-Europe.Spain.Alicante-
When I found out that it is possible to fly directly to Alicante from our city airport, I took the chance to plan to spend my birthday in Spain. I mean why not ? After all in October it pays to be in the South to prolong summer as much as possible.
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Table of Contents
Getting From Airport to Alicante
Whether you are here to board a cruise or simply flying in for a holiday to the Costa Blanca region, I can highly recommend the Alicante airport. Why so , you may wonder.. Well because it is only 20 – 30 minutes drive away to Alicante city itself and this makes so much difference to the comfort of arriving and leaving the city.
*Note: If you don’t have a European sim card, do yourself a favour by getting an e-sim. I always use Airalo for my travels.
By Taxi Cab
The most comfortable way is of course with the taxi. You get door-to-door service and with bigger luggages this makes the most sense too. The taxi stand at the airport is right outside the Arrivals Hall at Level 0. The official taxis are run by Radio Taxi Elche (white cars with green stripes with the logo at the side.)
The price is a fixed rate between 19 to 21 Euros dependent on the time of the day. Expect higher rates Monday to Friday after 10pm to 6am and on weekends and public holidays after 6pm to 6am.
Here is the link to check prices and destinations on their home page.
*Tip: If someone in your party is a wheelchair user, you can book a wheelchair adapted taxi from Alicante Region Transfers
By Public Bus
We took the public bus as we had little luggage with us and the bus runs every 20 minutes to the city! This is definitely our preferred method together with costing a reasonable 3.85 Euros. Ticket is purchased from the bus driver. It’s best to have the exact change if paying by cash or to a maximum of 10 Euros. Card and contactless payments are accepted as well.
The C-6 bus can be found on the Departures floor at Level 2. For directions, see the video below.
For updated bus schedules, bus stops check here
Getting Around Alicante
While Alicante is a very walkable city, the great news is that public transport here is extensive with buses and trams and reasonably priced too. You can of course get around with the abundance of taxis as well.
Taxis
Taxis can be hailed from the roads, taken from taxi ranks all over the city or ordered through the web page or through the phone. Best to download and use the PideTaxi app which can check your location as you are booking online.
We took the taxi from our Hotel to the airport on the day we left – the reception helped us make the booking. Truth be told I was nervous that the taxi would not arrive : since it was for 5am and no buses were running to the airport then. The taxi came punctually and we were whisked off to the airport smoothly.
*Tip: If you do encounter any problems with some taxis, take down details like license plate, driver name and make a report to the foreign tourist police +34 902 102 112
Public Transport
We moved around in Alicante by walking and taking the bus and tram to places a bit further. Alicante city is served with red-coloured buses while the blue-coloured ones go to neighbouring cities.
As we were there for some days, we bought the TAM Mobilis card with 10 trips with no time limit. This card can be used for multiple persons, so we bought a single card and used it for the both of us. This card can be reloaded and is valid for trams, buses (both colours – except to the airport) . We bought this card from the Mercado Tram stop from the counter where I could ask questions just to be sure. This card can also be bought and loaded from the machines.
The bus stops have a QR code scan which brings you to the site of bus schedules to check when the next bus will arrive. Each time we got on the bus we just showed the TAM Mobilis card to the driver and validated it. We could change buses or tram within 60 minutes and will count as one trip. This is however only valid with the card and not with individual tickets.
We took the tram from Luceros station to MARQ , there is a ticket machine inside the tram. The short trip was a comfortable ride in the clean and fast tram, bypassing the road traffic.
Where we stayed in Alicante
We chose to base ourselves in Alicante city center which worked out perfectly for our short trip as it was just easy to walk around , food hunt (section coming soon..) and then go back to the hotel for a short rest before continuing our city exploration. We stayed in Tomate Rooms –
What to see and do in Alicante
In total we spent 3 full days and an evening in Alicante. This is just nice to have a relaxing time wandering around Alicante city and immersing in the nightlife of Spain. Above I described how we got around with a combination of walking, bus and tram, we managed to see some nice sights. We arrived in the evening and after checking in and placing our luggage in the hotel, we were ready to get our first look at the city.
