Going on a short trip to Alicante? Here’s a list of 8 things to see in Alicante during a short stay! 🙂
1- Stroll along the port and La Explanada de España
The first thing to do in Alicante is a walk on the beautiful Explanada de España: the Alicante’s pedestrian avenue that runs along the coast right in front of the city center and then continues onto the port’s “pier”. It’s kind of a seafront promenade, although there’s actually a road separating the Explanada from the water.
One of the main features of the Explanada de España is its pavement, which is a mosaic of over 6 million tiles.
I recommend doing it both during the day, when you can admire the colors of the pavement, the adjacent buildings, and the palm trees, and in the evening, when it comes alive with lots of people strolling, stalls with gadgets and souvenirs, street artists, and finally, the various bars and disco-bars along the Alicante port pier.
2- Visit Santa Barbara Castle
It might sound obvious, but Santa Barbara Castle has excellent reasons to be among the most unmissable things to see in Alicante.
This castle, which stands on a hill right next to the historic center, besides being a very large and nice castle to visit, offers a 360-degree view of Alicante and its outskirts.
The view from up high, perhaps more than in other cities, will reward you.
How to get to Santa Barbara Castle
To get to Santa Barbara Castle, you basically have two options.
The first is to arrive from the main access road (set your GPS here) that goes up the 166-meter-high hill. You can get there either by car (be aware that parking is limited) or on foot. If you arrive on foot, you can also “cut” through the adjacent parco de la Ereta.
The second is to reach the castle via an elevator that goes up through the heart of the hill, whose entrance is right opposite Playa del Postiguet (here). The ticket to go up with the elevator costs 2.70 euros, while it’s free if you take it downhill.
To avoid too much effort, I recommend taking the elevator up and then walking down to enjoy the views. The only downside of the elevator is that, during peak times and periods, a fair queue can form to go up, waiting for your turn to buy tickets at the machine and then go up in small groups.
Excluding the elevator, however, access to Santa Barbara Castle is free.
You can find any other information and updated opening hours on the official website.
While you’re wandering around Santa Barbara Castle, watch out for the various soldiers still ready to defend it 😉
3- Visit Playa de San Juan
Playa de San Juan is a neighborhood about 6-7km from the center of Alicante, which has a wide beach, much longer and more spacious than Playa del Postiguet (the one right in front of the city and the castle).
Besides being a destination for those who search for beach life, Playa de San Juan is also an interesting spot for some nightlife during the summer.
Read also: Where to stay in Alicante
To get to Playa de San Juan, just take the L1 or L3 tram from one of the city center stations like Luceros or Mercado. You can find more information on lines, routes, and schedules on the official TRAM website (that’s really its name, even though in some sections it’s underground like a metro and in others it’s at street level like a tram, so don’t be scared if you find underground stations in the city center 😉 )
4- Discover small hidden rocky beaches
If the beaches in the center and San Juan seem a bit too flat and touristy and you want to find a more peaceful little spot, among the things to see in Alicante, you’ll appreciate the small rocky beaches found at the southern end of the San Juan neighborhood.
It’s a small hidden corner of nature, as in the area from Cap de L’horta to Cala Cantalar the coast suddenly becomes rocky and sculpted by water, unlike other coastal areas of Alicante which are mostly sandy and straight.
Another positive note about this area is that you won’t be surrounded by buildings and hotels behind you, as is the case on other Alicante beaches.
To get to these little beaches, head towards Cap de l’Horta or Cala Cantalar.
If you’re starting from Alicante center, you can get closer by taking the L4 or L6 tram lines and then continue south on foot. When the paved roads end, you’ll need to follow some short paths to get there.
5- A day trip to Tabarca Island
Here’s one of the things to see in Alicante that deserves a whole day: the trip to Tabarca Island.
Tabarca is a tiny rocky island about 20 km from Alicante, with a small village on one side and a completely empty coast (except for the lighthouse) on the other.
To reach Tabarca Island, you first need to go by land to Santa Pola (from the Alicante bus station, there should be buses about every hour that take you there in 40 minutes).
Once you get to the port of Santa Pola, you’ll find numerous tours and ferries that will take you to Tabarca Island in about an hour’s crossing. One example is this one, which also organizes tours with paella included during the trip, or the following, bookable online with free cancellation:
If you decide to visit Tabarca, plan to set aside a full day for it, between travel and your stay.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to visit Tabarca yet… if you go, tell us how it was like in the comments! 🙂
6- Walk in Wonderland
As you continue your tour of Alicante, head to Calle San Francisco, right in the city center: at some point while walking along this pedestrian avenue, you’ll find yourselves in front of numerous mushrooms taller than you and with the most unlikely expressions, creating a bit of an Alice in Wonderland atmosphere.
Calle San Francisco is also a very busy avenue in the evening with its restaurants and bars, so why not stop right there for dinner?
7- Visit Alicante’s Central Market
Like in any other Spanish city, one of the things to see in Alicante is the city’s typical indoor market.
It’s open every morning until 2:30 PM except Sundays and you’ll mainly find fresh daily produce there: it could be a good opportunity to grab what you need for a quick lunch.
The central market is located here.
8- A bit of nightlife
The city of Alicante, though modest in size, lacks nothing when it comes to nightlife, catering to all tastes. In the historic “Old Town” and the adjacent modern center neighborhood, you’ll find a wide variety of restaurants, indoor and outdoor bars, and disco-bars and, if that’s still not enough, you can continue your walk towards the port to find other places open late.
There’s also no shortage of nightclubs, both in the center area and behind the San Juan neighborhood. Finally, in San Juan, during the summer, you’ll find the most nightlife activity in the areas near the beach.
Don’t miss the guide to the most practical areas to stay in Alicante!
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