Best things to do in Alicante
Find out more about those top places in Alicante
Alicante is stereotyped as the Spanish city most impacted by the influx of largely British holidaymakers to the Costa Blanca every summer. While the city certainly has been changed by the onset of mass tourism, most visitors simply hit the beaches and neglect one of Spain’s true hidden gems. As a result, Alicante remains a firmly Spanish city with a fin-de-siècle seafront, buzzy tapas bars and a dynamic old quarter. The cityscape is dominated by the vertiginous Moorish-era Santa Barbara Castle, which sits astride the rugged Mount Benacantil, while the old quarter below offers a fantastic selection of tapas bars serving the day’s catches. While not ready to usurp Malaga’s claim as Spain’s modern art capital, Alicante also has a clutch of world-class art galleries, such as the Contemporary Art Museum, that add a touch of the avant-garde to this traditional city.
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Santa Bárbara Castle
Spain owes some parts of its rich history to the influence of medieval Arabs. The Santa Barbara castle is one of such fortresses that shows this influence. The most recent refurbishment of this castle was carried out sometime in the 1500s which you can see from the Mount Benacantil. An experienced eye would easily see some Moorish heritage fixtures around as well.
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Canelobre Caves
The Canelobre Caves can be found in Busot, a small town close to the city of Alicante. Inside the caves there is a space of more than 80,000 m2 that can be accessed through a 45-meter tunnel, in which the water and the rock gave rise to impressive shapes such as stalactites, stalagmites and many others.
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Paella and Flamenco Show
The wonderful view and the cool sea breeze are some things that you shouldn't pass up on. Similarly, there are a series of local delicacies available to choose from, all with tantalizing flavors during the paella lunch offered by restaurants in the Port of Alicante.
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Archaeological Museum
This award-winning Archaeological Museum of Alicante is one of the most respected museums in Spain. The Archaeological Museum won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2004 shortly after an expansion was carried out and reallocation to the antique hospital of San Juan de Dios's renovated buildings.
