| Alicante Alacant | ||
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Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Valencian community | |
| Surface | 201.27 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 331.577 (2018) | |
| Name inhabitants | alicantini (alacantins or alicantinos) | |
| Prefix tel | 34 96 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 03000-03016 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | St. Nicholas of Bari, Our Lady of Remedies | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Alicante (Alacant) is a city of the SpainMediterranean, capital ofprovince of the same name.
To know
Alicante is a city with an exceptionally mild climate that ensures clear skies all year round. This mild climate is reflected in the behavior of the inhabitants, who love music and the happy life in general. The exuberance of the people of Alicante finds a way to express itself in the numerous religious and popular festivals that mark the various months of the year. An authentic explosion of collective joy can be defined as the feast in honor of John the Baptist which occurs every year from 19 to 24 June. The culmination of the festival is the famous bonfires in which elaborate and grotesque papier-mâché figures are burned (Hogueras de San Juan), paraded on wagons through the city streets in the previous days.
Geographical notes
Set in a bay on the Mediterranean coast, Alicante is surrounded by mountains.
Background
The name Alicante derives from the Greek Akro Lefko (white promontory). The Romans called it "Leucante or Lucentum" and the Moors "Al-Laqant".
How to orient yourself
Alicante city center: full screen map.L'Avenida doctor Gadea adorned with rows of tall palm trees it is the main avenue in the center of Alicante. The artery connects the Plaza de Calvo Sotelo with the promenade known as "Esplanada d'Espana". The center is bordered to the east by Mount Benacantil (169 m.) On top of which stands the Castillo de Santa Bárbara which characterizes the city landscape.
At the foot of Benacantil is the historic center with the picturesque district of San Roque.
To the west of the avenida doctor Gadea extends the Ensanche district with the railway station and the suburban bus station.
How to get
By plane
- 1 Alicante-Elche Airport (IATA: ALC). The airport is located southwest of the city center, at a distance of 9 kilometers. Connections from and to the center are provided by buses and taxis. Flights from Italian airports were operated at the end of 2019 by the following companies:
By car
Murcia is 81 km further south and Valencia 172 km further north. Madrid 417 km away.
On the train
- 2 Estación de Alicante-Terminal, Avda de Salamanca, 1, ☎ 34 902 432 343. The high-speed trains from Madrid (2 1/2 hours) intercity trains from Barcelona (5 hours), Valencia (2 hours) plus some suburban trains (cercanías) coming from Elche is Murcia.
- Services in the station include a left-luggage office, bike and car rental and a tourist information office.
By bus
- 3 Suburban bus station (Estación de Autobuses de Alicante / Estació Autobusos Alacant), Muelle de Poniente, s / n, ☎ 34 965 130 700, @[email protected]. A temporary station like the railway station, waiting for a single structure to be built where all medium-long distance means of transport will terminate. Several bus lines operate there with destinations both in Spain and abroad of Spain. The station is covered by Wi-Fi. Bus lines terminate there 6 is 24.
How to get around
What see
- 1 Santa Barbara Castle (Castillo de Santa Bárbara / Castell de la Santa Bàrbara).
Free admission. Located on the top of Mount Benacantil, at 166 m. high, the castle owes its name to the fact that it was snatched from the Arabs by Prince Alfonso of Castile on the day of Santa Barbara. It was renovated in the time of Philip II but in the following centuries it was repeatedly bombed. It was opened to the public in 1963 and in the same year the two lifts inside Mount Benacantil were inaugurated. The fortress houses the collections of the museum of the city of Alicante. The entrance to the lifts (for a fee) is located in front of the playa del Postiguet.
Free admission. Located on the top of Mount Benacantil, at 166 m. high, the castle owes its name to the fact that it was snatched from the Arabs by Prince Alfonso of Castile on the day of Santa Barbara. It was renovated in the time of Philip II but in the following centuries it was repeatedly bombed. It was opened to the public in 1963 and in the same year the two lifts inside Mount Benacantil were inaugurated. The fortress houses the collections of the museum of the city of Alicante. The entrance to the lifts (for a fee) is located in front of the playa del Postiguet.
- 2 Archaeological site of ancient Lucentum (El Tossal de Manises), C / de Zeus, s / n (Albufereta), ☎ 34 965 149 000. Free admission.
Winter: Tue-Sat 10: 00-14: 00 and 16: 00-18: 00, Sun 10: 00-14: 00; Summer: Tue-Sat 09: 00-12: 00 and 19: 00-22: 00, Sun 09: 00-12: 00. Although excavations are still ongoing, the site is open to the public. An area not of great interest. The foundations of the Baths, the forum and a Muslim cemetery have been identified there.
Winter: Tue-Sat 10: 00-14: 00 and 16: 00-18: 00, Sun 10: 00-14: 00; Summer: Tue-Sat 09: 00-12: 00 and 19: 00-22: 00, Sun 09: 00-12: 00. Although excavations are still ongoing, the site is open to the public. An area not of great interest. The foundations of the Baths, the forum and a Muslim cemetery have been identified there.
