Alicante

Alicante (Alacant) is a working Mediterranean city, not a resort, and it suits travellers who want a walkable centre, a city beach and an airport a short ride away. Stay in or beside the old town if you plan to explore on foot; choose the Playa de San Juan side if the beach comes first and you mind a daily tram ride. The city has 366,221 residents (1 January 2025, INE) and is the hub for the southern Costa Blanca guide, with a castle on a hill, a market and a long list of day trips by tram, train and bus.

Quick facts

• Where: Alicante/Alacant, a coastal city in Alicante province, on the Costa Blanca.
• Residents: 366,221 in the municipality (1 January 2025, INE).
• Beach: yes, in the city. Postiguet sits below the castle; Playa de San Juan lies to the north-east of the centre.
• Nearest airport: Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández, about 9.7 km in a straight line from the town hall (our calculation from the OpenStreetMap town hall point and the airport coordinates); the road is longer.
• Trains: the high-speed AVE to Madrid takes about 2 hours 20 minutes (Alicante Plaza, on the ten-year anniversary of the line).
• Language: Valencian and Spanish; English is common in hotels and the main visitor streets.
• Castle: Santa Bárbara stands on Mount Benacantil, which is 166 m high (castle's own site).
• Market: the Central Market on Avenida de Alfonso X el Sabio is open most mornings; see the market's own site for days.

Where to base yourself

Alicante is easy to read on a map: the old town lies at the foot of the castle hill, the port and marina sit in front of it, and the city grows inland and north-eastward. The question is whether you want to walk out of the door to the sights or to the sand.

The old town (El Barrio) and the centre

The old town around the town hall and the streets below the castle is the best base for a first visit. The castle, the seafront promenade, the Central Market and the Postiguet beach are all reachable on foot, and the TRAM stops close to the centre take you onward. It suits couples, short city breaks and anyone without a car. Expect narrow streets, steps and some late-evening noise in the bar streets; ask for an upper room or an inner courtyard if you sleep lightly.

Around Luceros and the Central Market

Plaza de los Luceros and the streets towards the Central Market are a few minutes from the old town on foot and are where the main TRAM interchanges and the airport bus stop. Hotels here tend to be larger and calmer at night than in the bar streets. It is a practical base for a stay of several days with day trips on the TRAM or buses.

Playa de San Juan

Playa de San Juan is a suburban beach district north-east of the centre with its own beach and a promenade. It suits longer beach stays, particularly if you have a car or are happy to travel into the city for sights and dinner. Skip it if you want to stroll to restaurants and sights in the evening without planning a return journey.

If you want a quieter fishing-town base with a tram link, look at El Campello; for a resort with high-rise hotels and a larger nightlife scene, see Benidorm.

Things to do

Santa Bárbara Castle

The fortress stands on Mount Benacantil, 166 m above the city, and is the obvious first stop (castillodesantabarbara.com). Access is by a lift on Avenida Juan Bautista Lafora, opposite Postiguet beach; by a minibus; by taxi; or on foot along two urban walking routes, each taking about 30 minutes at moderate difficulty. Cars may only drop off, and parking on the premises is not permitted. The castle's official page lists the Muslim era as the start of its history and describes it as a Cultural-Interest Site since 1961. The castle closes on a few days of the year, including 24 June, so check the official page before planning around a fiesta night. See our Santa Bárbara Castle page for the visit in detail.

MARQ, the archaeology museum

The MARQ archaeology museum is beside the MARQ-Castillo tram stop and is the best indoor choice for a wet or very hot afternoon.

The Central Market

The Central Market was inaugurated in 1922 and designed by Francisco Fajardo Guardiola and Juan Vidal Ramos (Alicante tourism office). It is an eclectic building with Valencian Art Nouveau ornament, a wide staircase on the front and three basilica-style naves lit by natural light through a steel structure. Go in the morning for fresh produce and a quick look at the stalls; a few streets away, the old-town cafés are good for a coffee afterwards, such as Madness Coffee in the old town.

Fiestas: the Hogueras de San Juan

The Hogueras de San Juan are the city's midsummer bonfire festival. The first official Hogueras were organised in 1928, when the city council authorised the tourism association Alicante Atracción to run them, and the title of Bellesa del Foc followed in 1932 (Turisme Comunitat Valenciana). The festival is built around the night of 24 June. Book accommodation well ahead, expect some streets to close, and note that the castle is shut on 24 June.

