A large city and a holiday resort on the Costa Blanca. The season lasts from April to October. The city has many faces and attractions, from interesting monuments to discos, clubs and bars.
The beaches of Alicante are wide and sandy. Most of them are open to the public and very well developed. Parallel to the coast stretches a representative city street, the promenade Explanada de España. Shaded with trees and bushes and built-up with tenement houses from the 18th and 19th centuries it is a great walking place. It was lined with three-colored tiles that give the illusion of waves. Not far from here to San Francisco street, known as Calle de Las Setas, on which there are large figures of mushrooms and snails.
Alicante also has many monuments. The most important of them is visible from afar on the rock above the city. It is Saint Barbara's Castle built by the Moors in the place of the former Carthaginian castrum. The castle is a great viewpoint. Below is the Old Town or Barrio de Cruz with medieval, baroque and eclectic buildings. There are many restaurants and bars in the narrow streets and squares. However, entertainment seekers should rather head towards the port, where there are numerous discos and clubs.
The most famous outdoor event in Alicante is Las Hogueras, which takes place in June. Colorful processions with dancers and huge, caricature figures pass through the streets of the city. The holiday is held to celebrate summer.