Passeig Esplanada d'Espanya
This is the famous promenade close to the beach. Broad and with plenty of restaurants where you can get your fill of people-watching. Very beautifully lined with palm trees and nice buildings.
Calle San Francisco
This pedestrian only street was seedier in the end of last century – the state cleaned it up and gave it a new lease putting up the mushrooms to attract tourists and not surprisingly is more known as the mushroom street. We walked here almost every day because of the small restaurants, tapas bar, pastry and ice cream shops here.
Alicante Central Market (Mercado Central)
We took a stroll to the Central Market and saw a lot of shops along the way. There is a tram station – Mercat close by and we bought our transport ticket here. The market itself opens at 7am until 2pm and is closed on Sunday. An interesting building along the busy road , you won’t miss it. Inside are the meat, seafood, fruits and vegetable sections. Check out the video of our visit. We ended up buying fruits like persimmon and valencia oranges.
The area around the market is very lively and full of cafes and tapas bars. The nightlife here you can find on the Ruta de la Madera.
Plaza de la Luceros
The other tram station is in Luceros , known for its beautiful plaza centerpiece. It is one of the lovely squares you can find around Alicante. The square also serves as a roundabout on this busy intersection. Its a great place to just walk and window shop. Loads of shopping opportunities, restaurants to keep you occupied for some time.
Castle of Santa Barbara
The fortification is built on the Mount Benacantil 166 meters high above overlooking Alicante and the blue sea. You get views all around from the top and that is on of the main reasons to visit. Entrance to this place is free, yet another reason to visit. There are opening hours to visit the castle and corresponds with the lift and bus service up.
You have 3 options to get up there:-
1. Walk up (Cost: Free) – around 30 minutes. You can use google maps to point you in the right directions. Beware of the heat in summer and once at the top, there is still plenty of walking to do around the castle.
2. Take the lift (Cost: 2,70 Euros) – across the road from Posiguet Beach in Avenida Juan Bautista Lafora. *Tip: If you are above 65 years of age bring along an identity card and the lift will be for free
3. Take the bus (Cost: 1,45 Euros/way) – We took the bus from Plaza Puerta del Mar close to the Posiguet Beach. Bus intervals are 20 minutes.
*Tip: Use the shuttle bus up and walk down to the Barrio de Santa Cruz neighbourhood.
El Barrio de Santa Cruz
Refers to the old quarter of Alicante. This area is a residential area and very photogenic as its residence dress up their houses with colourful plaques and pots as well as with colourful plants. We were there early in the morning and it was quiet. Come lunchtime, the activity is in full swing as open doors carry delicious smell of cooking from the homes and the children are outside playing.
Nice squares in the city
My two favourite squares near the Calle San Francisco.
The first is Plaza de Gabriel Miro. Beautiful shady park with benches and a beautiful fountain that is in the sun. Good for some quiet time to sit and chill here.
The second is Plaza Portal de Elche. Right in the middle is a kiosk serving cocktail and coffee. The surrounding giant ficus trees provide shade and something to talk about as the trees look really impressive.
Cocatedral de Sant Nicolau de Bari d'Alacant
This cathedral is very central and you are bound to come across it while exploring the city as we did. So why not just pop in to admire the baroque chapel.
Alicante Town Hall
I only managed to take a photo of the outside which looks like nice baroque architecture. Only after I read that visitors can casually walk inside. I am not sure if this is still relevant but the next time I am there I will try to check out the inside.
