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Visiting Alicante?

Read the following information to learn how to get around the city.

Arriving at the Airport

Alicante Airport
Airport code: ALC
Address: Alicante Airport, 03071 Alicante
Telephone: +34 966 919 000 or 9100 or 9310
Fax: +34 966 919 354
E-mail: fmoral@aena.es
Website: www.aena.es
Location: Alicante Airport is located 11km (7 miles) south of Alicante
Transportation from the Airport

There are three main options here, these are as follows.

Car Hire: Europcar, Avis, Atesa, Auriga, Hertz, Centauro, Europa Car, Sol-Mar and Record Rent a Car are companies that are represented at the airport.

Taxis: You can get a taxi from the airport, these take about 15 to 20 minutes. The taxi rank can be found infront of the arrivals hall.

Bus: Buses usually run every hour to and from Alicante central bus station. Alternative services run to Benidorm and Murcia.
Public Transport in Alicante

Trains

There are two train stations in Alicante, the main one is located in the centre of the city. RENFE is a state owned company that provides links to the various major cities in Spain.

Railway Station (Renfe)
Address:Avda. de Salamanca, s/n.
Phone: +34 902 240 202 (national destinations) or +34 902 243 402 (international destinations)
Website: www.horarios.renfe.es

The other station in Alicante is located near the harbour. This is useful when connecting to near by cites on the Coasta Blanca. These trains are operated by Ferrocarils de la Generalitat Valenciana, also known as the FGV.

Railway Station (FGV)
Address: Avda. de Villajoyosa, 2 (at the end of Postiguet beach)
Phone: +34 900 720 472
Fax: +34 965 262 930
Website: www.fgv.es

Buses

When making long or short trips around the city, buses are a good option.

Transporte Alicante Metropolitano (TAM)
Address: Rambla esq, Avda, Jaume II
Phone: +34 965 140 936 (for Information about bus routes, stops and frequencies)
Website: www.subus.es

Taxis

Here are some useful numbers for taxis in Alicante.

Tele Taxi
Phone: +34 965 101 611 / +34 965 101 029
Fax: +34 965 101 837

Radio Taxi
Phone: +34 965 910 123 / +34 965 25 25 11
Fax: +34 965 910 666

Area Taxi
Phone: +34 965 910 591
Fax: +34 965 910 757
Alternative forms of transportation

Boat to the Tabarca Island

This leaves the harbour of Alicante everyday (several trips in the morning and the afternoon) during the high season and Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays the rest of the year., transportation, station, bus, taxi, train, boat
Phone: +34 965 216 396 / +34 686 994 538 /+34 686 994 539 (boat service – Kontiki)

Alicante Nightlife

Alicante has a vibrant nightlife, really superb, offering something to all sorts of tastes. Either you want to dance on a discotheque or just relax at a terrace. The nightlife in Alicante can easily be divided into some districts, all with their own charm and style:

The Esplanada

The Esplanada offers you to sit down with an aperitif and watch the people walk by, a great place to start the evening in an easy ambience. A great variety of restaurants, bars, cafes and taverns.

El Barrio Antiguo

The old city centre, known as El Barrio. Filled with bars, taverns, cervecerias and restaurants. The perfect spot for having some beers before going further…

El Puerto

The trendy and moderns bars are surrounding the port, with a bit higher prices, but here you find get a lively atmosphere, live music and dance floors as well as outdoor terraces.

La Ruta de Madera

“Ruta de Madera” means “Route of Wood”, and that name comes from the bars characteristic wood decoration along this avenue. Located behind the A great place to do some bar hopping, with a lot of live concert places as well as the Spain-style pubs and Irish and English pubs.

La Zona

Located in the street San Fernando and the environments, this is a modern zone and a point for young people to meet. Restaurants of luxury, pubs and discotecas.

La Asegurada (La Asegurada Museum)
Where: Plaza de Santa María 3

The building of the museum has an incredible history, dating back to 1658, and is in the Old Town of Alicante. It contains a municipal granary, prison, artillery storehouse, school of commerce, and was once even a provisional city hall. At this museum you can discover the 20th Century Art Collection donated to the city in 1976 by the artist Eusebio Sempere including works from artists such as Juan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris and Julio González.

Museo Taurino (Bullfighting Museum)
Where: Plaza de Toros

As most bigger towns in Spain, Alicante has a bullring, and therefore also a museum dedicated to bullfighting. A great place if you want to learn more about bullfighting, it´s history and tradition, or just want to see some bullfighting artifacts.

Museo de Belenes (Nativity Museum)
Where: Plaza Quijano, c/ San Agustín, 3

Entrance: Free

Features a collection of Nativity Scenes from all over the world, mostly Spain, India and Africa. Alicante has a history of making these crafts.  Located in a typical house in the Old Quarter of Alicante which dates from the first half of the 19th century, this Museum of Christmas Cribs contains a collection of Christmas dioramas, examples of Christmas nativity scenes from Spain, Europe, Asia and Africa, all kinds of objects related to Christmas and a life-sized nativity scene.
MARQ (Museum of Archaeology)
Where: Plaza Doctor Gomez Ulls

This is not an ordinary archaeology museum (which tend to be boring), but a museum that combines computer graphics, technology and audiovisual projections into both history and entertainment. Discover the various epochs and civilizations in the history of Alicante.

