This post is all about the 15 best things to do in Alicante (Spain)!

We have been visiting Europe quite a bit over the last few posts. I visited Alicante for the first time this year with a group of friends and I had the best time. It’s a great place right on the mediterranean sea, with palm trees, beaches, and a very nice city center. It has it all!

We were there before the very busy summer season and right on time for the San Juan celebrations and bonfire. The city was buzzing!

The celebrations took mostly place at night, so we had plenty of time to explore Alicante and the region.

Without waiting any longer, let’s get right into the 15 things you’ll need to put on your list of things to do whilst in Alicante!

 

15 Best places to visit in Alicante

 

In Alicante

 

Castillo de Santa Barbara

The castle of Santa Barbara is at the heart of Alicante. It’s perched on Mount Benacantil, 166 meters in altitude, you cannot miss it.

the first sign of construction on this hill goes all the way back to the 9th century. At that time Alicante was under a Muslim government. the castle was in use up until the 18th century. It was then transformed into a prison before being completely abandoned until 1963. This is the year when the castle opened to the wider public.

The Santa Barbara castle has several accesses. when we visited it, the sun was shining and the temperatures were quite high. We took advantage of the elevator, which you can access at the following address: C. Virgen del Socorro, 9, 03002 Alicante.

It’s probably the best way to get up there. You’ll have to pay a small fee (around 2,40€) to get on the elevator, but it was well worth it!

Especially because you’ll be very much outside during this visit. Save some of your energy for the visit!

This is the perfect place to have a great view of Alicante and the Costa Blanca. A must-see if you’re in Alicante!

 

Mount Benacantil and la Ereta Park

Once you got up mount Benacantil with the elevator, you could go down through the slopes. It’s a great way to continue enjoying the view. Don”t forget to wear a hat if it’s sunny!

On your way down (or up) you’ll come across la Ereta park. It’s a cute little park with water fountains. we took full advantage of those during our time there.

It’s located exactly halfway between the Santa Barbara castle and the old town of Alicante. You’ll be able to enjoy a great way in the city.

If you are going up the hill, this is the perfect spot to take a little break. Sit on a bench, close to the water fountain and enjoy the view!

 

Old town

The old town of Alicante, also known as the Barrio de Santa Cruz, is full of narrow streets with very traditional houses. The facades of the homes are very clean. Some of them will have ceramic tiles, others will have a lot of flower pots by the front door.

You’ll reach this part of town by getting down the slopes of mount Benacantil. It’s definitely some of the most charming streets of Alicante.

This is where the cool bars and tapas places are and a great destination for a night out.

You’ll also pass by the Concatedral de San Nicolás, which dates back to the mid-17th century. It’s quite a simple-looking cathedral, but do give it a look if you pass it by.

 

Basilica of Santa Maria

The Santa Maria basilic is the oldest still an active church in the city of Alicante. She was built over quite a long time span. construction started in the 14th century and finished only in the 16th century.

It’s a great representation of medieval architecture. The towers are quite straightforward, however, the main entrance is beautifully carved.

The basilic is built over the remains of the former great mosque of Alicante.

It is located at the bottom of the Santa Bárbara castle, and if you’re planning on taking the elevator up, you could make the stop at the basilic on the way.

 

Playa del Postiguet

The Costa Blanca is well-known for its 240km of beautiful beaches. They bring lots of tourists, so expect some crowds during the summer months.

The Postiguet beach is right at the bottom of the Mount Benacantil and El Barrio area. It’s one of the favorite beaches of the locals.

The sand is fine and blond, the sea is sky blue, what more would you want? In addition, there are usually no big waves, which makes it the perfect spot to enjoy with kids.

There is not much shade on this beach, nor is there on many other beaches along the Costa Blanca. So be sure to bring sunblock, hats and if possible a beach umbrella (you could rent one there).

Another coastal city just outside of Alicante is Benidorm. You’ll find one of the biggest amusement parks in Europe there, the Terra Mitica.

 

Explanada de España

This is one of the most iconic spots of Alicante. Just beside the sandy beaches and one short walk away from the port of Alicante, you’ll find this great shaded walk path. It’s protected by a row of palm trees and underneath you have some stalls selling sweets, drinks, and ice cream.

You can also enjoy the shade in the few cafés that have a more permanent residence.

If you look at the ground, you’ll see a beautiful tricolor marble mosaic in the form of waves.

During the summer months, the Alicante Handicraft fair takes place here. You’ll be able to find all sorts of things: local sweets, nougat, leather or textile products, and glass objects.

One of the most well-known buildings of Alicante overlooks this Explanada de Espana. It’s the Casa Carbonell located at number 1 of the Explanada. The story goes that Enrique Carbonell ordered its construction after having made big profits in the textile industry.

 

Mercado Central

This is the biggest covered market of Alicante and the most famous one.

This market was built at the beginning of the 20th century. It has 2 floors: the first one being the one you arrive at when entering the building. For the second one, you’ll have to get down the escalator.

You’ll find many market stalls: Iberico ham, cheese, fruits and vegetables, and wine! It’s a great place to get edible souvenirs if this is what you are looking for. Whenever I go to Spain, I always try to bring back some of that delicious ham. It’s usually cheaper than in France and the taste is incredible!

If you have an Airbnb nearby, it’s a great place to shop for all the fresh produce!

The central market of Alicante is located at Av de Alfonso X El Sabio, 10, 03004 Alicante.

 

Alicante museum of contemporary art

This is quite a recent museum, as it first opened in 1976. The vast collection of this museum covers around 800 pieces mostly 20th-century art and contemporary pieces.

The museum is housed in the oldest civil building remaining. There is definitely a double interest in visiting this place!

