The beautiful city of Alicante, Spain is located on a stretch of pristine coastline called Costa Blanca. The Costa Blanca gets its name from the light coloured sandy beaches that stretch for mile upon mile along the east coast of Spain. There are approximately 340,000 permanent residents living in Alicante.
Since it is a very common tourist destination, there are many flights to Alicante everyday although, it may be of interest to know that, the Alicante airport is rather small and the check out counters for outgoing flights are all located within the same area. Small airlines usually only have 1 or maybe 2 check in counters representing for their flights. It is a good idea to arrive early for your departure, especially in the summer.
The nearest hotel to the airport is a little over a mile away and that is the Areca Hotel Torrellano. This hotel is conveniently located about 7 miles from the centre of Alicante, which makes it very helpful for visitors to the city who also want to explore other parts of the coastline south of the city. There is also the Hotel Holiday Inn Elche. It’s a little over 2 miles from the airport. It's very clean and well suited for family or business stays. Other than these, there are many other hotel complexes within the city itself so depending on what you want from your holiday you might want to choose a hotel in or out of the main tourist areas.
There are 6 beach areas in Alicante that are visited by sun worshippers from all over the world. Playa del Postiguet is a 900m wide local beach popular for its accessibility. Playa del Coco is a smaller beach with a quaint little picturesque harbor. Playa de la Albufereta is a historical beach that is the site of an old Roman village called Lucentum. Playa de la Almadraba is a perfect little beach offering a getaway from the usual tourist destination. Cabo de las Huertas is unique with three remote coves and 2 risqué nudist areas. Playa de San Juan comes complete with an 18 hole golf course and boasts the finest white sand in all of Spain.
The weather in Alicante is a big selling point of this city and area as it enjoys mostly sunny days all year long with an average temperature of 67F. The best time to visit for sunbathing and beach going activities would be from May until October. Late summer in Alicante can be very hot, but thankfully the humidity is toned down by the constant cooling Mediterranean Sea breeze.
The mountainous backdrop and beautiful palm tree lined streets of Alicante offer so many different activities that you'll always have something to do. There are fabulous museums to visit in the city. If you prefer the outdoors, Mount Tossal Theme Park has many sport related activities to participate in right there in the park, including mountain climbing.
Try taking a trip along the scenic countryside. There are majestic castles located right in the centre of the city. Take a trip to The Castle of Santa Barbara, a medieval fortress sitting on the top of Mount Benacantil, or Castillo de San Fernando on Tossal hill, which is a counterpart to The Castle of Santa Barbara.
Alicante is alive after dark with an array of amazing bars and nightclubs to visit until the wee hours of the morning. El Barrio, in the older part of the city is where you will find narrow streets lined with many little cantinas. The Esplanada area is popular in the warmer months for it's variety of live outdoor musical acts. Whether you are looking for fast food or four star gourmets, you'll find a variety of amazing restaurants to enjoy in Alicante.
The currency used in Alicante, Spain is the Euro but if you are out shopping during the hours of 2pm to 5pm in the many wonderful shopping centres or street markets, you may want to be aware that some shops will close for siesta during these hours.
Alicante, Spain is the perfect place to relax and lose yourself a little in all the excitement it has to offer. There is such a variety here that it can fit the bill for families, couples, young and old alike so visit Alicante today for a holiday you wont forget quickly.