Spain – Alicante

I travelled to Alicante on a day trip while I was spending a week on a beach holiday in Benidorm nearby. Click here for link to my Benidorm post 

The Benidorm trip was a bit of a lad’s holiday with a group of friends, which I don’t often do. The opportunity arose, so I went, and it was more the chance to relax after a year of extensive travelling,. It was my first seaside trip in many years, but I quickly bore of beach, bars and sea and so I needed a bit of a cultural break mid-stay.

Alicante (we flew into Alicante airport to get to Benidorm) lies just down the road about a 1hr 5 mins tram ride away. Whilst not a huge city I had heard it was pretty but was expecting a bit of a glorified tourist seaside resort city.

Tram from Benidorm to Alicante

Trams run every 30 mins from Benidorm train station in the north of the town and terminate at Mercado or Luceros in Alicante (or the main station when the extension is finished soon). They are very modern, clean and safe and take around 75 mins to get there.

You can take it further out in the opposite direction too, to Denia and Altea which I’ve heard are small pretty seaside towns.

The track takes a route that shows the mountains and rolling fields to one side and expansive views of the sea coast on the other. It does pass through a few towns on the way and even goes through some unexpected (for me) tunnels. The route goes underground when it reaches the city central area.

Click here for the link to the tram website

Arrival in Alicante

The tram arrived at Mercado station, which was surprisingly, an underground station.

I’ve heard that the extensions that are being built on this line to take it to the main station and beyond are underground. My line, Line 1 (red line), currently goes on by one station to Luceros through the central part of the city.

Leaving the underground station I entered into what was blazing sunshine and a warm day – ideal for my sightseeing day.

Nearby to the Mercado station is the actual Mercado (Market), a huge indoor market full of stalls selling foodstuffs – meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Although it was not on my list of places to visit today I thought I may catch it on the way back (sadly I didn’t).

The walk I intended to take (as you know I love my walking!), was to take me down the main street (Rambla Mendez Nunez) towards the port. The wide avenue with wide pavements was my introduction to the city and represented an ordinary modernish street of high buildings and lots of shops at pavement level.

I turned left at Calle San Juan to enter into the old part of town hidden behind these buildings. My first sight was straight ahead of me. In fact you can see one of its small domes from the main street. It tempts you down the almost alley-width of the side street – a good sign that you are entering an area from a different age.

Old Town Area

This area is as near as you will get to an official “Old Town” section of the city.

Buildings are fairly uniformly set at 4 or 5 storeys high. Some date from the 1950’s, built in a traditional style, that somewhat blends into the older buildings of a later period.

The streets are narrow, often opening out onto palm tree laden plazas of old beige-creamy stone. Numerous alleyways are actually important thoroughfares from the past. Just wandering this small area is so easy and enjoyable you can’t get too lost!

Lots of bars and restaurants inhabit the ground floor levels of buildings. Plazas are often set with tables and chairs under canopies for open-air al fresco dining. The number of bars is impressive as well and all are kept in a olde worlde charm.

The Co-Cathedral of Saint Nicolas of Bari, from the 1600’s is here in the old town. Blink and you might miss it as its high windowless walls hide its presence.

It’s not the usual, plaza sited, big windowed affair that you might be used to. Here its walls are tall, facing onto streets that a car can just about get down, (however most of this area is pedestrianised).

You may see its dome or its bell tower but it involved standing on one side of the narrow street and bending back to looked skywards.

It was closed on my arrival – mid day – so never got to see the inside. Check opening times to ensure you get inside.

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Plaza Santisima Faz

Walk past the Cathedral, round the corner and you will come to Plaza Santisima Faz, an historic square of old beige stone buildings, flagstoned floor and palm trees.

Set among the trees are tables and chairs from nearby restaurants under a canopy of the palms, with birdsong echoing off the walls as wildlife fly by and settle in the treetops.

The buildings are meticulously maintained and this is clearly a prestigious dining area. From the voices I heard it was full of locals despite the heavy foreign tourist potential of such a location.

From the L shaped Plaza, go to the far southern corner and you will see a long alleyway with a tall clock tower majestically sitting over the arched walkway.

Walk under this clocktower and you enter into

Placa de Ajuntament

This is City Hall Square where, funnily enough, the old Alicante City Hall sits . There is a covered walkway down one side of the square and from here you get marvellous views across the flagstoned pavement to the building. The surrounding buildings are from another time but again built in a complimentary style to not clash with this ancient square.

From the Placa de Ajuntament carry on south through another narrow walkway and the road opens out on an area on the sea front.

Placa Porta del Mar

This is Seaport Square. Nowadays a main road junction but also an idyllic point to capture the views of the port ahead.  The beach to the left, the Marina ahead  and the Esplanade to the right and a general view of the city back behind you.

Cross the junction and stand at the beginning of the long arm of the pedestrianised are heading down one side of the marina. Turn around and look back and you will see the playful fountain  with its nearby small military statue monument.

Next to you will the “El Adivinador” statue , or The Fortune Teller in English. It is a bronze, 8m tall, 4 ton modernist sculpture of a human head. On top is an oval form with numbers balanced on it.

