Destination Guide · Spain
A Complete List of Holiday Retreat Activities in Alicante, Spain: A Clifftop Fortress, a Mosaic Promenade, Spain’s First Marine Reserve and the City That Burns Itself Every June
Alicante is the Costa Blanca’s airport city, and most British visitors see nothing of it but the arrivals hall. That is a shame, because it has a Moorish castle on a 166-metre crag, a marine reserve twenty minutes offshore with water clear to forty metres, and one of the strangest and best festivals in Spain.
Written by the Optimo Lifestyle team · London · Last reviewed August 2026
Alicante has the same problem Málaga had fifteen years ago. Several million people a year pass through its airport on the way to Benidorm, Torrevieja or a villa somewhere down the Costa Blanca, and almost none of them stop in the city itself. The transfer coach pulls out and that is that.
What they miss is a compact, genuinely Spanish port city with an extraordinary piece of geography at its centre. Mount Benacantil rises 166 metres straight out of the middle of town, with one of the largest medieval fortresses in Spain on top of it and a whitewashed old quarter clinging to its lower slopes. There is a lift bored through the rock that takes you up in a couple of minutes, entry to the castle is free, and the view from the top is the best in the province.
Below that you have a mosaic promenade of six and a half million marble tiles, a tapas quarter that stays open very late, a tram that runs to a proper beach in twenty minutes, and boats out to the smallest inhabited island in the Mediterranean — which happens to have been Spain’s first marine reserve since 1986.
This guide covers all of it, ranked honestly, plus the festival that takes over the entire city every June and turns any other plan you had into a footnote. Our Spain retreat destinations page sets out where we run coach-led fitness holidays across the country.
Check your dates before anything else. If you are in Alicante between 20 and 24 June, the Hogueras de San Juan rearranges this entire list. If you are not, skip to the ranking — and read the festival section anyway, because it is worth planning a trip around.
Start Here
The Castillo de Santa Bárbara and the Barrio de Santa Cruz: Take the Lift Up and Walk Down Through the Old Town
Do this first, do it early, and do it in this order — up by lift, down on foot. It is the single best half-day in Alicante and most of it costs nothing.
The Castillo de Santa Bárbara sits on top of Mount Benacantil at 166 metres, and it was designed as one of the largest medieval fortresses in Spain. The site has been fortified since at least the ninth century under Muslim rule; the Christian conquest came in 1248 on the feast day of Saint Barbara, which is where the name comes from. It is a designated site of cultural interest, entry to the grounds is free, and you get a genuine 360-degree view over the bay, the city grid and the mountains inland.
The clever part is the access. A lift runs up through the inside of the mountain from an entrance on Calle Virgen del Socorro, opposite Postiguet beach — you walk into a tunnel at sea level and come out at the castle. There is a small charge for it and it saves you a steep, largely unshaded climb.
The Walk Down Is the Point
Coming down on foot takes you through the Barrio de Santa Cruz, the old quarter stacked on the hillside below the castle. Steep whitewashed lanes barely wide enough for two people, geraniums in pots on every wall, tiled doorways, cats. It is small — you could cover it in half an hour — and it is comfortably the prettiest part of the city. Almost nobody who takes the lift both ways ever sees it.
Allow thirty minutes for the descent at a wandering pace, and a little longer if you detour through the Ereta park on the western face, which has its own terraces and viewpoints looking north over the city.
The Ranked List
Everything Worth Doing in Alicante, Ranked From Essential to Entirely Optional
Ordered by what we would do first rather than by fame. Alicante is small enough that a well-planned three days covers the lot.
