Things to do in Alicante
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Alicante
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best all round window tied with autumn, 17 to 25C, swimmable by late May, pre peak prices.
Hogueras month, the defining festival. Book by February or avoid 15 to 29 June entirely.
Beach peak and city trough, 30 to 32C, sea 25 to 27C, siesta rhythm and packed beaches.
Other best window, warm sea in September and green countryside in October, with DANA storm risk.
City break season not beach season, 15 to 18C and cheapest hotels, ideal for food, museums and golf.
What's on
- Semana Santa March/April
Holy Week processions across the city.
- Santa Faz Pilgrimage Second Thursday after Easter
Tens of thousands walk 8 km to the Santa Faz monastery.
- Moors and Christians, San Blas Late April
District Moors and Christians festivities, check the year calendar.
- Cruces de Mayo, Santa Cruz May
Santa Cruz decorates crosses with flowers, the prettiest week in the old town.
- Les Fogueres de Sant Joan 19-24 June
Satirical monuments burn at midnight on 24 June, with midday mascletas in Plaza de los Luceros.
- Misteri d'Elx 14-15 August
UNESCO medieval sacred drama in Elche, book transport and seats early.
- Carnival February
Rambla centred carnival with the famous Saturday night street party.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Alicante
Castillo de Santa Bárbara
Free fortress with 360 degree views over port, Postiguet, old town and the sierras behind the city.
Barrio de Santa Cruz
Steep whitewashed lanes with flower pots, shrines and sudden sea views below the castle.
Basílica de Santa María de Alicante
Alicante oldest church, built over the former mosque, anchoring the old town wander.
Concatedral de San Nicolás de Bari
Blue domed co-cathedral that resident guides use as a landmark across the old town rooftops.
Explanada de España
Palm lined marble wave promenade that is the city living room, running to beach and marina.
Playa del Postiguet
City beach under the castle, unbeatable for a quick swim though crowded in peak season.
Puerto de Alicante
Marina and port stretch to pair with the Explanada and Postiguet at golden hour.
MARQ Museo Arqueológico de Alicante
Best single museum, tracing the province from prehistory to Lucentum with modern displays.
Where to stay in Alicante
Centro / Explanada / Ensanche Diputación
first trip, all-round base
Walk to castle lift, Postiguet, Mercado and tram, flat and compact for food lovers and short breaks.
Old Town (El Barrio / Santa Cruz)
character and couples
Tapas bars on the doorstep and rooftops under the floodlit castle, with a clear noise trade off.
Postiguet / Marina
beach-first city trips
Five to eight minutes to Town Hall and the water, on the seam between city and sand.
Mercado
local-food base
Market mornings and menu del dia streets, lower prices than the seafront for the same walk.
Playa de San Juan / Cabo de las Huertas
families and long beach stays
Wide beach, pools and parking 20 minutes by tram, trading old town access for space and quiet.
El Campello
quieter alternative, families
Lived in fishing town 15 minutes by tram with its own beach and harbour restaurants.
Think twice about
- Virgen del Remedio, Juan XXIII and Colonia Requena (Zona Norte)
Most deprived peripheral estates, run down blocks and a rough reputation. Nothing a visitor needs there.
- Bus and railway station fringes (Alipark / Estación edges)
Charmless and traffic heavy with petty theft and hassle late at night. Mercado or Ensanche is better for the same money.
- Gran Alacant / Santa Pola fringe without a car
Isolated expat sprawl south of the airport marketed as Alicante area, with no Alicante at walking distance.
- Benidorm as a base for Alicante
Forty five minutes away and a different, louder resort product. Base in one and day trip the other.
Best restaurants in Alicante
Monastrell
Starred tasting menus built on olive oil, saffron, heritage rices and Mediterranean seafood.
La Taberna del Gourmet
Temple of product led tapas with a long menu and black rice with cuttlefish as a signature.
La Ereta
Hillside restaurant with glass walls over port and old town, seasonal tasting menus at sunset.
Nou Manolín
Classic since 1971, a great seafood tapas bar downstairs and a calmer rice dining room upstairs.
Piripi
Polished rice house for arroz a banda, meloso and caldero with fish from Dénia and Santa Pola.
Dársena
Marina institution since the 1960s with a huge rice menu and port and castle views.
Bar El Cantó
Old school tapas bar people queue for, known for huevos rotos, garlic prawns and croquettes.