Behind you is the old port terracotta and cream building of the Police. Looking rather Mexican or very Sothern Spanish in its decorative style

To your left will a local landmark. This is the Carbonnel building, a French styled, beaux arts–inspired, edifice, built between 1922 & 1925.

Playa del Postiguet

The main (only) beach in Alicante is located here too. For a beach so close to the city it is remarkably wide and long. It’s well served by cafes and amenities along its well maintained promenade. I’ve heard it gets busy at the height of Summer (and why wouldn’t it), but it must be such a treasured amenity for the city.

From the beach you even get views of the castle perched on the opposite cliff tops.

Ahead of you now is the Marina.

Marina Esportiva del Port d’Alacant

The yacht Marina is large and sits adjacent to the working harbour of the city.

Whilst expensive and big yacht and motor cruisers line the jetties, associated facilities ie restaurants, bars casino and water vehicle hire shops line the water’s edge. Further over is the huge zig zig design of the Melia hotel with views over the beach, sea and marina.

It is a popular place for families to stroll, and getting a cooling sea breeze. on what was a warm day. was more than welcome as I too strolled the quayside. It a new area and many of the buildings nearby reflect this. They have managed to incorporate the older buildings to make it a pleasant open air commercial  walkway.

At the beginning of the marina, a set of steps called the Queen’s Steps lead down to the water’s edge. Placed in the water a few metres from the quayside is a statue of Icarus walking towards the steps. He appears to be carrying an odd shaped surfboard but it is also supposed to be one of his broken-off wings.

The views up towards the high rise apartment blocks that overlook the Esplanade and Marina gives an idea of what fabulous views across to the sea those apartments must have.

A feature when I was here was a replica Spanish Armada style ship moored on the quayside. It is a restaurant with a nautical theme (of course) and was a great novelty with many people entering and leaving as I wandered nearby. It was certainly authentic looking rather than a cheap tourist attraction.

The secondary arm of the harbour wall extends out into the sea and this is where the ocean going cruise liners berth.

Castillo de Santa Barbara, Alicante

Look up from the beach/marina area and you will see the low walls of the mountaintop castle running along the cliff’s perimeter. It seems incredible that a high promontory would sit so solitary right next to a city and sea, but here it is.

If you want to take it there is a long walkway, on the other side up to the castle  You would however need a long time, a bike or a taxi to take you to its start and begin that ascent. There is a more unconventional route, however, ahead of you.

From the Marina there is a 15 mins walk along the main road fronting the beach area to reach this. It’s a pleasant walk that gives you a view over the beach and the chance to get a drink or bite to eat from the many bars, small shops or restaurants that line the promenade in this area.

Walk a bit further and there is a dual light controlled crossing over the busy highway. Cross here and it takes you to the entrance area in front of the lift entrance to the castle.

Yep, I said that right ! The castle is almost on a perpendicular cliff above you. You can’t actually see it because several apartment blocks here are built into the cliff side. They must have amazing beach and sea views.

You walk along a long tunnel to get to the lift right under the expanse of rock above you. There is s fee to pay for the entrance to include the lift and after a small wait it arrived. It only holds about 10 people at a time so do expect a small wait if you arrive at peak season/time.

You arrive after a few minutes at the top of the cliffs that you just stood beside. The open plateau of the first area lies ahead of you. This is a small area with a refreshments area and wide walkways and you decide which direction you want to go to begin your exploration..

Ahead there is a small view of the interior land mountains. The views get better the higher you climb the fortifications however, so press on. As you pass by you can look down at older walls and entrances that formed part of the defensive curtain area. Each route direction will take you to a different part of the castle with varying lookouts over the sea, marina, city or mountain backdrop.

The castle dates from the Arab conquest days in the 9th Century and was called banu-lQatil or Rock of Alicante in English. It was taken by the Spanish Christian  ruler, King Alfonso X in 1248. Much was added in 1580 and what we see today predominantly dates from then.

Carry on walking up a wide pathway, past various outbuildings and walls, climbing ever higher as you go. Hope your legs can take it as mine were beginning to ache even now.

You arrive at a wide inner walled area ahead of you, which was clearly the Keep or inner protected area after the outer walls . You climb ramparts even further till you reach a kind of parade ground with low walls around you .

From here you walk to various areas of this flat land area and get views across Alicante on one side. Looking down onto the terracotta roofs of the old town and further beyond the city you suddenly realise how high up you are.

This was certainly a major lookout for the area in its day. Being able to see for kilometres into the distance must have been invaluable in those waring times.

Castle Museum

Turn to the other side and the views show the landscape of the interior mountains. The wide plain running up them is covered in semi-bare fields and olive groves. The sun’s heat had clearly scorched the earth around here.

There is a small Museum here that tells the history of the castle in one of the large outbuildings.

Walk round to the far end and the views over the Marina are stupendous. Here are also a few remaining overhanging lookout posts.

The old architecture certainly adds a point of difference to any photos and the crowds were making the most of it. I had to wait my turn to be able to go into any of the small turrets for a photo, waiting for tourists taking the obligatory selfie with background can be so annoying!

