Alicante Map , Tourist information, Guide and photographs, Costa Blanca, Spain

Alicante Tourist information, Alicante Attractions & Alicante Guide, Costa Blanca, Spain

Alicante Attractions and places to visit

Santa Barbara Castle (Castillo Santa Barbara)

Alicante Santa Barbara Castle

This enormous castle located on high cliffs just behind Alicante's sea front esplanade,  . Spectacular views of Alicante and the surrounding countryside can be seen from the castle ramparts.

Santa Barbara Castle Location

Situated on top of Benacantil Mountain, very near to the sea front and just East of the city centre

Access to the Castle

• A pedestrian tunnel and lift gives easy access to the castle. Located on the inland side of the dual Carriageway main road sea front buildings. Sign posted on the promenade and shown on our map
• A road winds itself up the mountain to a car park at the castle. Roads starts near Marq
• Various steep footpaths

More information, photographs & Access to Santa Barbara Castle 

See Location of Santa Barbara Castle, Marq & Lift on our Alicante Map

San Nicolas Co-Cathedral (Concatedral de San Nicolás de Bari)

San Nicolas de Bari Cathedral Alicante

San Nicolas de Bari Cathedral Alicante Exterior

San Nicolas Cathedral Description

• The San Nicolas Co-Cathedral , the main church in Alicante is renaissance style building. Building was completed in 1662. Rather plain on the outside but note the outstanding interior including the baroque styled alter and the grills and wooded doors of the cloister
• The blue tiled dome called a cupula is 45 metres high
• Built
  1616 to 1662 and built over a mosque
• Open
  Monday to Saturday: 11.30am - 12.30pm / 5.30pm - 6.30pm

San Nicolas Cathedral Location

• Located in the old town centre between the Town hall and Tourist information office
• Calle de los Labradores / Calle de Miguel Solar / Calle de San Nicolas

See Location of San Nicolas Cathedral on our Alicante Map

St. Mary's Church (Iglesia de Santa Maria)

Sant Maria Basilica Alicante

St. Mary's Church Description

• The Iglesia or Basilica de Santa Maria was built in the 13th-century replacing an ancient Arab mosque. The building is Alicante's oldest church and has a gothic interior, and baroque high altar and doorway and was on that was on the site. The church has been altered many times and now has a mix of architectural styles. Of particular note is the golden alter from the15th century and font from the 16th century
• Built in the 13^th century and rebuilt in the 15^th century
• Open
  Monday to Saturday: 10.30am - 12.00pm  / 6pm  -7.30pm

St. Mary's Church Location

• A few streets inland from the Tram Puerto del Mar Tram Stop on the sea front at the meeting of Calle Mayor and Calle Villavieja

See Location of St. Mary's Church on our Alicante Map 

Town Hall Alicante(Ayuntamiento)

Town Hall Alicante

Town Hall Description

• Designed as a Palace by the architect Lorenzo Chapula
• The elegant Baroque town hall was completed in 1760.
• The 2 towers are 165 foot high and built over archways allowing the visitor to access the other side of the building.
• One of the towers contains a clock on the front and back faces of the tower.
• Between the 2 towers is a stone balustrade and a central shorter tower capped with a blue tiled dome set back so is not noticed if viewing from close to the building.

Town Hall Location

• Located 150 metres back from the sea front esplanade at the corner of the Eastern harbour sea wall, and the Casa Carbonell
• Address: Plaza del Ayuntamiento, 1 The plaza has cafes

See Location of Town Hall on our Alicante Map

Carbonell House (Casa Carbonell) Alicante

Casa Carbonell Alicante

Casa Carbonell Description

• This outstanding building was built for the extremely rich textile magnate Enrique Carbonell from Alcoy, by the architect Juan Vidal Ramos between 1922 and 1925.

Casa Carbonell Location

• Located right on the sea front promenade, 1 Calle de l'Explanada de Espana opposite the eastern corner of the Marina.