Postiguet Beach
The Postiguet Beach is very popular and gets crowded as it is a city beach, walking distance from the town center. The cruise port is about 2km away and often there are shuttle buses provided to the city. We were there at the beginning of October and still warm enough for swimming in the sea. t
Beach chairs , umbrellas, showers and lockers can be rented for convenience. The beach is clean with golden sands. There is a play area for children as well. The beach chair and umbrella is rented out at 9 Euros each for the day. There are 57 lockers of different sizes available for rent from 2 Euros / hour and this includes charging point to charge your mobile phones or other electronic devices while in storage. Handy right ?
Alicante Marina
Right off the main area across the road is the marina with boats of different sizes. We took a leisurely walk along the water’s edge to check out the boats.
MARQ Alicante
I got a great tip from my friend David who was there visiting before me and I will pass it along. He was telling me to visit MARQ – the Archeological Museum of Alicante. They were at this time showing the Qin & Han exhibits which included 9 Terracotta Warriors . The entry fee was incredibly reasonable at 5 Euros / per person. So do check what interesting exhibits are in MARQ at this link. The museum is easily reached with the tram or bus.
Just Watch It!
A short video compilation could give you a better immersive view of Alicante as we saw it. .
Just Pin It!
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Your post brought back some great memories of stopping in Alicante for a day on a cruise. We walked everywhere we went but good to know the public transit is ok. We stumbled into Calle San Fransisco by accident and were intrigued by the mushroom street design. We were sorry we did not get to visit the Castle of Santa Barbara as we saw it high above the city everywhere we went. Good to know we can take a lift to get up! Definitely looks like there is more to see and do on a return visit.
I love that promenade. With the shadows of the trees, it looks so exotic. I like the mushroom street too. Also, the house with the blue pots was marvellous. And your guide for reaching the city from the airport is so clear. I would also use the bus and the tram, as they are affordable and make exploration easy. I liked your video as well. It reminds me that I must get a stick for the phone to make some steady videos.
It’s so nice that you were able to take the train. It’s such a relaxing way to travel. Also, I’m glad that they cleaned up the pedestrian street area so that it wasn’t so unsafe. The mushrooms on the street are also such a cute addition. I was just in Spain (mostly Mallorca), but I need to get to Alicante someday!
I am so glad you went to such a nice place for your birthday. I am quite enamoured by the beaches here and I would not say no to those views from the castle too. Good tips on the transport bit – seems like the public bus would be the best option to get around. The mushroom street is quite quirky and unique too.
That mushroom street design is very interesting. The promenade looks very peaceful and with all the shadows fo the trees it looks amazing. The train journey must have been relaxing. I love the views of the castle and beaches. The baroque architecture of the town hall is impressive. I have not been to Alicante yet, must add it to my bucket list!.
Alicante looks like a delightful diversion. Hadn’t even heard of it before and now I’m trying to figure out when I can go. Your details about getting transportation from the airport, and around the city, are so clear — it seems very do-able. Visiting the castle would be top of my list. But I’d also like to see the cathedral and its baroque decor. And wouldn’t Mushroom Street be fun for an Instagram pic?!
I can see how the local government planned the city’s landscape and architecture smartly so it looks very pretty. I mean, look at that Mushrooms Street. I also like how the resident of El Barrio de Santa Cruz dresses up their houses to attract tourists. That’s really a beautiful thing to do for their town. However, I’m not too fond of the beach. There are too many people for a not-too-big beach.
Alicante looks like a great place to visit for your birthday. I have actually been to Spain this October too, in Andalucia. I would love to visit Alicante someday, it seems very laid back with a nice seaside vibe. I love going to the market in Spain, they usually have amazing lunches made by some of the vendors. The castle looks pretty amazing, on top of the hill. I would walk up, to build an appetite for food later, rather than take the bus.
Alicante looks like a perfect weekend trip from Germany. I have visited a lot of cities in Spain, but never had a closer look into Alicante. But I will do that after reading your engaging post. The marina looks so relaxed, I bet they have wonderful seafood restaurants there. Calle San Francisco with all this mushrooms looks weired – but in a good and interesting way.