and taxis for the beaches, the airport and the towns along the coast.

• Tram: The Tram Alicante light rail system, known locally as el Trenet, links the coastal settlements between Alicante and Dénia, with Benidorm as the changeover point for destinations further north. The main station is at Plaza de los Luceros. Fares are distance-based, so a short hop in the city costs far less than a long run up the coast; a zone map is published to help you work out whether your journey stays in the cheapest zone. Buy a round-trip ticket up front if you are returning the same working day for a small discount, and keep your ticket until the end of the journey, as barriers at some stations, including all stations in Alicante, require it to exit. On the stretch toward Benidorm, sit on the right-hand side for a sea view. Guide dogs and small pets in carriers are permitted, and an official app offers a route planner and timetables.
• Bus: Subus Alicante runs an expansive network with stops at the train station, the airport, shopping centres and major sights. On most routes buses run from early morning until late evening, with extended hours at weekends, plus a number of night routes. Pay the driver in cash on entry; drivers can give change for small bills. Two city lines start and terminate at the main bus station. The Alicante Bus app has a route planner and schedules.
• Móbilis card: If you plan to use both trams and buses, the rechargeable Bono Móbilis Multiviaje card covers a set number of rides and is valid on both within zone A, with discounted youth and senior versions available. Buy it at the main TAM office on C/ Díaz Moreu, at the central bus station, or at shops around the city.
• Taxi: Rates are regulated and most visitors find them affordable. Taxi stands (paradas de taxi) are scattered around, including by the bus station, the train station and the Explanada de España. Several local companies operate, some charge set rates for certain destinations, and some take bookings by phone, WhatsApp or online — useful for early departures or late nights.

Where to stay

Budget options cluster around the centre and the train station. Hotel San Remo on C/ Navas offers non-smoking rooms and free Wi-Fi. X Hostel Alicante, on Carrer del Tucuman, sits centrally within a short walk of the train station and provides singles, doubles and shared dormitories for short and long stays, along with a guest kitchen, free breakfast, a roof terrace, free internet and Wi-Fi, and a large common room; note that it appears to have closed in 2020, so confirm before relying on it.

Mid-range choices include La Milagrosa Bed & Breakfast on C/ Villavieja, near the Iglesia de la Santa María and a couple of blocks from the beach, which is refurbished, bright and clean, with a large roof terrace, kitchen and laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi, and apartments sleeping up to six. Hotel Les Monges Palace on C/ San Agustín is non-smoking throughout and has an onsite snack bar and free Wi-Fi. Hotel NH Rambla de Alicante on C/ Tomás López Torregrosa, near the central market, offers a fitness centre and free Wi-Fi, while the TRYP Alicante Gran Sol Hotel on Rambla Méndez Núñez has non-smoking rooms, an onsite restaurant and free Wi-Fi. For a splurge, the Hotel Hospes Amérigo on Calle Rafael Altamira occupies a 16th-century former Dominican monastery and adds a bar-restaurant, fitness centre, swimming pool, sauna and free Wi-Fi, with pets permitted on request and an electric car charger. Hotel NH Alicante on C/ México has an outdoor pool, fitness centre, sauna and onsite restaurant; the Sercotel Spa Porta Maris at Plaza Puerta del Mar by the port has an outdoor pool, fitness centre, spa and restaurant; and the Meliá Alicante at Plaza del Puerto has a swimming pool, fitness centre and restaurant.

Food & drink

As elsewhere in the region, seafood and rice dominate Alicante's tables, with paella in the frontline. Most restaurants offer a menú del día — a three- or four-course meal with or without a drink — which is an excellent way to economise. Breakfast is usually light: bread, toast or a pastry. The hearty meal comes in the early afternoon, followed by a siesta as the heat builds, and many restaurants then close for part of the afternoon. A light meal is taken once the sun goes down, often in a local tapería, and many restaurants don't open before late evening for dinner, so plan your dinner schedule accordingly. In tourist areas you'll also find UK fare served at earlier times. Restaurants of all price ranges cluster around Carrer Castaños near the theatre, Calle San Francisco, and Calle Mayor near the cathedral.

For a quick, filling stop, the city centre has everything from montaditos and tapas to Chinese and Thai kitchens, several with vegetarian or vegan options. In Carolinas Altas you'll find grill-focused cooking and cosy tapas bars. Mid-range choices include a taberna founded in 1693 in the old town serving regional dishes, a tapas and raciones spot near the Teatro Principal, a popular regional-speciality restaurant with a ground-floor tapas bar and a wine cellar, and a well-known tapas bar and delicatessen with fine wines. At the top end, the port area is known for paella, other rice dishes and seafood, and for contemporary, avant-garde cooking built on local products; one restaurant on the slope of Mt Benacantil offers creative cuisine in tasting menus with views of the sea and city.

Alicante has its own regulated wine region, DO Alicante. Tinto Alicante, made mostly from the Monastrell grape, and Moscatel Alicante are the best-known wines, and you should also look out for Fondillón, a rare aged sweet wine that is a local speciality.

Nights out start late. A typical evening begins with tardeo — afternoon drinks and tapas — moves on to the bars of the old town around midnight, and ends in the clubs of the port or a late-licence venue. In summer, much of the action moves to the Explanada and Playa de San Juan.