See Location of Casa Carbonell on our Alicante Map

Alicante Promenade - the Explanada de España

Alicante Canalejas Park

Alicante Pavement Espanada

Alicante Promenade Description

• The section next to the Marina has got to be one of the best promenades any where in the world. Very wide with lines of palm and other trees, plenty of bars restaurants and cafes and occasional events.

Optical Illusion Pavement

• Look out for the pavement shown in our photograph, click photo to enlarge, and note how it is in undulating between low and higher sections.  This effect is an optical illusion caused by the pattern and is in fact perfectly flat.
• Some people can experiencea kind of dizzy feeling or vertigo when walking along this pavement.
• The effect is so realistic that some people can not walk on it

Open Air Craft Market

• One section of the promenade has an area of open air market stalls selling mainly craft items

Alicante Promenade Location

• The best part of the promenade backs the full length of Alicante port / maria and eastwards for about 200 metres backing the beach that continues up to La Marina Tram Station

See Location of Alicante Promenade on our Alicante Map 

The Mushroom Street

Interactive Photo of the Mushroom Street

Drag the photo Left, Right, Up, Down or Zoom. Click the up & down arrows to travel up or down the Mushroom Street.

• The Mushroom Street (Setas Street) is amazing.
• A narrow pedestrian street in the center of Alicante full of giant man made mushrooms painted in bright colours. Some are tallaround 3m & some are short & fat forming fairyland houses which kids can enter.
• It is a 130m central stretch of the longer C. San Francisco street that runs between Plaza Portal de Elche & Plaza Calvo Sotelo
• Both of these plazas are also worth a look at:
  • Plaza Portal de Elche has a small central cafe with tables set out under the plazas trees.
  • Plaza Calvo Sotelo. Bench seating under the trees, a small kids playground & a cafe in the corner with tables in the plaza.
  • The street floor is painted in green & yellow with a couple of hopscotch patches also painted.
• What used to be a street with a rather dubious reputation has been totally transformed with a 66.000 euro make over into a tourist attraction.
• This street is well worth a visit, especially if you have young children. They will love entering the mushroom with entrances & windows , looking at the faces on the mushrooms & the giant snails on the topa using the slides & having a game of hopscotch.
• Adults will also be interested with the shops, cafes & bars.

Childrens ADVENTURE Playground

Interactive Photo of ADVENTURE Playground

Drag the photo Left, Right, Up, Down or Zoom

• Sections for younger & more channelling for older children
• Bench seating arong the playground

Plaza de Luceros

Plaza de Luceros Alicante

Cafe in Plaza de Luceros Alicante

Plaza de Luceros Description

• A large circular plaza with a roundabout at the junction of the 2 main roads. In the centre of the roundabout is a tall imposing monument with beautifully statues, sculptures and carvings consisting of 4 horses, the four seasons
• The monument is surrounded by water jet fountains
• A ring of palm trees surround the roundabout and a second larger ring around the Plaza
• An underground tram station, Luceros, along with car parking opened under the Plaza in June 2010
• Luceros Tram Station is the nearest tram stop for Alicante Railway Station
• This is a nice spot to enjoy a break at one of the pavement bar / cafe/ restaurants in the Plaza

Plaza de Luceros Location

• At the Junction of Avenida de Alfonso el Sabio, Avenida de la Estación Paseo de Soto and the Paseo General Marv

See Location of Plaza de Luceros on our Alicante Map 

Alicante Old Town - Santa Cruz

• The district of Santa Cruz is the oldest quarter of Alicante
• Located on the slope of Mount Benacantil
• Featuring narrow cobbled sloping streets many will lots of steps
• With small white or brightly coloured houses with balconies decorated with flowers
• Extremely picturesque.
• The routes to Ereta park & the walk to Santa Barbara Castle pass through this district

Interactive Photo of Fuente de San Ant & Calle Pedro Sebastià

Drag the photo Left, Right, Up, Down or Zoom

El Ereta Park

El Ereta Sign

El Ereta Park Description

• The most interesting of the several paths up to the castle is through El Ereta Park

El Ereta Park Location

El Ereta Park is located on the South Western slopes of Mount Benacantil. It is located between the Santa Barbara castle and the old part of Alicante.