Valencia Once
Locals arroceria by the bullring since 1983, claimed by regulars as the best paella in the city.
Outdoor things to do in Alicante
Isla de Tabarca
Marine reserve island with clear coves, a walled fishing village and caldero for lunch.
El Castell de Guadalest
Mountain village through a rock tunnel with castle ruins above a turquoise reservoir.
Les Fonts d'Algar
Cold clear natural pools and waterfalls you can swim in, even in August.
Altea
Whitewashed old town and blue domed church above the bay, often paired with Guadalest.
Cabo de las Huertas
Rocky coves with clear water and posidonia meadows, best reached by e-bike and snorkel tour.
Font del Llop Golf Resort
Demanding valley golf course praised for condition and precision, the connoisseur pick nearby.
Alicante Golf
Seve Ballesteros designed urban course by San Juan beach, ideal without a car day.
Cuevas del Canelobre
Vast cathedral like show cave at Busot, a cool escape from August heat.
Best hotels in Alicante
Hospes Amérigo
Luxury converted convent with rooftop pool, spa and castle views, the city splurge address.
Eurostars Pórtico Alicante
Mid range sweet spot by the Town Hall with rooftop terrace and soundproofed feeling rooms.
Meliá Alicante
Large full service hotel between port and Postiguet with pools, spa and sea view rooms.
Suites del Mar by Meliá
Premium suites arm of the Meliá between port and Postiguet, chosen for facilities and views.
Tomate Rooms
Budget central rooms praised for location, staff and family practicality, simple and spotless.
Alicante Smart
Highly rated budget central base, simple and spotless like Tomate Rooms.
Hotel La Milagrosa
Small old town hotel famous for its roof terrace with a direct castle view at breakfast.
Hotel Boutique Alicante Palacete S.XVII
Small design led boutique in a historic centre building for couples wanting character.
Is Alicante expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €130 a person |
| Splurge | €320 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Paella Cooking Class with Market Visit Alicante: a few days ahead
- Amazing Flamenco Alicante: a few days ahead
- Flamenco at Palacio Marbeuf: a few days ahead
- Sunset Catamaran Cruise Alicante: a few days ahead
- Isla de Tabarca: a few days ahead
- El Castell de Guadalest: a few days ahead
- Les Fonts d'Algar: weeks ahead
- Font del Llop Golf Resort: a few days ahead
- Hogueras in June: hotels book months ahead and prices can triple.
- Monastrell, La Ereta, Taberna del Gourmet, Piripi, Nou Manolin upstairs and Bar Manero: book days to weeks ahead.
- Tabarca first ferry out and lunch in August, Algar Falls reservation in peak summer, Relleu online booking.
- Cooking class, wine tour and sunset boat: 2 to 3 days ahead in season, sunset slots first.
Is Alicante safe?
- Centre feels safe and busy late, violent crime is rare. Risks are pickpockets on the Explanada, at Mercado, on TRAM L1 and at the beach.
- Never leave a bag while swimming. Keep your bag on your lap, not the chair back, on terraces.
- Heat is the main hazard in July and August. Castle, Serra Grossa and Relleu are morning activities, carry water.
- Use the official taxi rank or C6 at the airport and map the exact street of any apartment before paying.
- El Barrio and Castanos are loud on weekends under earlier closing rules. Expect noise, not danger.
Alicante travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Photo menu paella on the Explanada or port at night. Rice is a lunch dish cooked to order for two.
- Market price seafood sold by weight without a stated full price. Confirm before it is cooked.
- Mushroom Street as a headline attraction. It is a fun photo and a good tapas street, not history.
- Postiguet as your only beach. San Juan, Albufereta and the Cabo coves beat it for a full day.
- Bonalba golf on old lists. Check reviews from the last 90 days for green condition.
- Souvenir turron at the airport or seafront shops. Buy in the market or a turronero in town.
Getting around Alicante: public transport and more
- No train or tram from the airport. C6 bus to the centre every 10 to 20 minutes, taxi about 20 to 30 euros.
- Walk the flat compact centre. You do not need a car for a city stay.
- TRAM from Luceros: L1 to El Campello, Villajoyosa and Benidorm, L4 and L5 to San Juan and Cabo.
- Cercanias trains for Elche and Murcia, AVE from the main station to Madrid in about 2h20.
- Rent a car only for Guadalest, Algar, Relleu and wine country days, picked up that morning.
Who Alicante suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Alicante your trip
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