• Mercado Central — on Saturdays from midday, crowds gather inside the market and on Plaza 25 de Mayo for beers and tapas from the stalls on the lower floor; the party carries on in the surrounding bars and terraces.
• Calle Castaños — a pedestrian street in the centre next to the Rambla, lined with bars and terraces, and the usual starting point for an evening out.
• Calle Bailén — an old-town street that has become the city's cocktail-bar strip.
• El Barrio — the traditional nightlife district in the Santa Cruz and El Carmen neighbourhoods, with pubs for every musical taste, plenty of terraces and a crowd of all ages.
• Ruta de la Madera — rustic-style rock and heavy metal bars behind Av. Alfonso X el Sabio, near the Mercado Central.
• El Puerto (Muelle de Levante) — bars and clubs facing the marina, opening and closing later than those in the centre, with a dressier crowd and door policies at some venues.
• Playa de San Juan / El Golf — the favourite for summer nights, with venues around the golf course area and Latin music bars on Av. Costa Blanca; much quieter in winter.

For cocktails, the old town has a botanically inspired bar on Calle Bailén serving signature drinks in a space of stone, wood and plants, where the bartenders will mix to your tastes, and a Prohibition-era-inspired bar next door serving classics and house creations. Rooftop options include a terrace with signature cocktails and tapas and views of Santa Bárbara Castle, and another at the foot of the castle next to the Basilica of Santa María that is best at sunset.

Drinking in the street is not allowed. A city by-law bans alcohol in public spaces, and local police patrol the old town, the tardeo area and the beaches at weekends and hand out fines. Drink in bars and on terraces instead, and don't take drinks out of venues.

What to see and do

The old town is a roughly triangular area bounded by the Rambla de Méndez Núnez, the Explanada de Espanya and Mount Benacantil, and its narrow streets reward an unhurried wander — just be prepared to lose your bearings. Within it you'll come across the town hall, the cathedral, an old convent and several art museums. Above the city, the ninth-century Castell de la Santa Bàrbara sits on Mount Benacantil, with views over the town and harbour; the walk up from Plaza de Carmen winds through narrow streets and is a sight in itself, while a lift runs through the core of the mountain for those who prefer to ride. The Museu de la Ciutat d'Alacant, up at the castle, displays archaeological finds from the city and region. Elsewhere, the Basílica de Santa Maria blends Gothic and Baroque elements, with an elaborate Baroque main entrance, a Gothic choir, a Rococo altar and a 17th-century organ. The Lucentum Archaeological Site at El Tossal de Manises preserves the original Roman city, including defensive walls, baths and a forum, alongside part of an old Muslim cemetery, and the 19th-century Castell de Sant Ferran now anchors a city park.

For museums, the Museu Arqueològic Provincial d'Alacant (MARQ) occupies a former hospital building and uses audiovisual displays to trace the area from the Stone Age through the Iberian and Roman eras to the Middle Ages. The Museu de Belles Arts Gravina, in an 18th-century palace, spreads Spanish artworks over three floors, and the Museu d'Art Contemporani d'Alacant holds 20th-century works by the likes of Picasso, Braque, Gris and Miró as well as collections by local artists Eusebio Sempere and Juana Francés. Contemporary art also has a home at the university museum, and the Museu d'Aigües d'Alacant, beside the Moorish-era Garrigós Wells, explains the city's water history. In the evening, the Teatre Principal stages plays, musicals and dance, while the Auditori de la Diputació d'Alacant concentrates on classical music. The calendar is busy: Epiphany parades in January, Carnival before Lent, Holy Week processions, the pilgrimage to the Monestir de la Santa Faç, and above all the Fogueres de Sant Joan in June, when huge monuments are built around the city and burned overnight after a firework bursts from the castle in the shape of a palm tree.

When to go

Alicante is one of Europe's driest and sunniest cities, so any time of year offers a good chance of clear skies. Winters are mild, with some of the warmest winter daytime temperatures in mainland Europe and plenty of sunshine; temperatures low enough for snow are essentially unheard of, making this a comfortable season to visit. Occasional westerly winds can still bring sharp temperature swings, so pack layers.

Summers are hot and sultry, with high humidity off the warm Mediterranean making both days and nights stuffy and pushing the heat index higher. Rain is scarce and sunshine hours are long, and this is the peak of the beach season. The wettest period falls in the equinoctial months: September and October, when the cold drop can bring torrential downpours and cause severe flooding. Rain remains irregular even then, so many days are still dry and sunny, but this is when the city sees its greatest risk of disruptive weather.

Festivals & events

Three days in Alicante

Day one: Start with the old town, where Alicante's layers reveal themselves from the Carthaginian founding under Hamilcar Barca through Akra Leuka and Lucentum to the Romans. Climb to the Keep for the view over the city and the Mediterranean, then walk down through the Campoamor and Virgen neighbourhoods. In the evening, join the paseo along the Rambla Méndez Núñez, where the city strolls between its fountains and its trees.

Day two: Give the morning to the Archaeological Museum, then take the bus or a taxi from Plaza Puerta del Mar or Plaza Luceros out to Platja de San Juan, the long sandy beach north of the centre. Buses and coaches also run down the coast to Benidorm and inland to Elche if you want a change of scene. Back in the city, eat late, as the Spanish do, and let the Remedio and Virgen quarters fill your evening.

Day three: If you are flying out, Elche Airport (ALC), also called Altet Airport, is reached by bus, taxi or a rental car from Avis or Europcar. Before you leave, spend a last hour in the old town, where the Valencian character of Alicante is at its clearest, and take one more look at the Mediterranean from the Keep.