If you are feeling fit it is a steep uphill climb to the castle

See Location of Ereta Park on our Alicante Map 

Tours from Alicante

Guadalest and Algar Springs Guided Tour from Alicante

Guadalest is the most visited town in Spain with more than 2 million visitors a year.

Click Photo for larger Image

• 

  Guardalest Fortified Entrance Tunnel Through The Cliff Face

• 

  Stairs up to Guadalest-Castle

• 

  Guadalest Warning Bell Tower

• 

  Swimming in the Algar Pools. Not possible after heavy rain

• 

  One of the Algar waterfalls. Path up the gorge on the left

Guadalest and Algar Springs Guided Tour, More Information

Provincial Council Alicante

Alicante Provincial Council
Provincia Palace Alicante

Alicante Provincial Council Description

The Alicante Provincial Council building is on a busy road, Avda. de la Estacion. It was built by Juan Ramos a famous Alicante architect in 1928. Who also built the Edificio Carbonell Building which stands at number 1 on the Explanada de España.

Once you are inside this beautiful building there is an art gallery and also 'Garden of Celebrites' which has 'monuments' honouring Alicante's celebrities.

The architecture is influenced by the Italian and Baroque neoclassical style of the Bourbon ic palaces in Madrid.
The role of the Alicante Provincial Council is to cover all the municipalities that make up the province of Alicante. The Provincial Council is formed by elected representatives from the municipal councilors. It is headed by a president.

Alicante Provincial Council Location

Address: Avda. de la Estación, 6, Alicante

See Location of Provincial Council on our Alicante Map 

Our Lady of Grace Parish Church  (Nuestra Senora de Gracia Alicante)

Nuestra Senora de Gracia tower

Nuestra Senora de Gracia is the centre building on the right

Our Lady of Grace Parish Church (Nuestra Senora de Gracia) Description

The church was burned down in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War 1936 - 39 and rebuilding started in 1945 and the new modern church opened in 1951

It is necessary to stand back from the building to obtain a good view of the large dome

Nuestra Senora de Gracia Location

The Front is facing the large square, Plaza de Montanyeta, and the 38 metre tall octagonal,tower at the rear is at the junction of Calle Felipe Berge & Calle Jerusalen and has an entrance to the sacristy

See Location of Nuestra Senora de Gracia on our Alicante Map 

MARQ Archaeological Museum (Museo Arqueologico MARQ)

MARQ Museum

MARQ Archaeological Museum Description

The MARQ Museum is a traditional museum with items being classified and indexed.but displays it's artifacts in a modern artistic manner and also uses audi / visual displays.

There is a small entrance fee with concession prices for students, Senior citizens etc.

MARQ Archaeological Museum Location

The museum is located 200 metres North from the underground MARQ tram station, behind the Sanitarium Hospital, Casa Reposo y Sanatorio del Perpetuo Socorro

Address: Plaza del Doctor Gómez Ulla, Alicante.   Telephone: 965 149 000    Website  Click the Union Flag for English pages

Bus: Routes 2,6,9,20 and 23
Tram Lines 1,2,3  Tram Station Marq

See Location of MARQ Archaeological Museum on our Alicante Map 

Alicante Bullring (Plaza de Toros) & Bullfighting Museum (Museo Taurino) Alicante

Alicante Bull Ring

Bullfighting Museum

Bullring (Plaza de Toros) & Bullfighting Museum Description

A permanent collection of bull fighting artifacts and memorabilia. See the beautiful suit of lights, matador capes and sword.  There is also some stuffed bulls heads mounted on the walls.

