Alicante

Make the most of your time in Alicante, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links to plan your visit.

Situated on the Costa Blanca region of Spain’s eastern seaboard, Alicante has something of a party atmosphere reputation and is a haven for European tourists. The Costa Blanca, translated as the ‘White Coast’, is in fact one of Europe’s most heavily visited destinations and is well-known for its sun, sea and sand. Alicante falls in the administrative division of Valencia and is the second city in the region to Valencia itself, taking up a location 180 kilometres down the coast from its larger neighbour. Alicante is one of Spain’s fastest growing cities - its current population is approximately 320,000 with a further urban area population of 435,000. The area also has a large student demographic due to the presence of the University of Alicante, while adding a further element of diversity the region has seen much immigration from some South American countries over the last 10 years. During the summer months, temperatures average out at 32 degrees while in the winter temperatures are cooler at 16 degrees but this doesn’t stop Alicante being a hive of activity all year round due to its wide-ranging attractions and tourist opportunities.

A number of visitors to Alicante will look to get involved in the buzzing nightlife scene that the city presents and is well-known for. There is much more to the city than just the nightlife however; there are museums, landmark monuments, festivals, theatres, cafes and shops. On the museum front, visitors will find there is a good choice of opportunities to make the most of - from the Archaeology Museum and the Nativity Museum to the Capa sculpture collection at the Santa Barbara Castle. There are three main religious monuments which are well worth a visit when staying in Alicante - St Mary’s Church, the Cathedral of St Nicholas of Bari and the Monastery of the Holy Visage. These buildings feature impressive architecture from the last few hundred years and their historical nature adds further weight to their design. There are also two castles in the city; Santa Barbara is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, while in comparison the Santa Barbara San Fernando was a relatively recent addition to Alicante’s skyline; it was built in the 19th century to ward off the Napoleonic army’s approach. Among the other attractions to visit are: the bullring, the Principal Theatre, Casa Alberola and the Panteon de Quijano garden.

Alicante has thousands of years of history which include battles, expansion and name changes. Remains of possible Bronze Age articles have been located in the nearby Serra Grossa mountain range, while items thought to be from the Iberian era (4th century BC to 3rd/4th century AC) have also been discovered which show evidence of a fortified city called Tossal de Manises. The city that is now Alicante was an obvious target for the Romans due to its potential as a port and they named it Lucentum when they claimed it. Like much of the rest of the Iberian peninsula, the Romans lost Lucentum to the Moors in the eighth century Arab conquest and it was then renamed Alicante which means ‘City of Lights’ in Arabic. In later years, there was a phase of reconquest, which claimed the land back from the Islamic rulers but it was in the 16th century that the city underwent a period of trade growth with handicrafts and agriculture among the sectors that were doing well. Meanwhile, construction also increased as the population doubled in the hundred years from 1510 to 1609. Alicante’s position on the coast meant it didn’t stay battle free however. It was bombed by the French Armada towards the end of the 17th century for seven days and had some involvement in the War of Spanish Succession while it had to take over as capital of Valencia during the War of Independence early in the 19th century. Later in this century the city saw the introduction of a railway and the city walls came down. Clearly the area now thrives on its tourist industry and this was indeed the major factor of the 20th century; during nationalist struggles and the rule of Franco Alicante’s tourist industry developed to become the strength it is today.