Beaches and places nearby

Postiguet is the city-centre beach below the castle and the easiest swim without leaving town: you can reach it on foot from the old town, and the castle lift is across the road. Playa de San Juan, to the north-east, is the other city beach.

Tabarca, a small walled island with a marine reserve, is reached only by boat; see our Tabarca guide. North of the city, El Campello has a beach town feel and a fish auction. South, Santa Pola has the castle-fortress and the salt pans. Inland, Elche (Elx) is known for its UNESCO palm grove, and Sant Vicent del Raspeig is the university town on the tram line.

Other town guides nearby: Novelda (about 25 km in a straight line), Villajoyosa (about 28 km in a straight line), Petrer (about 30 km in a straight line).

On CostaMap near Alicante: Madness Coffee (Alicante) (0.1 km) · Santa Bárbara Castle (Alicante) (0.5 km) · Playa del Postiguet (Alicante) (0.5 km) · MARQ — Archaeological Museum of Alicante (1 km).

Food and drink

Alicante is a rice city, and the tourism office's gastronomy material treats rice as the most traditional ingredient. Ask in any restaurant which rice dishes are cooked to order. The Central Market is the place to see local fish, vegetables and cheese, and the surrounding old-town streets are full of tapas bars. We have not listed restaurants here because we could not check them against a source.

Where to stay

Hotels and apartments are concentrated in the old town and the centre, with more apartment-style stays in Playa de San Juan. Mid-range hotels in the centre are the easiest choice for a short city stay; apartments suit week-long stays and families with children. Prices rise sharply around the Hogueras in late June and in summer, so book earlier for those periods. Check how far an apartment is from a TRAM stop or bus line before booking.

Getting there and around

By air. The airport is about 9.7 km in a straight line from the town hall (our calculation). The C-6 airport bus runs to the city centre every 20 minutes, every day of the year, and links with TRAM lines 1 to 4 at Alfonso X El Sabio, Plaza de los Luceros and Vázquez de Mella (University of Alicante guide). Taxis are available at the airport.

By train. The AVE to Madrid takes about 2 hours 20 minutes (Alicante Plaza).

TRAM. The TRAM d'Alacant runs along the coast: from Luceros station Benidorm is reached in just over an hour, and the line continues north towards Dénia (TRAM d'Alacant). The same network serves El Campello and the university town of Sant Vicent del Raspeig. Check the operator's page for the current timetable and any works.

On foot and by car. The centre is compact and walkable. A car is rarely needed inside the city; it helps for coves and towns outside the tram network, but remember that the castle allows drop-off only.

Best time to visit

The mean air temperature in the city is about 16.7 °C over the year, from about 8.8 °C in January to about 25.8 °C in July (NASA POWER climatology for the city centre, a modelled grid value rather than a station reading). July and August are the hottest and driest months. Spring and early autumn are the easiest months for climbing the castle hill, wandering the old town and taking the tram. Rain, when it comes, is more likely in autumn than in summer in the same data. Late June brings the Hogueras, which suit visitors who want a festival and are fine with crowds.

FAQ

Is Alicante a good base for a beach holiday?

Yes, with a choice. Postiguet is in the centre below the castle, and Playa de San Juan lies to the north-east of the centre.

How do I get from Alicante airport to the city centre?

The C-6 bus runs every 20 minutes to the centre and connects with TRAM lines 1 to 4. The airport is about 9.7 km from the town hall in a straight line (our calculation).

How do I get up to Santa Bárbara Castle?

By the lift opposite Postiguet beach, by minibus or taxi, or on foot; each walking route takes about 30 minutes (castillodesantabarbara.com). Cars may only drop off.

Can I reach Benidorm from Alicante without a car?

Yes. TRAM from Luceros takes just over an hour (TRAM d'Alacant). Check the operator for works.

How long is the train to Madrid?

About 2 hours 20 minutes on the AVE (Alicante Plaza).

Sources and freshness

Last checked: October 2026. Sources: INE, population of Alicante municipalities; Castillo de Santa Bárbara, castle information; Alicante tourism office, Santa Bárbara Castle; Alicante tourism office, Central Market; Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, Hogueras de San Juan history; TRAM d'Alacant, tourism; University of Alicante, getting to Alicante; Alicante Plaza, AVE Alicante–Madrid; NASA POWER; OpenStreetMap Nominatim.

Main photo: Veronika Bashak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.