Bullring (Plaza de Toros) & Bullfighting Museum Location

The museum is located next to the Alicante Bullring (Plaza de Toros, 7). The sand coloured building just in front of the bullring and left of photograph centre  and church dome

See Location of Bullring & Bullfighting Museum on our Alicante Map 

Nativity Museum (Museo de Belenes)

Museo de Belenes Description

Houses a world collection of figures& includes the different aspects of the birth and life of Jesus Christ,

In Spain families tend to have a nativity scene as the centre piece of there christmas decorations in place of the British tradition of a christmas tree.

Museo de Belenes Location

Located 100 metres north of the just up the road from the tree lined square to the rear of Town Hall

Address: c / San Agustín, 3, 03002, Alicante, Spain

See Location of Nativity Museum on our Alicante Map 

El Palmeral Park

El Palmeral Park By yosoylamarty

El Palmeral Park Description

El Palmeral Park is beautiful and a local favourite park in Alicante. The park has trails to walk along, lakes, streams, children's playgrounds, picnic tables, a concert area, toilets, cafe bar, and a cross country cycling circuit

Near the main road the park is maintained with 100's of palm trees and much greener than the rougher scrub land with walking trails further inland

El Palmeral Park Location

600 metres south of the southern section of the port on the land ward side of the coastal road, Avenida de Elche.

See Location of El Palmeral Park on our Alicante Map 

Old TowMuseo de Arte Moderno Descriptionn

Alicante Old Town

Old Town Description

Old Town Location

See Location of Modern Old Town on our Alicante Map 

Modern Art Museum (Museo de Arte Moderno)

Museo de Arte Moderno Location

See Location of Museo de Arte Moderno on our Alicante Map 

The Harbour & Boat Trips

Alicante Boat Trips

Island of Tabarca (Isla Tabarca)

The Isla Tabarca is located 3 miles from Santa Pola and 11 miles from Alicante. The island declared an historic monument in 1964 The island has fortified walls, bastion and doorways and was a an island from which pirates operated in ancient times.

See Location of The Harbour & Boat Trips on our Alicante Map 

Alicante Bars, Cafes & Restaurants

Alicante has a fabulous pavement cafe culture, with pavement cafe ,bars & restaurants scattered through out the city centre. Below is a small selection of photographs of these venues to wet your appetite taken in a walk around the centre.

Alicante Cafe Espanada

Alicante Cafe in shade of a large Fig Tree

Cafe in Alicante's Calle Mayo

Alicante Street Cafes

Plaza Nueva

Casa de Gadea Cafe

Alicante Town Hall Archway, Cafes are in the Plaza

Plaza Nueva Cafe

Cafe opposite Alicante Bus Station

Town Hall Fountains

Cafe in Plaza de Luceros Alicante

Old Town steps

Alicante Beaches

Alicante Transport

Alicante Bus Station

Alicante RENFE Train Station

Alicante & Costa Blanca Trams formerly the FGV railway

Alicante Bus Station  (Estacion de Autobuses de Alicante)

Alicante Bus Station Description:

The bus Station consists of a large building with information / ticket offices for several bus companies including Subus & Alsa. There is also a cafe , and more cafes opposite the main entrance in Calle Portugal.

To the rear are the open air bus stands. with passenger areas covered with a flat roof supported on pillars

Alicante Bus Station Address:

Calle Portugal, 15-17. 3003 Alicante
Tel. 0034 965985003

Alicante Bus Station Entrance

Bus Platforms Alicante Bus Station

Bus Station Location

See Location of Alicante Central Market on our Alicante Map

Alicante Railway Station

RENFE

Alicante RENFE Train Terminal

Information & tickets
Alicante RENFE Train Station

3 Trains in

RENFE is Spain's National Rail Network with rail connections to France and the rest of Europe including the UK via the Channel Tunnel

The Euromed is a high speed train that operates between Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante.

