According to allcitycodes.com, the bustling city of Alicante is the starting point for many flying tourists for a holiday in the Spanish region of the Costa Blanca. Alicante airport has a lot of tourists to deal with, especially in the summer months. The average temperature is around eighteen degrees, but during the summer months it sometimes rises to well into thirty degrees. The advantage of this is that it often remains pleasantly sultry for a long time in the evening. This ensures full terraces in the city. Since the city itself has several pleasant beaches, there are also tourists who stay in the city itself. Art, culture and sun, sea and beach can therefore be perfectly combined here. Below is a small impression of what the city of Alicante has to offer.
Top 10 sights of Alicante
#1. Castillo de Santa Barbara
High above the surprisingly nice city of Alicante stands the castle of Santa Bárbara on top of mountain Benacantil. Due to its high location of about 166 meters, this fort used to be ideal for discovering unexpected visitors in time and taking action. Although findings have been made that indicate that the foundations of Castillo de Santa Bárbara are from the ninth century, the majority are from the sixteenth century. The castle was only opened to the public in 1963, with two lifts installed. The entrance for these lifts is located in the mountain that you reach through the walking tunnel on Calle Jovellanos. The castle can of course also be reached on foot.
#2. Explanada de España
You can stroll in Alicante on the Explanada de España. The beautiful cobbled promenade attracts many visitors both day and night who can walk from the harbor to Canalejas Park. Due to its location by the sea, a slightly cooling breeze can be found on a regular basis, which is very welcome in a place like Alicante, especially in the summer. Here and there you see locals playing a game of chess, conversations are held on one of the many benches and chairs, you can cool off on a terrace and there are a number of stalls with trinkets. When the evening falls, the romance comes to the surface and it is also a popular meeting place. Explanada de España is even the symbol of the city of Alicante.
#3. Plaza del Ayuntamiento
This important square in Alicante has a very stately appearance. The beautiful baroque town hall helps a lot with this. It was built in the eighteenth century by the architect Lorenzo Chápuli. The buildings in Plaza del Ayuntamiento are well maintained, preserving the valuable features of the past centuries. Another attraction can be found at the entrance of the town hall. Here is a point marked as ‘Cota Cero’ from where the height above sea level is measured for various Spanish cities. A visit inside is rewarded with interesting archaeological findings on display.
#4. Basilica de Santa Maria
On old remains of a mosque that was placed there during the Islamic rule, this fairly sober basilica de Santa Maria was built. The architectural style can be described as Gothic, which was characteristic of the late medieval period between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. The Basilica de Santa Maria dates from sometime between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Inside, many richly decorated works of art can be admired, including a golden altar from the eighteenth century. The many works of art in this basilica are invaluable and definitely worth a visit.
#5. Playa del Postiguet
Partly thanks to this beautiful sandy beach, the city of Alicante is a popular summer destination for sun seekers. The beach is about 900 meters long and is located in a beautiful location, namely at the foot of the mountain ‘Monte Benacantil’ with the castle ‘Castillo de Santa Bárbara’. In addition to relaxing by the sea, the beach is perfect for activities such as beach volleyball. The facilities are fine. You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas and the lifeguard will keep an eye on everything during your stay. The only downside is that it can get quite busy at times.
#6. El Barrio
The start of the walk to the castle ‘Castillo de Santa Bárbara’ is located in this old part of the city El Barrio. Apart from Casco Antiguo, this most traditional neighborhood is characterized by cozy and traditional houses in which a lot of color has been used. Parades regularly pass through the El Barrio district during the blood procession, where traditions are honored. The many streets and alleys have many level differences where some stairs have to be climbed. As a result, you sometimes just end up in places where the view can be called phenomenal.
#7. Casco Antiguo
This historic part of the city of Alicante is filled with many worthwhile sights. The area covers the part between the Rambla Méndez Núñez, the Monte Benacantil mountain and the beach. Here you will find, among others, Basilica Santa Bárbara, Palacio Maisonnave, Teatro Principal, Plaza Ayuntamiento and Mercado Central. During a walk through this part of the city you are sometimes surprised by the beauty of small squares, narrow streets and authentic buildings.
#8. MACA
At the Plaza de Santa María in the heart of the city you can visit the museum of contemporary art. The museum wholeheartedly bears the name ‘Museo de Arte Contemporāneo de Alicante’. The museum was founded in 1976 by the Spanish artist Eusebio Sempere who was known for his abstract works and playfulness with light. Some of his works can be seen in this MACA museum. The recently renovated museum is housed in the Casa de la Asegurada, a building from the seventeenth century. The originally baroque construction was built in 1685. Today it is the oldest civil building in the city of Alicante.
#9. Panoramis
The pleasant Panoramis shopping center is located at the end of the Explanada de España pedestrian promenade, directly on the sea and next to the port of Alicante. In addition to the large range of shops, there are a number of entertainment companies and nice restaurants and bars. For the little ones there is even an adventure park ‘Aventura Park Alicante’ to visit where they can have a great time.
#10. Paseíto Ramiro
In Alicante there are still a number of remnants of history to be found. For example, part of the defensive walls have been preserved at Paseíto Ramiro. This part of the city can be found between the streets Calle Jorge Juan and Calle Juan Bautista Lafora which are located near the beach. The square Ramiro Paseíto, also known as Paseo Ramiro or Mirror Ramiro, used to have a lot of prestige when it was decorated as a romantic garden. Buildings were added later.
