Scotland

Since it’s a gateway into the Costa Blanca, Alicante is a perfect touring base. Containing a pleasing melange of old and recent culture and traditions, Alicante is situated within the popular tourist region of the Costa Blanca. Visitors to Alicante enjoy a warm sunny climate, a selection of the best beaches Spain has to offer as well as the most remarkable of Moorish architecture.

Situated on the coast between the resorts of Benidorm and Elche, Alicante city sits in the shadow of its mountain-topped castle. The city and its surrounding landscape are scattered with churches with the most recognised of them all being the Iglesia de Santa Maria. This is the oldest church in the city and was built between the 14th and 16th centuries being at one time a mosque. The City’s St Nicholas Cathedral was built in the seventeenth century in honour of Alicante’s patron saint and is thus one of the most important buildings in the region.

Alicante has lots of ancient buildings to please historians and sightseers and can be seen all around the city with columns and statues adding interest to a number of once uninspiring sites. Keeping a keen watch across Alicante Bay, the Castillo de Santa Barbara is known as one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe. Easily accessed by road or by lift (elevator) from the Paseo Maritimo, the castle has unsurpassed views of the amazing surrounding area. In addition to the drama the Castillo has on offer, Alicante has more architectural treasures including the nineteenth century bullring and the Provincial Gallery (formerly the Gavina Palace). All of the Alicante attractions are readily accessible using an Alicante Airport hire car. Online booking of your hire car would be expected to produce big savings together with ensuring that your requested vehicle is actually available when you arrive at the airport.

Alicante is the perfect venue to come to enjoy life and the main reason tourists come back each year. With such a diverse range of accomodation on offer, there’s a great selection of of luxury Alicante hotels to suit every taste and pocket. The beaches here consist of wonderful golden sand and consist of both accessible and secluded bays perfect for private sunbathing. Make your way to Albufereta Beach where there is excellent range of water sports. It is a quiet spot that is relatively unspoilt by the tourist masses.

The perfect place for an evening stroll is provided by the Playa del Postiguet. You will join local inhabitants along this enchanting seaside walk - it’s a perfect location for bringing the day to a close. Formerly known as the Port serving Madrid, Alicante Harbour combines sailing with fishing and is the ideal place to come for the top fish restaurants around. Alicante harbour offers a perfect venue for activity day and night. Here is where visitors come to eat wonderfully fresh, delicious fish, learn sailing and finish the day off with a spot of clubbing into the early hours.

Nobody likes a knees up as much as the locals and visitors of Alicante! Here you will find a celebration of one type or another happening throughout the year, no matter what time of the year you choose to visit. One of the more sombre of festivals in the Costa Blanca is the Easter Procession. Dressed in black and carrying lighted candles, an effigy of Jesus is paraded on a cross around the streets. Each November, in order to honour 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 the town closes down for this wonderful combination of singing, dancing and firework displays. On a lighter note, one of the most renowned local fiestas is the International Puppet Festival.