The Allure of Alicante

Sunny and warm weather all year-round, great scenery and amazing beaches make Costa Blanca holidays very popular with tourists. Alicante in particular is well worth a detour. We guarantee that you will be charmed by its lively atmosphere and the many historic sites that adorn its streets.

Castle of Santa Barbara

One such curiosity is the castle of Santa Barbara. Located on the mountain Monte Benacantil, this large medieval fortress was built in the 10th century. The best way to enjoy the castle and its surroundings is by walking up to the top of Monte Benacantil via a steep road. The less adventurous travellers can take the lift or alternatively, drive. Once at the top of the mountain, you will be able to explore several places of interest including dungeons, canons, and a moat to name but a few. You’ll also be able to enjoy some amazing views of Alicante’s beaches.

Alicante Beaches

Alicante is home to six beaches: Playa del Postiguet, Playa del Coco, Playa de la Albufereta, Playa de la Almadraba, Cabo de las Huertas, and Playa de San Juan. The beach in San Juan is the largest one, but the length of Playa del Postiquet, its beautiful surroundings and its central location make it really popular amongst tourists and locals. Playa del Postiquet, with its beach of clean and white sand, sits in front of a promenade bordered by palm trees.

Caves of Canelobre

The Caves of Canelobre, said to be around 150 million years old, are one of Alicante’s must-see attractions, and are only a thirty minute drive away from Playa del Postique. The entrance to the caves is located on the side of a mountain at 700m above sea level, offering the intrepid tourist some amazing views of the country side. The caves were once used as an ammunitions factory, and the man made footpaths are still in use to this day.

Video about the caves of Canelobre – http://www.cuevasdecanelobre.com/video.php

With its mix of carefree days at the beach and historical sightseeing, a visit to Alicante will be the highlight of your holidays on the Spanish Costa Blanca.

Related posts: Alicante festival | Mundomar Animal Park | Terra Mitica Theme Park

Carnivals in Alicante

Alicante is a truly Spanish Mediterranean city, with a sunny climate, leafy esplanades, outdoor cafés, a seafront promenade, and a calendar of vibrant fiestas. The city lies right at the heart of the popular Costa Blanca holiday resort region, so most visitors arrive here for its sandy beaches – but since the locals know how to throw a good party, it’s well worth timing your visit to include one of the big annual festivals.

Alicante Carnivals (Carnaval) February

Coming up in February there’s the lively 10-day Carnival, or Carnaval, held every year around Ash Wednesday. In 2010, this free fiesta takes place from 11 – 21 February, with the action centred along the city’s main thoroughfare, the Rambla. Year-round, this is a pleasant avenue for a stroll, lined with palm trees, ice cream shops and outdoor cafés. But during the Carnival the Rambla is a real feast for the eyes, with decorated floats, dancing, and marching bands. One of the highlights is Saturday’s Sábado Ramblero, an elaborate carnival costume parade which takes over the street like a grand masquerade ball.

Burial of the Sardine

On Ash Wednesday itself there’s the ‘Burial of the Sardine’, a bizarre event which involves various Carnival fraternities marching through the city in a Funeral Wake to ‘incinerate’ the sardine.

Las Fallas Valencia – March

If you are visiting this Spanish region later in March it is well worth having car hire Spain arranged to drive to and stay in nearby Vallencia which holds a festival Las Fallas which promises fireworks galore!

Every day at 2pm firecrackers rip through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in an noisy event called la Mascletá. This concert of gunpowder is very popular and involves different neighbourhood groups competing for the most impressive volley, ending with the terremoto, (literally means “earthquake”) as hundreds of masclets exploting simultaneously. While this may not be for the frail or faint-fainthearted, you understand how hearted, the Valencians got their valiant name.

Alicante Fire Festival (Hogueras de San Juan) June

If you’re planning ahead for a trip later in the year, Alicante is probably even more famous for its annual Fire or Bonfire Festival, known in Spanish as Hogueras de San Juan (Bonfires of St. John). As the name suggests, this spectacular, fire-filled fiesta involves bonfires and fireworks galore. A palm-shaped firework is launched into the sky to mark the beginning of the festival on 20 June, and celebrations continue until 24 June. The fiesta’s highlight is the collection of huge papier-maché and wooden sculptures, similar to the artworks created for Valencia’s Las Fallas festival, which are put on display around the centre – before they are finally burnt to the ground. Eventually the fires die down, but the partying carries on for several days and nights afterwards, along the narrow alleyways of El Barrio and right down to the beaches. Finally, there’s a competition to choose the next Belleza del Fuego (Beauty of the Fire), who is crowned the festival’s ‘Queen’ along with six Ladies of Honour. Other Posts with ideas for visiting Alicante and Costa Blanca

• Tera Mitica Theme Park
• Elche
• Mundomar