To think that I really had no idea this castle was perched up on this cliff top before I arrived. It was such an amazing unique experience. I just assumed it was a castle a bit out of Alicante on some hills, but this is an gem of a site for the views alone.

Climb just one more slope and you are at the highest point of the central building.

The views across the sea and along the coast are breath-taking. It is said that on a clear day you can just see Benidorm on the horizon. I could see several small towns along the coast, through which I had no doubt passed on the tram. Not sure if I could see Benidorm though.

The day was not as clear as it could be and it was just too indecipherable to make out the coastal areas for sure

If you need more info on the castle here is the official website for it https://www.alicante.es/es/patrimonio-cultural/castillo-santa-barbara

I returned back down via the lift and walked back towards the Marina to recommence my route through Alicante itself.

Running along the length of the Marina, facing the sea, is a wide pedestrianised street.

Esplanada d’Espanya Alicante 

This is a beautiful walkway. The pavement has been paved in tiles reflecting a curving, almost sea wave pattern. It is an assault on the eyes at first, as the pattern causes an optical illusion. It seems that the curves rise and fall out of the ground.

I can’t explain it but it is clever – just look at the photos to see. It did at first give me a feeling of being on a rocking boat, the tile pattern is so realistic – or was that just me?

The Esplanada starts next to the Carbonnel building and is lined with huge tall palm trees and dotted with decorative lampposts for evening illumination.

The buildings along its periphery are restaurants or upmarket stores and add an elegance to the stylish walkway.

The strip near the buildings for most of the way is filled with tables and chairs under canopy cover for the restaurants and bars lining the sides. They are clearly up market and the seating areas plush and stylish and remarkably busy too.

Yet again I noticed that the voices were speaking Spanish rather than a foreign language and so it is very much still a local clientele even in Summer.

At various points the seated area gave way to street stalls that lined one side of the edge of the walkway. The merchandise was predominantly handicrafts and homewares and some were a little touristy but still quite busy.

The Esplanade ends as the walkway bends left to run alongside another part of the Marina and this is where the long small park begins.

Plaza Gabriel Miro Alicante

Before I arrived at the small park ahead I took a right turn down Calle Ojeda to a small plaza that I wanted to see.

Here sits the gloriously ornate and refurbished Post Office. Its high-arched windows and intricately painted walls is a delight to see. The building must be from the 1900’s. Its carved stonework, painted walls and art deco spliced windows, really set it off as a master piece on the Plaza .

The square itself has a well known open air café, in a small park and a tree setting surrounded on four sides by tall prestigious buildings. In the centre was an ornamental fountain.

Again it was a busy local café of an 1900’s design. The trees were a marvel. Wide knarled trunks and deep green foliage and masses of flowers and shrubbery. A little dense, green Oasis in Alicante.

I returned from my brief diversion back to the Esplanade and continued my walk along towards the park ahead of me.

Parc Canalejas Alicante

This is a traditional clay floor-covered park and is a contrast to the coloured and tiled flooring of the Esplanade.

Here the beige clay gives a more natural feel to the environment, although can be a bit muddy in heavy rain.

You will also know you have arrived because in front of the two small stonework entrance posts sits a tall tower with a standing statue at its base.

The statue is of Canalejas who was a famous Prime Minister of Spain from 1910-12. He brought about some much needed reforms and helped head Spain into democracy. He was assassinated in Madrid after only 2 brief but productive years in office.

The wonderous part about this park are the trees.

I don’t know what they are called – maybe a type of Eucalyptus but their trunks are massive. They are the same type as in Plaza Gabriel Miro that I had just come from. The tree trunks are not tall but very wide and resembled masses of twisted melted together strands. The fact that many are contorted and of odd shapes makes them almost an artistic work in themselves.

Much of the park gave side views to the Marina through the tree and bush foliage and there are plenty of ironwork benches to sit down at.

Paseo Doctor Gadea 

This main road runs off at right angles midway in the park. It has a central walkway with the boulevard for cars on either side. It runs up to a rectangular plaza and then becomes Paseo Federico Soto ending in the big circular plaza of Los Luceros. Here is the Tram station to which several lines connect.

This is again a wide central walkway, popular with locals who perform the traditional evening walk with family and friends. The Paseo has benches, small street artwork, low grassy gardens and benches.

The long avenue gives Alicante a very green feel and certainly breaks up what otherwise would be a series of mid-rise apartment blocks .

Thus my day trip came to end at this point. At Plaza Luceros is the nearby underground tram stop where I could catch my tram back to Benidorm.

Alicante certainly surprised me as a city. I was expecting something a lot more plain and less well maintained (it actually had an air of affluence). Three was not so much to see that I couldn’t fit it into one day. I would still have had plenty of time if I had been able to get inside the Cathedral.

I was not expecting the beautiful Marina that is actually more of a city amenity than just a mooring place for yachts. The Castle was glorious. Plain and less historic than many I have seen but a lift up through the mountain to exit in the middle of it was innovative.

If you get the chance and are nearby, I would recommend a day in Alicante.

June 2017

Below are some related posts on nearby places to visit. Click on the pic to view.