Alicante – An Ideal Base For Touring
Bearing in mind that it is a gateway to the Costa Blanca, Alicante is a perfect centre for touring. Containing a pleasing mixture of old and recent culture and traditions, Alicante is situated within the popular tourist region of the Costa Blanca. Alicante’s visitors enjoy a sunny, warm climate, a selection of the best beaches Spain has to offer together with some great examples of Moorish architecture.
Found on the Spanish coastline between the resorts of Elche and Benidorm, Alicante city sits in the shadow of its mountain top castle. The city and its surrounding landscape are scattered with churches with the most photographed of all of them being that of the Iglesia de Santa Maria. This is the oldest church in the city and was built between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries being at one time a mosque. The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was constructed in the 17th century in honour of Alicante’s patron saint and is therefore one of the most significant buildings in this area.
Alicante has generous servings of ancient buildings to please sightseers and historians alike and can be seen throughout the city with statues and columns making a feature of lots of a formerly uninspiring location. Keeping a sharp watch over Alicante Bay, the Castillo de Santa Barbara is recognised as one of the biggest medieval fortresses in Europe. Easily accessed by car or by elevator (lift) from the Paseo Maritimo, the castle has unbeatable vistas of the wonderful local area. Apart from the excitement the Castillo has on offer, Alicante has further architectural treasures such as the Provincial Gallery, formerly the Gavina Palace, plus its its 19th century bull-ring. The vast majority of the Alicante attractions are readily accessible using a hire car from Alicante Airport. Arranging your car rental online will normally save you money together with guaranteeing that your requested vehicle is definitely when you arrive at the airport.
Alicante is the ideal venue to come to enjoy life and the leading reason tourists come back every year. With such a varied range of accomodation on offer, there’s a great selection of of cheap Alicante Hotels to suit all pockets and tastes. The beaches here consist of wonderful golden sand and offer a variety of both accessible and secluded bays perfect for private sunbathing. Drive over to Albufereta Beach for outstanding range of water sports. It is a quiet spot that is generally unspoilt by the tourist masses.
The Playa del Postiguet is the perfect place for an evening stroll. You will join local inhabitants along this enchanting sea view – it’s a perfect location for a romantic evening. Formerly known as the Port of Madrid, Alicante Harbour offers a combination of sailing with fishing and is the ideal place to visit to find the best fish restaurants around. The harbour offers a good source of activity night and day. Here is where visitors come to eat incredibly delicious, fresh seafood, learn to sail and enjoy a bit of clubbing into the small hours.
Nobody enjoys a celebration as much as the locals and visitors of Alicante! Here you will discover a celebration of one type or another happening throughout the year, no matter what time of the year you want to visit. One of the more sombre of festivals in the Costa Blanca is the Easter Procession. Dressed in black and carrying candles, an effigy of Jesus is carried on a cross through the streets. Every November, in honour of the Patron Saint Crist del Bon Encert, every town has an individual fiesta. Don’t be surprised to find that shops are closed all day, every day as everything stops for this fantastic combination of singing, dancing and firework displays. On a lighter note, one of the most well known local fiestas is that of the International Puppet Festival.