Eurail Global Pass

Youth Pass

Seniors Pass

Passes, Rail Tickets

Alicante & Costa Blanca Trams

The former FGV railway from Alicante - Benidorm - Denia is now mainly converted to a modern tram system. With an increase in the number of lines in and around Alicante with further line additions being carried out or being planned.

La Marina Tram station

In depth information can be found here The Tram / Ferrocarril de la Generalitat Valenciana ( FGV )

Tram Maps

Tram Map Lines 1  Alicante - Benidorm & Line 3 Alicante Mercado - Venta Lanuza

Tram Map Line 3   Alicante Puerta del Mar r - Plaza La Coruna

Shopping in Alicante

Central Market (Mercado Central) Alicante

Alicante Central Market

Alicante Central Market Description

A distinguished art deco building built by Juan Vidal Ramos in 1911 to 1912 on the site of the old city walls.  The building is rectangular in shape with a round extension, topped with a cupola in the front left corner.

The market has a wide variety of food that is popular with the local residents

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday: 7.30am - 2.30pm.

Alicante Central Market Location

Located at 1 Av de Alfonsso X El Sabio, 100 metres down hill from the underground Mercado Tram station

See Location of Alicante Central Market on our Alicante Map

El Corte Ingles Department Stores in Alicante

Alicante El Corte Ingles

El Corte Ingles Description

El Corte Ingles is Spain's largest chain of Department Stores that has branches through out Mainland Spain, Canary Islands and Balearic Islands

The 3 stores in Alicante are located fairly close together and each store specialises in the goods on offer  as displayed next to the addresses below

El Corte Ingles Location

• Av.Maisonnave 53 - Fashion
• Av.F.Soto 1 and 3 - House & Home
• Castelar, 3 - Computer, Audio and Video

See Location of El Corte Ingles on our Alicante Map 

Craft-Market on the Promenade Alicante

Alicante Open Air Market

Handbag Stall

Craft-Market Description

The market has a wide selection of stalls selling mainly craft type goods

Craft-Market Location

See Location of Craft-Market on our Alicante Map

Rambla de Mendez Nunez Alicante

Sculpture

Description of Rambla de Mendez Nunez

The Rambla de Mendez Nunez is the main shopping street in Alicante. A tourist Information office is also located in this street

and also the streets westwards to Avenida de Federica Soto

Rambla de Mendez Nunez Location

The Rambla runs from near the Mercado Tram Station to the Casa Carbonell on the sea front

See Location of Rambla de Mendez Nunez on our Alicante Map 

Panoramis Shopping Centre Alicante

Panoramis Shopping Centre

Panoramis Shopping Centre Description

• A shopping centre with a wide variety of shops, bar / cafes,pubs, restaurants
• I have read that since the Cinema closed the shopping centre has declined in popularity, with some shops closing

Panoramis Shopping Centre Location

Located on the western side of the marina and overlooking it.

Address: Muelle de Poniente, 6

See Location of Panoramis Shopping Centre on our Alicante Map

Plaza Mar 2 Shopping Centre Alicante

Plaza Mar 2 Shopping Centre Description

• Is the largest Shopping Centre in Alicante
• Multi Screen Cinema
• 120 Retail Outlets including:
  • Fashion
  • Leisure
  • Restaurants
• Massive Free Car Park for 2600 Cars

Plaza Mar 2 Shopping Centre Location

Located on Avenida Denia, 400 metres north west from Marq Tram station

Website

See Location of Plaza Mar 2 Shopping Centre on our Alicante Map

More Shopping ideas

Mecadillo de Campoamor a market located in Campoamor near to the Bull Ring

Destinations from Alicante Train Station

Alicante is the only Costa Blanca Railway Station on the Costa Blanca. See the Tram for narrow track Costa Blanca Tram Stations.

The nearest coastal railway stations to Alicante

Gandia Costa del Azahar,  110 km (68 mi) north of Alicante then Valencia

Cartagena Costa Cálida to the south

Murcia / Alicante Cercanías Railway Lines

ThePanoramis Shopping Centre