Mubag Gravina Fine Arts Museum
Where: Calle Gravina 13-15

Home to a great collect of artwork, with the works organized chronologically and put into context. You will not only be able to see art, but also to get the feeling of how the cultural and social environments were. 500 works by major artists, from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

Pozos de Garrigós (Garrigós Wells)
Where: Plaza del Puente

Water wells that during the Alicante´s moorish period were used to collect and store rain, excavated in Mount Benacantil. Here´s also a ceramics museums.

Col·lecció Capa (Capa Collection)
Where: In the Castillo de Santa Bárbara

A collection of Eduardo Capa, a sculptor and collector from Alicante, who decided to make his collection public. You will be able to admire works from artists like Miguel Blay, Julio Antonio, Juan Buatista Adsuara, Alberto Sánchez, Martín Chirino as well as Salvador Dalí!

Provincial Archeological Museum
Where: Avda. de la Estación, 6. Alicante

This museum offers a huge collection of archeological remains but only a selection of the most significant pieces are actually on display for the public. Here you can study the Bronze Age, a collection of Iberian and Roman ceramics and the Roman statues and epigraphy. You can also see a collection of some ceramics dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Practically all sports can be practised in Alicante, with winter sports being the obvious exception.Tennis, golf, football, swimming, horse riding, sailing, whatever you want. The town houses excellent sport facilities and some have hosted world and european championships.

Football
Football is in Alicante, as in probably whole of Spain, not only a sport. When there is a football game, go to a bar and be prepared for it being packed. Alicante has two teams, Hércules FC and Alicante CF,  sharing the same stadium “Estadio José Rico Pérez”, why not join the crowds and go see a game?

Sailing
The inner area of the harbour is where Alicante Sports Marina and the Royal Regatta Club are. Along Albufereta Beach you will find the Costa Blanca Yacht Club.

Golf
Around Alicante there are several golf courses to choose from. The Alicante Golf Club is located on “Playa de San Juan“. In some satellite towns to Alicante you will also find the golf courses “El Plantío”, “Club Bonalba” and “Alenda”.

Balonmano
Alicante had an excellent history of balonmano (hand ball), with the team being Europes top team in the 1970’s. Their current team is BM Alicante Costa Blanca, playing in the B Leage of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation.

Basketball
Basketball is very popular in Spain, and Alicante also has a home team, Lucentum Baloncesto Alicante, playing in the LEB League, the 2nd division, next to the level of ACB. Between October and May are you able to see regular season games.

There are alot of things to do and to see in Alicante. Several promenades, the marina, parks and green areas, churches, castles and several beaches makes Alicante a perfect place to stay in, both for shorter weekends and for a longer time.

Old Town

The old town of Alicante, with narrow streets, a nice place to walk around in the cozy alleys, with alot of bars and shops. Here are several builings of interest located, such as the Cathedral and the Town Hall.

La Explanada

Or as it’s full name is, La Explanada de España, this is the boulevard stretching around the marina. With shade from the palm trees, this is perfect to just stroll around, take a coffee or drink in one of the cafés or look at the stalls where they sell handicrafts.

Beaches

Alicante has kilometres of beaches and with a very good climate all year round, maybe you want to take a swim or work on your tan some day? Several beaches are reachable by walking on or foot or with public transports. In the center of the city you will find Playa del Postiguet, stretching almost 1 km. If you take the tram you can get to a beach called Playa de San Juan, said to be one of the finest in Spain. There are several other beaches in and around Alicante, if you want a calm beach with not so many tourists, one for watersports or one with alot of facilitites and bars close by, it’s not a problem in Alicante!

Lucentum

The roman predecessor of the city Alicante was Lucentum. Today you can visit an archaelogical site, covering an area of 30000 m2. Remains of the fortifying walls, the baths, the forum, as well as homes of the inhabitants are still to be seen. Lucentum is listed as a National Historical site.

Churches and buildings

There are several churches and buildings of interest to see in Alicante. Alicante is a town filled with history and a great heritage. For example you may visit the Iglesia de Santa Maria, a church in gothic style from the 14th century, or the Town Hall in the Old Town, and the Cathedral de San Nicolás de Bari, with it’s chapel being considered one of the most beautiful in Spain.

Castillo de Santa Bárbara

A large medieval castle overlooking Alicante, first built by the Moors in the 10th century. From up here you get a wonderful view . You can either walk up here around the back of the mountain, drive up here or take the elevator going up through a tunne, this you will find opposite the Postiguet beach.

History of Alicante

Alicante is the main city on the Costa Blanca; it was established by the Greeks and Romans. The area of the city is around 201.27 square kms and has a population of 316,178. Alicante is made of 44 Neighbourhoods. Slap bang in the middle of the Costa Blanca, Alicante is one most important and popular tourist destinations in Spain. Its peaceful Mediterranean waters are lined with world class golf courses. This picturesque harbour city, positioned beneath the Castle of Santa Barbara has been a silent witness to numerous civilisations that have settled here. Alicante’s strategic location, right on the east coast, led to the settlement of the main Mediterranean civilisations over the centuries. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and later Arabs reached this coast in search of new trading routes, while at the same time contributing to the city’s character.

