posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Dec 2
Bearing in mind that it is a gateway into the Costa Blanca, Alicante is an excellent touring base. With a refreshing mixture of old and recent traditions and culture, Alicante is found within the popular holiday region of the Costa Blanca. Alicante’s visitors enjoy a sunny, warm climate, a selection of the best beaches Spain can offer as well as the most remarkable of Moorish architecture.
Found on the Spanish coastline between the resorts of Elche and Benidorm, Alicante city sits below its mountain top castle. The city and the surrounding areas are peppered with churches with the most photographed of all of them being the Iglesia de Santa Maria. This is the oldest church in the city and was built between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries being at one time a mosque. St Nicholas Cathedral in the city was constructed in the 17th century in honour of the city’s patron saint and is therefore one of the most significant buildings in this area.
Alicante has lots of ancient buildings to satisfy historians and sightseers and can be seen all around the city with statues and columns making a feature of lots of a once uninspiring location. Offering a sharp eye over Alicante Bay, the Castillo de Santa Barbara is said to be one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe. Easily reached by car or by elevator (lift) from the Paseo Maritimo, the fortress has unrivalled vistas of the stunning surrounding region. In addition to the excitement the Castillo offers to visitors, Alicante has further architectural treasures in the form of the Provincial Gallery, formerly the Gavina Palace, together with its nineteenth century bull-ring. The vast majority of the Alicante sights are readily reached using a rental car from Alicante Airport. Online booking of your hire car will normally produce big savings as well as guaranteeing that the model of car that you want to book is definitely upon your arrival at the airport.
Alicante is the ideal resort to come to enjoy yourself and the main reason guests come back every year. With such a diverse range of accomodation on offer, there’s a great selection of of value for money Alicante hotels to suit every taste and pocket. The beaches here have the most golden sand and offer a variety of both easy to get to and hidden bays perfect for private sunbathing. Make your way to Albufereta Beach where you will find excellent water sport capabilities. It is a quiet spot that is generally undiscovered by the majority of tourists.
The ideal place for an evening stroll is provided by the Playa del Postiguet. You will join the locals along this enchanting seaside walk – it’s a perfect setting for a romantic evening. Once the Port serving Madrid, Alicante Harbour combines sailing with fishing and is the perfect place to visit to find the top fish restaurants in town. The harbour provides an ideal source of activity day and night. Here is where visitors come to learn to sail, eat wonderfully fresh, delicious seafood and enjoy a spot of clubbing into the small hours.
Nobody likes a celebration as much as the inhabitants and visitors of Alicante! Here you will find an event of some description happening much of the time, no matter when you decide to visit. One of the more serious of Costa Blanca festivals is that of the Easter Procession. Adorned in black and carrying candles, an effigy of Jesus is paraded on a cross around the streets. Every November, in order to honour the Patron Saint Crist del Bon Encert, every town has an individual fiesta. Expect shops to be closed all day, every day as the town closes down for this amazing event of dancing, singing and firework displays. On a lighter note, one of the most well known local festivals is the International Puppet Festival.
