Location Guide - Alicante

There are some Spanish destinations that seem destined only to be known for their airports. Holidaymakers land at concrete jungles such as Malaga and jump on the bus or into their hire car and see nothing of the vibrant Cities in which they land.

Alicante has for many years been seen purely as a gateway to coastal destinations along the Costa Blanca. How many British visitors take time to experience all the City has to offer? In our opinion, too few. Tourist authorities in the City are doing all they can to promote Alicante as the ideal location for a long weekend break or even a short holiday. There really is much more to Alicante than runways and duty free goods.

Authorities in Alicante have taken note of developments in Malaga. In recent times more and more people are going to Malaga City for a short break holiday. However, the prolonged development of Malaga airport has been off putting to those wanting to make a second visit to that particular City. Alicante airport may be less modern than Malaga, but it is presently far more efficient. You can be enjoying the night life of Alicante City within an hour of landing there. At Malaga, you will still be trying to find your way out of the car park!

So what is there to attract the more discerning tourist to Alicante City? What can be seen and experienced in a long weekend? We believe the City has an ideal mix of old and new and it is desirable to spend a day in Alicante that excludes both the beach and the modern shops. Then you will experience the true splendour of the place. The pedestrian only backstreets of the City are charming and many a pretty church or notable building is only around the next corner.

The Ayuntamiento (town hall) building is a pebble throw distance from the beach. In the reception is a striking statue of Salvador Dali. On the first step of the grand staircase is the "cota cero’ - a brass stud used to measure the height of the sea level of all Spanish Towns. Climb the stairs and visit the impressive "Blue Room" and a small chapel.

Two museums that display many fine works of art are the Mubag museum which is located in an 18th century mansion, the Palacio Gravina, and the Museo de la Asegurada in Plaza Santa María, directly next to the oldest church in Alicante. Works by Dali, Picasso and Miró are on show.

Overlooking the sea and City from a vast height is the castle of Alicante, the Castillo de Santa Bárbara. It sits on the top of Monte Benacantil. For the fitter tourist it is possible to climb to a viewing area that will offer you panoramic views along the Costa Blanca.

The Santa Cruz area of the City resembles the characterful streets of somewhere such as Seville. Narrow streets of houses painted in various colours will lead you to the 18th century Chapel of Santa Cruz. It is in this barrio that the most atmospheric celebrations are held at Easter.

After walking the streets of the City you can then treat yourselves by luxuriating on a beach. We suggest you go a little South or North of the harbour area. You will have much more sand to yourself on the beaches at San Gabriel and San Juan. The centrally located Playa del Postiguet can be extremely crowded in summer months. The coastal railway links all the main beaches.

Alternatively go shopping. All the "usual suspects" of the retail world exist in Alicante. There are also many smart, independent fashion retailers located in traffic free streets.

One popular excursion by boat from the seafront is to the island of Tabarca. It is 11 miles south east of Alicante and just three miles from the cape of Santa Pola. Much of the island is a protected marine reserve. Activities involving motors are banned as is scuba diving or the collection of the flora and fauna. It is a beautiful island that is best visited outside of the high season when too many visitors can prevent you from enjoying its natural tranquillity.

Do try the "Caldero" when dining on Tabarca. This stewed fish meal is similar to the Portuguese "Cataplana" and is cooked in a large metal kettle.

It is also possible to sail further afield from the harbour at Alicante. Depending on the time of year, there are ferries to Majorca and Ibiza.

Outside of Alicante City Centre there are numerous traditional towns and villages to visit. Santa Pola is a little further South along the Costa Blanca coastline but is worth the journey. A thriving working town it is popular for its charming harbour and for its salt ponds. The lagoons at the Natural Park of Salinas de Santa Pola attract both resident and migratory birds such as the flamingo. There is also an interesting salt museum nearby.

Also worth a visit is the Renaissance style castle built in 1558. Now used as a cultural centre it includes the Museum of the Sea, the Museum of Fishing and a small chapel, Virgen de Loreto. Although more commercial resorts such as Torrevieja are only a short drive away, Santa Pola remains resolutely Spanish.

There are many international restaurants to choose from along this coastline and in the City of Alicante itself. Freshly caught fish is on offer daily and only "carneholics" have good reason not to try what has been caught locally.

It is not possible to overstate how important the fishing industry is to this part of the Alicante province.

