10 Best Things to Do in Alicante

Playa del Postiguet is an 800-metre stretch of beach at the foot of Castillo de Santa Barbara (Santa Bárbara castle). It’s connected to the Explanada de España promenade and Alicante Marina by a modern pedestrian bridge. There are plenty of beachfront bars and restaurants serving fresh seafood and Spanish cuisine throughout the day. 

A popular spot for sunbathing, beach volleyball, and swimming, you're also sure to find some excellent hotels situated on the first line of Playa del Postiguet. The beach itself is usually packed on weekends, so maybe visit during the week to enjoy a quiet spot and work on your tan.

Alicante’s Old Town Quarter is home to historical structures dating back to between the 15th and 18th-centuries. Here, the Alicante Town Hall (Ayuntamiento) occupies an 18th-century Baroque building, where you can see paintings by local artists and permanent exhibits of archaeological finds from the region. 

Another must-visit is the Santa Maria Basilica, a Baroque and Rococo cathedral that was built on top of the city’s oldest mosque. Nightlife in the Old Town Quarter is mainly concentrated in its main square, Plaza de San Cristobal, as well as Labradores and San Isidro Streets.

Aquopolis Torrevieja has a variety of water slides and activities that are suitable for adults and children alike. For an adrenaline rush, the Kamikaze is a 50-metre-long slide with a near free-fall drop at 45°. Families with young children can head for the park’s miniature playgrounds and shallow pools. 

If you want to keep up with your fitness routine during your holiday, Aquopolis offers 30-minute water aerobics and dance lessons every day. If the reason for your visit is related to this water park, there's a wide range of hotels to choose from in the vicinity of the Aquopolis, to avoid having to travel great distances. 

Castillo de Santa Bárbara, set on Mount Benacantil, is one of Alicante’s most impressive mediaeval structures. The castle was named after Saint Barbara's feast day, which was when Alfonso of Castile recaptured it from the Arabs in 1248. For about €2.50, an elevator opposite Playa del Postiguet takes you to the top of Castillo de Santa Bárbara, which offers panoramic views of Alicante and Playa del Postiguet. 

Entrance to the castle is free of charge, while guided tours are available at 11 am and 12.30 pm for a few euros. During the summer, free concerts are held at the castle’s courtyard on Friday and Saturday evenings. Check out the list of hotels near the Santa Barbara Castle and compare all that are available.

One of Alicante’s busiest nightlife districts is Explanada de España, where you can find late-night cafés, al fresco restaurants, tavernas (taverns) and chiringuitos (beach bars) just minutes away from the beach. 

This tree-lined promenade is located between Marina Deportiva del Puerto de Alicante and Panoramis Shopping Mall. During the summer, cultural events and concerts are held at an open-air theatre called Auditorio Municipal de la Concha.

Cathedral San Nicolás is a 17th-century church that’s known for its Spanish Herrerian architecture, marble stairways, and sandstone façade. Located in the Old Town Quarter, it’s built in honour of patron saint San Nicolas, whose sculpture can be found at the lavishly decorated altarpiece. 

Its Baroque communion chapel contains reliquary busts of Saint Felicitas Alicante, Saint Roch, and Saint Francis Xavier. Cathedral San Nicolás is open to the public and serves the local Roman Catholic community with its Sunday morning mass.

The Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ) houses 5 separate galleries dedicated to prehistory, Iberian culture, Roman culture and the Middle Ages. It even contains items dating back 100,000 years ago. Marrying both modern and traditional techniques in exhibiting the artefacts, you’ll come across projection effects, holograms, and recreations of Roman daily life and archaeological investigations in the galleries.

There are interactive media displays that give you a glimpse into the lives of the Alicante region’s past inhabitants. The museum is closed on Mondays, so visit any other day of the week – and maybe avoid the weekend crowd – for a better journey through local history.

Mercado Central is Alicante’s central marketplace, where you can find over 200 stalls and shops selling a variety of fresh produce, seafood, meat, and Spanish delicacies. 

Founded in 1911, the Modernist-inspired building has a semi-spherical cupola and a massive stairway that’s flanked by 2 sculptures. The best times to visit this marketplace are on Fridays and Saturday mornings as you get to experience the lively atmosphere of locals going about their grocery shopping here.

Museo de Hogueras (Bonfires of Saint John Museum) gives you an insight into one of Alicante’s most popular summer events, called the Bonfires of Saint John. The festival celebrates the start of summer in Alicante and is famous for the gigantic ninots (wooden statues) which are burned at the end of the day. Every year, only 1 statue is chosen to be spared from the burning, which is then displayed in the museum. 

Visit Alicante in mid-June to experience this lively fiesta. Throughout the day, the old town hosts many traditional markets, street parades, and beauty pageants, while fireworks competitions are held on El Postiguet Beach.

Marina Deportiva del Puerto de Alicante offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. This modern seaport can accommodate over 700 boats, yachts and cruise ships. Its commercial area features many seafood restaurants, ice cream parlours, bars, and pubs, as well as Casino Alicante and the Volvo Ocean Race Museum. 

A 10-minute walk away from Marina Deportiva del Puerto de Alicante is the vibrant Explanada de España, where you can enjoy more of Alicante’s lively nightlife offerings. Hotels in the vicinity of the Alicante Harbour have a very good guest rating.