Things to do in Alicante

About Alicante

Alicante is a historic port city on Spain’s Costa Blanca, defined by the imposing Castillo de Santa Bárbara which overlooks its Mediterranean coastline. The city serves as a cultural hub where the ancient origins showcased at the Archaeological Museum of Alicante meet modern architectural achievements like the ADDA. Visitors frequently traverse the urban center to reach the sands of Playa del Postiguet or appreciate the religious heritage of the Cocatedral de Sant Nicolau. It remains a key maritime gateway, successfully blending its function as a working harbor with a sophisticated leisure and tourism infrastructure.

Good to know

1. 1

   Alicante's city center features the Explanada de España, a promenade paved with over 6.6 million marble tiles arranged in a wavy mosaic pattern.

2. 2

   The city celebrates the Hogueras de San Juan, a festival involving the construction and subsequent burning of elaborate papier-mâché sculptures on the night of the summer solstice.

3. 3

   During the Spanish Civil War, Alicante served as the final stronghold for the Second Spanish Republic, with the port acting as a significant site for exile.

4. 4

   The local 'Turrón de Alicante', a protected geographical status almond nougat, has been produced in the surrounding region for centuries using Moorish-influenced techniques.