Alicante
Sun-baked castle, Mediterranean swagger
Alicante is the Costa Blanca's easygoing capital, where a clifftop castle watches over palm-lined boulevards and a crescent of golden sand. You drift between marble-paved esplanades, tapas bars in the old Santa Cruz quarter, and turquoise water warm well into autumn.
How long to stay?
Two days covers the essentials: ride up to Castell de Santa Bàrbera for the panorama, wander the candy-colored Barrio de Santa Cruz, stroll the marble Explanada de España palm promenade, then sundown drinks and seafood by the marina.
With three or four days you add Postiguet beach mornings, the Mercat Central for jamón and olives, the MACA modern-art museum, and a day trip to Tabarca island or the wine villages of the inland Vinalopó valley.
Relaxed, sunny, and unpretentious. A working Spanish port city more than a resort, with locals filling tapas bars at midnight, families on the esplanade, and a beach that never feels far from the historic center.
Base yourself in the old town around Barrio de Santa Cruz for atmosphere and nightlife, or along the Explanada and marina for sea views. Playa de San Juan suits beach lovers wanting calm and sand.
Skip the road and take the lift hidden inside the cliff to Santa Bàrbera castle: the entrance is tucked across from Postiguet beach, and the ride up saves a sweaty climb for the same view.
May, June, and September are ideal: warm sea, long days, fewer crowds than peak August. Winters stay mild and sunny, great for sightseeing, though the water turns chilly for swimming.
Alicante-Elche airport sits 10km southwest with frequent budget flights across Europe; a shuttle bus or taxi reaches the center in 20 minutes. Fast trains link Madrid in around 2.5 hours.
Spanish is universal, but Valencian appears on signs and place names. Lunch runs late and dinner later, around 9pm. Cash still helps at small tapas counters; the euro is the currency.
