Alicante: a day in the city
- Driving time
- About 55 minutes by car
- Area
- L'Alacantí
- Town
Alicante is the provincial capital, ideal for a city day with a castle on the rock, an old quarter and a mosaic promenade. It is about a 55 minute drive from Lago Rosa Apartment.
Start high: the Castillo de Santa Bárbara stands on Monte Benacantil and is Arab in origin. You can go up by lift from Playa del Postiguet beach or on foot through the old quarter. That quarter, Barrio Santa Cruz, has narrow streets and little white houses, with the Ermita de la Santa Cruz on the old city wall. Walk back down and you see the city at its best.
Below lies the Explanada de España, the promenade by the harbour with millions of mosaic tiles in a wave pattern and the facade of the Casa Carbonell. For lunch, head to the Mercado Central, a modernist market hall with a striking dome and more than 300 stalls.
If it rains, or you want a break from the sun, go to the MARQ, the provincial archaeological museum. Its most famous piece is the Dama de Guardamar. The airport is on the way, so Alicante also suits your arrival or departure day. Around 20 to 24 June the city is taken over by the Hogueras de San Juan, when artworks are burned in the streets.
Our tip: Mushroom Street
Calle San Francisco, full of large colourful mushrooms, fun with children. The council is renovating the street, so parts may temporarily look different.
Our tip: Voltereta Tanzania
A themed fusion restaurant that takes you to the heart of Africa, more of an experience than just a place to eat. Book early, it can be full for days or weeks.
Our tip: bike tour
See the city differently with Baja Bikes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Castillo de Santa Bárbara?
By lift from Playa del Postiguet, or on foot up through Barrio Santa Cruz.
What is the Mercado Central?
A modernist market hall with a dome and more than 300 stalls, in the city centre.
Where is Mushroom Street?
Calle San Francisco in the centre, between Portal de Elche and Plaza Calvo Sotelo.
