Are you looking for a sunny city break destination? Consider the Spanish city of Alicante.
Alicante is located in the southeast of Spain on the Costa Blanca in the Valencia region.
How long is the flight to Alicante?
There are daily flights from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Alicante. The best airlines to fly with are Vueling, Transavia, or Iberia.
A flight takes an average of 2 hours and 35 minutes. Flights to Alicante are also very affordable. You will spend an average of between €125 and €195 for a return ticket.
The great thing about Alicante is that the weather is almost always lovely throughout the year. It is a true tourist destination popular with both local Spanish tourists and international tourists. Long sandy beaches, pleasant boulevards, a friendly local population, and delicious tapas.
Besides the wonderful weather, Alicante is also a great destination for a city break if you love culture and history. There are various museums, castles, and churches you can visit.
Special castles in Alicante
In Alicante, there are several castles you can visit. Two castles are extremely popular with both locals and tourists: the Santa Barbara Castle and the San Fernando Castle.
The Santa Barbara Castle
The Santa Barbara Castle consists of various buildings and defensive walls. The castle is located at the top of a 166-meter-high mountain. The mountain on which the castle stands is called Monte Benecantil. In the castle, you can also visit a museum where you can learn more about the history of the city and the castle. The museum is called MUSA, which stands for Museo de la Ciudad de Alicante.
Because the castle is situated quite high, there are various options you can choose from to reach the top. You can take the challenge and walk. You will walk along and through a beautiful green park called Parque de la Ereta. The walk to the top takes about an hour. If you don’t feel like walking, you can also use the elevator.
Using the elevator is not free, however. Visiting the castle is. The Santa Barbara Castle is by far the most popular tourist attraction and sight in Alicante.
The San Fernando Castle
Besides the Santa Barbara Castle, there is also another beloved castle called the San Fernando Castle (Castillo de San Fernando). The castle is less impressive than the Santa Barbara Castle but is certainly worth a visit.
Discover the real Alicante
Alicante consists of different neighborhoods. You have the more modern new neighborhoods and the old city center.
A neighborhood in the old city center that gives a good impression of the real traditional Alicante is the El Barrio de Santa Cruz district.
El Barrio de Santa Cruz is a working-class neighborhood where you won’t spot many tourists. It is a neighborhood full of colorful houses, cozy cafes, and beautiful tiles. The neighborhood has a very village-like feel, and you can wander around for hours. Be sure to look up as well. Almost all window frames are beautifully decorated with large, cheerful flowers and other festive decorations.
Explore Alicante by bike
A bike tour in Alicante is highly recommended. It is super fun and also very safe. There are many bike paths in Alicante, making it very safe to explore the city by bike. It is not a very busy city, so you can ride around carefree on your bike.
If you would like to take an organized tour first to discover the city a bit more, you can do so through Baja Bikes. You can choose from various guided bike tours.
The most popular bike tour is the ‘highlights tour’. During this tour, you will cycle for about 2.5 hours past various Valencia attractions and hotspots.
The guide will tell you all about the city and its history. You will cycle past the harbor, the beach, and many attractions.
You will also pass by the Santa Barbara Castle. This is the number one attraction in Alicante.
Bike tour to the most beautiful beach in Alicante
Besides the tour where you see many attractions, you can also choose a tour that takes you to Playa San Juan. In this bike tour, the focus is less on the city and more on the beach.
Playa San Juan is the largest and most beautiful beach in Alicante. You cycle through the historic center to the beach. Stunning views from the moment you get on the bike until you reach the beach.
If you are already familiar with Alicante or prefer to explore the city on your own, this is also possible. You can rent individual bikes and go out on your own. Children’s bikes are also available, making this activity suitable for families as well.
What to see in Alicante during your city trip?
- Santa Barbara Castle
- Historic center
- Ocean Race zone
- Parque Canalejas
- San Nicolas
- Casa Carbonell
- Plaza del ayuntamiento (town hall)
- San Fernando Castle
Fun facts about Alicante
- The city of Alicante is also the capital of the province of Alicante
- The name Alicante comes from the Roman word ‘Lucentum’. This translates to the ‘City of Light’
- Benidorm, a border city of Alicante, was one of the first European destinations where women in the 1950s were allowed to wear a bikini on the beach instead of a more covering swimsuit.
- Alicante has many skyscrapers. In Europe, only London and Milan have more skyscrapers than Alicante.
- The Santa Barbara Castle is located on a mountain that is 166 meters high.
- Alicante is located in Valencia. Therefore, both regular Spanish and the local dialect Valenciano are spoken in Alicante.
- To this day, Alicante remains a very important port city within Europe.
- The making of Tapas originated in Alicante. They treated tourists to small snacks and spreads with bread. This custom later spread throughout Spain.
- Despite having seasons and some rainfall, the average temperature in Alicante is at least 21 degrees Celsius throughout the year.