Local resident Esteban Jiminez, who teaches Spanish to British residents, says: "Ever since I was a boy the fishing trade here has been under threat. Many large families depend on the industry and they are worried that fewer fish are being caught in the region. Thankfully the tourist demand for freshly caught fish is still good. The problem is supplying the demand."

Between Santa Pola and Alicante lays Elche. Elche is steeped in history. Archaeologists visit on a regular basis and it is home to the Lady of Elche – a stone bust dating from the 4th century BC. It was discovered in 1897. However, the one on show in Elche is a copy. The original bust can be found in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid. All requests to return it to Elche have fallen on stony ground!

Elche lays claim to being the best place to buy shoes in this region. Shoe warehouses exist wherein you can design your own shoe, be measured up for it and wait for it to be made. Alternatively you can buy a variety of footwear "off the peg." The area is heaven for those who love shoes. Elche alone has over 1000 shoe factories so ensuring that its quarter of a million residents always have something to wear on their feet.

Those who favour palms over feet go to Elche for one reason. They want to visit the artistic garden called El Huerto del Cura. This is a palm park like no other. It is sub tropical in feel and is a haven of peace in an otherwise busy place. In recent years adverse weather conditions threatened the very survival of the thousand palms on display here. The star of the show is the imposing eight-armed candelabra shaped Imperial Palm Tree. It is around 170 years old and weighs more than 8 tons.

The Huerto del Cura is only one of many such orchards throughout Elche. In total there are over 10.000 palm trees in an area covering three and a half square kilometres; an area known as the Palmera de Elche. It is officially a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is believed that some date palm trees in Elche existed up to 3000 years ago.

Away from the clear waters of the coastline, we suggest you travel inland from Alicante in the direction of Murcia. Here you will discover some of the more historic and prettiest locations in the region.

Just outside the City are places such as Elda, Petrer and Sax. Castles and churches are plentiful. The castle tower at Elda, the Torre del Homenaje del Castillo, dates from the 12th century. It is visited far less than neighbouring, grander castles such as the one at Sax, but is nevertheless worth seeing.

You will need comfy feet to explore the ancient streets of these towns. Elda is also renowned for its production of shoes. It even boasts a shoe museum. It is joined at the hip with the town of Petrer. It can be confusing to be in, for example, Elda only to see road signs that tell you that you are in fact in Petrer. That is because Elda has so developed in the direction of the Vinalopó river bed that today it is separated from Petrer by a single street. The houses on one side of the street belong to Elda and those on the other to Petrer. Bewildering to all but those who live here. We stood outside a shop in Elda and asked for directions to Petrer. The amused local resident simply pointed across the street!

After that exhausting journey we found Petrer to be a compact town where prices for centrally located apartments and houses are relatively low. As with its close neighbour Elda, its situation close to the motorway network provides easy access to Alicante City Centre. Petrer is very much a regular working Spanish town. It has excellent facilities for shopping and entertainment. Surprising therefore that both locations offer some extremely competitive housing prices.

Sax is an historic town just to the west of Alicante. Until the mid 19th century it belonged to Murcia. Its castle dominates the skyline and can be seen for many miles around. Pretty coloured homes in the historic quarter of Sax are in always in demand. Again property prices in the town are attractive. It is possible to buy a town house or cave in need of renovation for less than 30.000 Euros or a 4 bedroom, already renovated home in the old part of town for less than 90.000 Euros.

Sax is the gateway to the Sierra de Salinas a picturesque nature reserve that is home to many protected mountain and marine plant and wildlife species.

The highest point of the Sierra de Salinas’ is a mountain known as La Capilla del Fraile (‘the friars’ chapel’). It is 1,237 metres above sea-level.

Back in the City of Alicante the night is young. Those leaving the office gather at atmospheric bars such as Lizarran. There are two branches of this excellent chain of fast tapas restaurants in Alicante. The company hails from the Basque country and so the food on offer is more akin to the Pinxtos one might find in bars in Bilbao, rather than traditional tapas bars in, for example, Andalucia.

There are many good independent and modern bars in Alicante. It is a young City but drinkers and diners of all ages are welcome. You will not be stared at should you be over 40 and enter a bar that is awash with twenty somethings.

My opinion is that Alicante is overlooked. It is fashionable without being famous. Lively without being loud. The beaches are excellent, the harbour is a pleasant area for a stroll and the City Centre is easy to navigate.

Alicante is about much more than one busy airport. So my advice is that the next time you are scheduled to fly from there, you should put aside some time and enjoy all the City has to offer. After all, it has to be better than sitting in the departure lounge.