The area surrounding Alicante has been inhabitated from hunter gatherers for over 7000 years ago. Greeks and Phoenicians later came, and were followed by the Roman and Carthaginian armies that invaded and conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the sixth century BC.

The carthagenians founded the fort “Akra Leuke”, meaning “White Edge” in greek, where Alicante is located today. The area later was occupied by the Arabs, or the Moors, though the castellan king Alfonso X, “El Sabio” (the Wise) got control of Alicante in 1246. But the city was incorporated to the Kingdom of Valencia by Jaime II in 1308.

Due to it’s position, the attacks of Alicante have been made from the sea. And with a history of pirates and decreasing trade, following the wars, for example the French Armada bombing the city for seven consecutive days in 1691, as well as the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Alicante didn’t expand really until the 19th century, with the arrival of railway, and it’s status as a port city increased.

The historic quarter, at the foot of the Castle of Santa Barbara, conceals a fascinating religious and civil architectural legacy, including the emblematic Explanada de España (Spain boulevard), a traditional recreational area for local residents. The city and its harbour are flanked by the Benacantil Mountain, a rocky escarpment crowned by the Castle of Santa Barbara. The Castle is of Arab origin and it bears the marks of the different cultures that the city has sheltered. From the top of the old walls you have a commanding view of the whole city, the impressive coastline and many kilometres of beautiful countryside. The old walled city was built at the foot of this fortress. One of the most attractive buildings in this labyrinth of narrow streets is the gothic church of Santa María, built in the 16th century on top of an old Arab mosque. Across from the church is the Casa de la Asegurada Museum, which dates from the 17th century and has an important collection of contemporary art, including works by Miro, Picasso and Chillida.

Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the city-council square, is dominated by the Baroque façade of the Town Hall. Behind it there are two relevant buildings, the Academy of the Society of Jesus and the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, finished in 1662. Herrera and Baroque styles are mixed in this temple, the interior of which contains a beautiful 15th century cloister. The coastline is, without a doubt, the favourite recreational spot for the people of Alicante. The Explanada de España promenade, is a lively boulevard dotted with terraces and pavement cafés. A more modern leisure area extends along the port’s breakwater, where there are also many bars and restaurants. Next to both of these is the urban beach of El Postiguet, a privileged spot for enjoying the sea and sun. It is worth visiting the recently refurbished Provincial Archaeological Museum (MARQ). Located on the premises of the old San Juan de Dios hospital, the Museum exhibits in an educational and engaging way.

The remains of the archaeological site of Tossal de Manises, unveils interesting facts about the ancient city during the times of the Iberians, Greeks and Romans. Tradition plays a major part in the culture and everyday life of Alicante. The Moors and the Christians celebrate festivals but the most popular is Noche de San Juan (the Night of San Juan) on the 24th of June. The main features of this festival are the bonfires, as a tradition, Ninots (papier-mâché effigies or rag dolls), which had been exhibited in the streets the previous days, are burned at the stake. The liveliness of Alicante continues throughout the year, this city being a great tourist centre. Part of the reason for this is certainly its proximity to the beaches of San Juan, located only a few kilometres away from the charming towns of Santa Pola, Torrevieja, Altea and Denia.

It is possible to find a wide range of accommodation in any of them. The Costa Blanca is also famed for its world class golf courses. The coastline boasts around a dozen picturesque courses that have wonderful views of the Mediterranean. For golf enthusiasts, the Costa Blanca is a perfect holiday; superb golf, beautiful beaches, a deeply rooted culture and history and fantastic cuisine. In Alicante there are numerous natural treasures that are definitely worth visiting. Midway between Alcoi and Ibi, in Sierra of Menejador, is the Carrascal de la Font Roja Nature Reserve. Also of great environmental importance are the Nature Reserves of El Fondo, Mata and Torrevieja Lagoons, Montgó, Penyal d’Ifac, Santa Pola Salt Marshes and the Pego-Oliva Fen. In the interior of the province lies the city of Elche and its palm tree grove thats been declared a world heritage site.

However a visit to Alicante would not be complete without trying a few of the delicious rice dishes, cooked in a number of different ways: arroz a banda (rice with fish), arroz negro (“black rice”, with cuttlefish) and arroz al horno (baked rice) to name a few. Seafood here is also second to none. For dessert, nothing beats pan de higo (fig bread, a paste made of dried figs), turrón (a sweet similar to nougat, made of toasted almonds, honey and sugar) and Jijona ice cream. These dishes go very well with local wines that have the prestigious seal of quality and origin given, in Spain, to select wines and products.

Today Alicante is a tourism hub at Costa Blanca, and the second most important city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, with a population of more than 330,000 people. Famous for it’s long white sand beaches, the hospitality, the nightlife and the inviting climate.