If you’re a fan of Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Salvador Dalí, or Joan Miró it’s a great spot to go to. There are also some temporary exhibitions, so be sure to check out their website to see what is on during your visit to Alicante.

The museum is closed on Mondays and otherwise open from 10 am to 8 pm (except Sunday when it closes at 2 pm). The best news of all is that entry is free for all, so no reason at all not to give all this beautiful art a look.

You’ll find it at plaza de Santa María, 3, Alicante.

If you’re into archaeology, you could go and have a look at the Archaeological Museum of Alicante. The opening hours are the same as the museum of contemporary art. There is a small fee, a few euros, to get in.

The address is: Plza. Dr. Gómez Ulla, s/n, 03013 Alicante

 

Alicante Marina

Alicante is right by the sea, so of course, it has a marine right in the city center. You can enjoy a nice stroll during the day and go to the casino at night.

They are also expanding the area just behind the casino with bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.

 

Canalejas park

This is one of the oldest parks in Alicante, it goes all the way back to 1886. It’s very close to the Explanada de España and has some century-old ficus trees that provide great shade and are beautiful.

 

Outside of Alicante

 

Tabarca Island

The small island of Tabarca is just 11 nautical miles outside of Alicante. The island itself is really not that big: 1 800 meters long and 400 meters wide. It was once upon a time a den of pirates.

In the 18th century, king Charles III ordered that a village be built on the island and populated the island with less dangerous people. The village is surrounded by a protective wall and has a church, a museum, and all the basic amenities.

You’ll need to take a 1-hour boat ride to get to the island. The boats leave from the port of Alicante or Benidorm and it will cost you 21€ (it’s free for children up to 4 years old).

Once there you’ll be able to enjoy some of the nicest beaches around Alicante, take a stroll in the traditional village or visit the Tabarca museum. It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday and is free.

If a day trip is not enough for you, you could stay the night there. Several hotels have now opened on the island. There are also many restaurants that serve the local specialty: the caldero (a fish dish with potatoes and aioli rice).

It is the ideal place for a little getaway!

 

Playa de San Juan

This beach is the most famous beach of Alicante. It’s located between El Campello and Cap de l’Horta.

To get there it will either be a 15 min car journey or a 35 min train trip from Alicante.

The sand is super fine and the view is idyllic. You have a very nice promenade with lots of restaurants and bars.

If you are looking for a great beach day in a beautiful place, you should definitely check it out!

 

Guadalest valley

There is the cutest little village of 221 inhabitants perched on a rock, 500 meters above sea level, and just 1 hour by car from Alicante.

The old part of the town is classified as a historical site and has kept many buildings from its Arabic era.

The San Jose castle was built in the 11th century and you can still visit it today. It’s one of the highest parts of the old town and had thus a very strategic role in the Middle Ages. It’s very well integrated into the surrounding nature.

You’ll get an amazing view of the valley and the lake from up there.

There is not much left of the castle: 2 earthquakes destroyed parts of it over the years. The first one was in 1644 and the second one was in 1748. Nonetheless, it’s still very impressive to still witness it today.

Also, the exterior wall of the castle goes around the whole village, and all the houses were protected by it.

Besides the castle, you could also visit the Orduña House Municipal Museum. This house was built right after the 1644 earthquake and is a great representation of how people lived over the years in this part of Spain. For further immersion in the way people worked, you should also visit the Ethnological museum.

To get all the information on opening hours, go to their site!

If you would like to prolong your stay in the village, you could also explore the various hikes path that departs from the village. One is going to Sierra Xorta, and the second one is going to Castell de Castells.

 

Elche

Elche was probably one of the highlights for me. It has a great mix of Muslim and Baroque architecture, beautiful gardens, and great food!

One of the main attractions of Elche is its palm grove. So much so that it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 2000. It has over 200 000 palm trees and is one the biggest palm grove in Europe!

You can see all those beauties in the El Huerto del Cura gardens (address: Porta de la Morera 49, 03203 Elche-Elx).

The trees started growing there already during prehistorical times and it was during the Muslim occupancy of the city that they strived.

You can see the rest of the trees in the very nice municipal park of Elche (address: Porta de la Morera, 49, 03203 Elche-Elx).

There are other sites to visit in Elche such as the Altamira palace, which houses the archeological museum of the city. The museum retraces the long history of the city from the first archeological finds to the modern days.

One last stop in Elche would be the Santa Maria Basilica. The church was built on the remains of an old mosque around the mid-17th century.

If you’re done visiting one place after the next, you should definitely check out this last place!

 

Carmen del Campillo tea house

This little hidden gem is really special! It’s a tea house like those you could see in North African countries like Morroco or Tunisia in a Spanish estate.

The building is a labyrinth of rooms, that are decorated like an Arabic tea house. You go up, you go down, you go left or you go right, and you’ll find a nice place to enjoy some sweet mint tea with some Arabic pastries. It’s like a museum.

if you prefer to sit outside, there are some beautiful gardens. Again, there are several places in the gardens you could sit down and enjoy a relaxing and quiet moment. Before you choose your spot, you should definitely check the whole place out and find the perfect spot for you.

The most impressive thing is that the family that runs this place will always know where to find you and bring you your drinks and food.

We went with our friends after a long hot day and enjoyed the shade from all the trees. we brought games and had a lovely time.

You’ll pay an entry fee to get into the estate and the bill for food and drinks.

You’ll absolutely need a car to get there and do not be afraid if you get on some very narrow dirt roads, you’re on the right way!

Here is the address: N-340, 03330 Barranc de Sant Gaietà, Alicante.

Another highlight of the trip!

 

These were the 15 things to do in Alicante, Spain you need to check out!

 

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