- 3 Basílica de Santa Maria, Plaza de Santa María s / n, ☎ 34 965216026. Free admission. The oldest church in the city was built in the 13th century on the site of a pre-existing mosque. Destroyed by a fire in the 15th century, it had to be rebuilt. It has a Baroque facade adorned with an image of the Virgin, made by the sculptor Juan Bautista Borja. Inside you can see the high altar in Rococo style and a huge baptismal font in Carrara marble.
Museums
- 4 Alicante Archaeological Museum (Arqueological Museum of Alicante), Plaza Dr Gómez Ulla, s / n, ☎ 34 965 149 000, @[email protected]. Adults € 3, reduced € 1.50. Disabled people, teachers, journalists and children who have not yet turned 8 free admission. Tue-Fri 10: 00-19: 00, Sat 10: 00-20: 30, Sun and holidays 10: 00-14: 00.
- 5 Museu de Belles Arts Gravina, C / Gravina 13-15 (Old Town), ☎ 34 965 14 67 80, @[email protected]. Free admission. 1 September - 30 June Tue-Sat 10: 00-20: 00, Sun and holidays 10: 00-14: 00; 1 July - 31 August: Tue-Sat 11: 00-21: 00, Sun and holidays 11: 00-15: 00. Museum mainly dedicated to works by local sculptors and painters from the 16th century to the first decades of the 20th century.
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- 6 Museu d'Art Contemporani d'Alacant (Museum of La Asegurada), Plaza de Santa María, 3, ☎ 34 965 213 156, @[email protected]. Free admission. Tue-Sat 10: 00-20: 00, Sun and holidays 10: 00-14: 00. There are exhibited works by great artists such as Dalí, Miró, Tàpies and others.
- 7 Museu de la Universitat d’Alacant (Museo de la Universidad de Alicante / MUA), Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig, s / n (Campus de la Universidad de Alicante), ☎ 34 965 909 387, fax: 34 965 903 464, @[email protected]. Free admission. Mon-Fri 09: 00-20: 00, Sat-Sun 10: 00-14: 00.
- 8 Water Museum (Museo de Aguas de Alicante / Museu d’Aigües d’Alacant), Plaza Arquitecto Miguel López, s / n (Plaza del Puente, Casco Antiguo), ☎ 34 965 143 787, @[email protected]. Free admission. September-May: Tue-Fri 10: 00-14: 00 and 17: 00-20: 00, Sat-Sun 10: 00-14: 00; June-August: Tue-Fri 10: 00-14: 00 and 18: 00-21: 00, Sat-Sun 10: 00-14: 00.
Events and parties
- [link not working]Bonfires of San Giovanni. (Las Hogueras de San Juan). Alicante's most important festival kicks off on June 20, but citizens are already busy with preparations a few weeks earlier. Huge papier-mâché and wood figures are set up on the streets and squares which will then be burned on the night of San Giovanni. The "Palmera", a deafening fireworks display with fireworks that take the shape of a large palm, marks the start of the bonfires that will last until late at night. The nights of the following week are enlivened by other fireworks on the beach of Postiguet and by shows on the city streets between songs, dances and rivers of wine.
- Carnival.
- Holy Week.
- Santa Faz. Pilgrimage to a nearby village.
- Epiphany. As in the rest of Spain, the Epiphany is celebrated with a representation of the three wise men who bring gifts to the Baby Jesus.
- Moros y Cristianos. October.
What to do
Beaches
- 1 Tabarca island (Isla de Tabarca). Reachable by boat, the islet of Tabarca has two beaches, the playa de Tabarca and that of Puerto Viejo, both very crowded in the months of July and August.
- North of the center
- 2 Playa del Postiguet.
- 3 Playa de Serragrosa (playa de Santa Ana).
- 4 Playa de la Albufereta.
- 5 Playa de la Almadraba.
- 6 Cala Cantalares.
- 7 Playa de San Juan.
- 8 Playa de Muchavista.
- South of the center
- 9 Playa de los Saladares. A long beach on the border with the municipality of Elche. A section of the beach is reserved for nudists.
Shopping
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- 1 Mercado Central.
How to have fun
Alicantini have an open character and are music lovers.
Shows
- 1 Principal Theater.
- 2 Plaza de Toros.
Night clubs
The city has no shortage of clubs open late into the night. Most of these are located on the Esplanada d'Espana. At the moment (2009) the hottest spot on the seafront is the Potato bar. Others are located in the alleys of the center.
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
Until 2012 Alicante was considered one of the most dangerous cities of Spain. The following year there was a 59% drop in robberies and a 27.8% decrease in drug trafficking. This does not mean that you do not have to lower the level of guard.
How to keep in touch
Around
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- 4 Cuevas de Canelobre (Grotte del candelabro) - Caves famous for their large 70 m high vault, similar in shape to that of a cathedral. Only one of these caves can be visited.
