San Juan Beach (Playa de San Juan, Alicante)

San Juan beach (Playa de San Juan) is Alicante’s longest city beach: almost 3 km of golden sand, about 85 m wide, running north from the Cabo de la Huerta headland to the boundary with El Campello, where the same sand carries on as Muchavista beach. It lies about 7 km north-east of the city centre and the tram stops one street behind it, so you do not need a car. It holds the Blue Flag and has lifeguards, sports areas and accessible bathing. It suits families, swimmers and anyone who wants a long, fully serviced beach near the city; skip it if you are looking for a quiet natural cove.

Quick facts

• Names: San Juan beach (English); Playa de San Juan (Spanish); Platja de Sant Joan (Valencian). The northern half, in El Campello, is called Playa de Muchavista (Platja de Mutxavista).
• Where: the north-eastern seafront of Alicante, between Cabo de la Huerta in the south and the beaches of El Campello in the north (Comunitat Valenciana).
• Coordinates: 38.3703, -0.4098 (OpenStreetMap).
• Size: almost 3 km long and about 85 m wide on the Alicante side. Spanish Wikipedia gives 2,900 m for the Alicante section and 3,300 m for Muchavista, 6,200 m in all (Wikipedia).
• Sand and water: bright golden sand and clear water; an open, semi-urban beach.
• Awards listed by the regional tourist board: Blue Flag, an accessibility label and the SICTED tourism quality certificate.
• Entry: free.

Access and parking

By tram: Alicante’s tram runs along Avenida de la Costa Blanca, one street behind the southern and middle part of the beach, with stops at Cabo Huertas, Av. Benidorm / Platja de San Joan, Londres and Costa Blanca (OpenStreetMap). Line L4 runs from the city centre to a loop through the Playa de San Juan district, and L5 also uses that loop; L3 is the stopping service from Alicante to El Campello (Wikipedia). On the El Campello side, stops such as Carrabiners and Muchavista are on Avenida de Jaume I (OpenStreetMap). The official beach page lists the tram among its services. Check timetables with the operator, FGV, before you travel.

By car: the regional tourist board lists parking at the beach and an exclusive car park for people with reduced mobility. OpenStreetMap shows several public car parks in the streets behind the sand, for example on Avenida de Niza, Avenida de Holanda and Avenida de Santander. We could not confirm whether they are free or how full they get; on summer weekends, take the tram.

From the city centre and the airport: the middle of the beach is about 7 km in a straight line from the Explanada de España and about 17 km from Alicante–Elche airport (OpenStreetMap).

What to expect

This is a long, straight, built-up beach with a promenade along its whole length. The tourist board calls it one of the best-equipped beaches on the Costa Blanca and says it is very popular with both locals and visitors (Comunitat Valenciana). Expect apartment blocks and hotels behind the promenade, and beach bars and restaurants serving rice and fish dishes.

The sports facilities are the beach’s calling card. The official page lists beach volleyball courts, football goals, exercise equipment and areas for water sports; the services list adds sailing, windsurfing and floating platforms. For children there are water slides and bouncy castles spread along the sand in season. The promenade is used for walking and jogging.

The beach did not always look like this. Spanish Wikipedia says it was regenerated after the storms of 1991 with sand brought from the Serra Gelada, which widened it to an average of almost 90 m, and that the name comes from the town of Sant Joan d’Alacant, a little over a kilometre inland, which never had a stretch of coast of its own (Wikipedia).

North of the municipal boundary the beach becomes Muchavista, in El Campello. El Campello’s tourist board recommends it for water sports, with services close at hand (Comunitat Valenciana), and Spanish Wikipedia notes it has a marked channel for launching boats and has held the Blue Flag since 1993 (Wikipedia).

Practical details

• Services listed by the tourist board: lifeguards, toilets, foot showers, walkways, floating platforms, sports games, a taxi rank, parking, restaurants, hotels and a tourist information point.
• Tourist information: Tourist Info Alicante – Playa San Juan, on Avenida de Niza next to the Red Cross post, opens in the high season. Its listed 2025 timetable was 15 June to 30 September, every day, 10:00–14:00 and 17:00–20:00 (Comunitat Valenciana, checked November 2026; the 2026–27 dates were not yet listed).

Accessibility and safety

The regional tourist board says accessibility is a priority at San Juan: there are several accesses for people with reduced mobility, an exclusive car park and, in summer, supervised recreational areas for people with intellectual disabilities (Comunitat Valenciana). Walkways cross the sand, and the beach holds an accessibility label.

The beach faces the open sea, so waves build on windy days. Swim near the lifeguard posts and follow the flags. In an emergency call 112.

Dogs: we could not confirm the rules for dogs on San Juan beach. El Campello’s tourist board names Punta del Riu, further north, as its dog-friendly beach (Comunitat Valenciana).

Best time to visit

For a full beach day come between mid-June and the end of September, when the summer services and the beach information office run. Alicante city says the climate gives more than 300 days of sunshine a year (Comunitat Valenciana), and the promenade is busy all year round, so a walk or run here works in any season. Around the summer solstice the city celebrates Las Hogueras de San Juan, from 20 to 24 June, a festival of International Tourist Interest whose bonfire figures burn on the night of 24 to 25 June (Comunitat Valenciana). Expect the beach and the trams to be very busy that week.

Nearby alternatives

• MARQ – Archaeological Museum of Alicante, 6.1 km away: the province’s archaeology from prehistory to the modern age, on the tram line into town.
• Playa del Postiguet, 6.3 km away: the short, calm city-centre beach below the castle.
• Santa Bárbara Castle, 6.4 km away: the fortress on Mount Benacantil, reached by lift from Postiguet.
• Torre de la Illeta (El Campello), 7.3 km away: the 1557 watchtower and the Illeta dels Banyets archaeological site at the far end of Muchavista.
• Cala del Barranc d’Aigües (El Campello), 11.1 km away: a small cove for those who prefer rock and clear water to a long sandy beach.

Distances are in a straight line from the middle of the beach. For the whole city see our Alicante guide, and for the town behind the beach our Sant Joan d’Alacant and El Campello guides.

FAQ

How do I get to San Juan beach from Alicante city centre?

Take the tram. Line L4 runs from the centre to a loop through the Playa de San Juan district, with stops on Avenida de la Costa Blanca one street behind the sand. The beach is about 7 km from the Explanada in a straight line.

How long is San Juan beach?

Almost 3 km on the Alicante side and about 85 m wide. It continues north as Muchavista beach in El Campello; together they measure about 6.2 km.

Is there parking at San Juan beach?

Yes. The tourist board lists parking, including a car park reserved for people with reduced mobility, and there are public car parks in the streets behind the beach. We could not confirm prices or capacity, so on summer weekends the tram is easier.

Is San Juan beach in Alicante or El Campello?

Both. The southern part, from Cabo de la Huerta, belongs to Alicante and is San Juan beach; the northern part belongs to El Campello and is called Muchavista.

Sources and freshness