Bienvenido to Alicante. The place where tapas is at your disposal, shopping is aplenty and beaches stretch for miles upon miles, providing a holiday dream on the east coast of Spain. Undoubtably, Alicante is one of the most influenced provinces influenced by tourism, due to the connections at Alicante airport and the pull of so many beautiful resorts and coastal towns along the coast, but don’t let that put you off for its stunning coastline, beautiful architecture and array of local foods, it’s definitely worth a visit. Alicante, much more than an airport.

Quick Guide:

Time Zone: GMT + 1

Plug Socket: European

Currency: Euro

Language: Spanish and Valencian. English very widely spoke

Climate: A comfortable and welcoming year-round temperature. Very hot in July, August and September. Low rainfall. October is the wettest month.

How long a stay: If you’re planning to head on holiday to Alicante, it’s very easy to spend a few days in the centre and take excursions to other locations on the Costa Blanca.

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What to pack: With a pleasing climate all year round, it’s easy to pack lightly for Alicante. If you’re travelling in the summer months, you’ll definitely need to stock-up with swimwear, shorts and light clothing. If you’re heading out in the winter months, be sure to pack a few jumpers and have a jacket, just in case. In the sun, you can bask in 20 degrees temperatures during the winter months, but once the sun drops and the temperature dips you can feel lows of 5 at night. In Autumn, I’d suggest t-shirts, shorts and a light jacket in the evening. In Spring, skirts, dresses, shorts and t-shirts will be perfect. You may want to pack a light jacket, just in case.

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What’s the Weather Like?

Getting to Alicante

For those that don’t know, Alicante is located on the Costa Blanca, Spain. It’s on the East coast of Mainland Spain and is surrounded by an array of terrain, ranging from mountains to beaches, fields and flatlands. The Costa Blanca has such a range to see and it’s definitely worth taking a drive around to see the vast changes.

Flights to Alicante are direct from every major UK, up to three times daily per airline, so you’re sure to pick up a bargain. Jet2, Ryanair, Easyjet and Iberia all fly regularly between the UK and Alicante. From the rest of Europe, there are flights almost daily from Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon and more.

How to take the Tram to Alicante from Benidorm

If you’re already on holiday in Benidorm, here is how you can get to Alicante.

Benidorm has good connections with Alicante. To use the tram, you’ll need to head to one of the four tram stations in Benidorm and get the L1 tram with Alicante on the front. If you’re staying in Poniente, you can either use Terra Mitica tram stop or Centro Comercial La Marina Finestrat tram station. If you’re staying in the old town or in Levante, you’ll want to use either Benidorm or Benidorm Intermodal.

*PLEASE NOTE: Benidorm Intermodal may require a change of tram*

To get to Alicante, you can get your ticket either on the train or at the ticket office if you’re at the Benidorm stop. If a conductor is on board, you can also purchase a ticket from them.

1. You’ll need to select your “DESTINO”, which will be the Alicante stop you are getting off at.
2. You’ll need to select your “ORIGEN” which is the tram stop you got on at.
3. Select the number of tickets you are purchasing by using the arrows. 
4. Insert either cash or card. If you are paying by cash, you cannot input too high of a note. For example, for less than 5€ they don’t give change for more than a 10€ note. Be prepared to have some spare change, or smaller notes, with you.
5. Keep hold of your ticket as a conductor may get on at any point and you’ll need it to scan when you exit.
6. Failing to show a valid ticket on board the Alicante tram holds a 100€ on the spot fine.

Which Alicante Tram stop is the best to get off at?

The best tram stop is Mercado Tram Stop, which is close to the castle and the shopping areas of the city. As you exit the tram station, walk downwards towards the marina and turn left when you arrive at the seafront. Walking along the road, the entrance to the life of the castle is a short walk of around 5 minutes.

What to see and do in Alicante

Visit the Santa Barbara Castle

The Santa Barbara Castle is a beautiful spot to see all across Alicante. I’d recommend getting the lift up as opposed to climbing up which is quite a hike. There are spectacular views of the harbour and the main city from up there and there is also a café to sit and relax.

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Go Shopping in the centre

Alicante is known for having a much better shopping experience than many other places around the area. You’ll be able to shop in top designer names, as well as a tourist favourite, Primark.

There are plenty of shopping centres around Alicante. Don’t miss El Corte Inglés which is packed with designer labels, like my personal favourites: Levi’s; Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein!

Head to the cinema

The main reason for us visiting Alicante is almost always for the cinema at Plaza Mar. Kinepolis shows movies in V.O.S (English!) every day with the subtitles in Spanish. It’s a great way to see all the new movies coming out without having to see them dubbed into Spanish. Of course, we want the Spanish movies in Spanish, but I can’t stand to see their mouths move differently when it’s dubbed. It’s also a great way to pick up some Spanish too! The tickets are super economical too. We usually pay around 7€ for each adult!

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The Nativity Museum

Who said Christmas is just for December? If you’re visiting with children, you ought to visit the nativity scene museum located on San Augustin Street. It’s a little peculiar watching Christmas clips and hearing the music in the height of summer, but it’s a cool experience!

The museum is packed with hundreds of different nativity scenes and figures related to all over the world. Entrance is free too, so even if you don’t particularly enjoy it, at least it didn’t cost you anything!

Mushroom Street

You have to visit the mushroom street in Alicante! With mushrooms dotted along the street, it’s such an awesome feature and the kids are sure to love it.

Calle de las Setas is on Calle San Francisco, 32, 36, 03001, Alicante

Beach days

The beach is a gorgeous white beach which has a unique backdrop of the Santa Barbara castle. It’s a wonderful place to bask in the sun and play in the waves. There are also lots of boat trips departing from the harbour and plenty of water sports.

Where to eat in Alicante

We love a few places that are dotted around Alicante, 100 Montaditos is a good spot to get little sandwiches. On a Wednesday and a Sunday, all montaditos are 1€. For Italian food, we always trust Gino’s which is part of the VIPS group. For the morning coffee, you’ll be pleased to know that Starbucks is scattered around, but don’t forget to try the local coffee shops where the coffee is much cheaper and has that Spanish kick to it.

Other highly related restaurants:

Templo – Calle Periodista Pirula Arderius, 7, 03001 Alicante

La Taberna del Gourmet – Calle San Fernando, 10, 03002 Alicante

La Mary – Carrer Castaños, 5, 03001 Alicante

Thai Corner – Calle Labradores, 12, 03002 Alicante

Restaurante Lluvia (vegetarian) – Calle Poeta Quintana, 20, 03004 Alicante

El Portal – Calle Bilbao, 2, 03001 Alicante

Important Travel Numbers and Information

 

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