| What | Time | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Castillo de Santa Bárbara | Half day | Free entry, best views in the city. Lift up, walk down |
| Barrio de Santa Cruz | 30–60 min | Small but the prettiest part of Alicante. Fold into the castle descent |
| Explanada de España | 30–45 min | Six and a half million mosaic tiles under palms. Walk it in the evening |
| Tapas on Calle Castaños and El Barrio | An evening | Castaños for restaurants, El Barrio for the late, loud, cheap version |
| Isla de Tabarca | Half day | Spain’s first marine reserve. The clearest snorkelling water in the region |
| Playa de San Juan | An afternoon | Long and wide, a short tram ride north. Far better than central Postiguet |
| MARQ Archaeological Museum | 1–2 hours | Genuinely good and unusually well presented. Ideal on a hot afternoon |
| Serra Grossa and Cabo de las Huertas | 2–3 hours | Coastal walking with coves and rock pools at the cape. Easy and free |
| Mercado Central | An hour | Best mid-morning. Produce, seafood and a standing beer |
| The port and marina | An hour | Pleasant for a stroll, but nothing you would plan a day around |
The Explanada de España
Alicante’s signature image and a genuinely odd piece of civic ambition. The promenade runs about five hundred metres along the harbour, shaded by rows of palms, and its surface is a wave-patterned mosaic in red, cream and black made up of roughly six and a half million marble tiles. It was laid out by the Valencian architect José Guardiola Picó in the early twentieth century. Walk it in the evening when the light is low and the whole surface appears to ripple, which is precisely the effect it was designed for.
Eating: Calle Castaños, El Barrio, and What to Order
Two different evenings, both worth having. Calle Castaños and the streets around the theatre are the sit-down option — proper restaurants, slightly smarter, tables outside. El Barrio, the old quarter, is the late, loud, cheap version: small bars, standing room, and an atmosphere that does not really get going until eleven.
Order arroz a banda, the local rice dish cooked in fish stock and traditionally served with the fish brought separately — this is rice country and it is taken seriously here. Alicante is also the home of turrón, the almond nougat that the whole of Spain eats at Christmas and that is made year-round in Jijona, half an hour inland. Have some for dessert.
The Beaches, and Which One
Postiguet, right in the centre below the castle, is convenient and cramped. Playa de San Juan, a short ride north on the TRAM light rail, is long, wide and considerably better, and the journey itself runs along the coast. If you would rather walk than lie down, the Serra Grossa path and the coast around Cabo de las Huertas give you low cliffs, small coves and rock pools, all free and all easy.
The Half Day Offshore
Isla de Tabarca: Spain’s First Marine Reserve and the Smallest Inhabited Island in the Mediterranean
Boats run out from Alicante harbour to a walled island roughly eight miles offshore that measures about 1,800 metres long and 400 wide at its broadest — small enough to walk round in an hour or two, and the only inhabited island in the Valencian Community.
The history is unusually good. In 1769 Charles III paid the ransom for a group of Genoese families who had been enslaved by Barbary corsairs and held on the island of Tabarka off the Tunisian coast, then brought them here and built them a fortified town. That is why the place is called Nueva Tabarca, and why the walled citadel of San Pedro y San Pablo looks the way it does. It is now a designated historic-artistic site.
In 1986 the waters around it became Spain’s first marine reserve, protecting over a thousand hectares. Extensive Posidonia seagrass meadows filter the water to the point where visibility regularly runs between twenty-two and forty-five metres, which is why this is comfortably the best snorkelling within reach of the city. You do not need to dive to see the point of it.
Doing It Well
Take the earliest boat you can and bring your own snorkel, since hire on the island is limited. The permanent population is around fifty people in winter and roughly ten times that in summer, so July and August are busy and spring and autumn are far more pleasant. There is a lighthouse walk at the eastern tip through the wildest part of the island, and a small museum in the old tuna-fishing building.
Eat the caldero tabarquino — rockfish with potatoes and alioli, followed by rice cooked in the resulting broth. It is a Genoese-descended recipe you will not find on the mainland, and it is the reason a good number of people make the trip at all.
Boats also run from Santa Pola, which is closer and a shorter crossing, if you happen to be staying south of the city.
If Your Dates Line Up
Hogueras de San Juan: The Five Days in June When Alicante Builds Giant Sculptures in the Streets and Then Sets Fire to Them
This does not belong on a ranked list because it is entirely binary. If you are in Alicante between 20 and 24 June, it is the reason you are there and everything else on this page becomes something you do between events. If you are not, it is irrelevant to your trip.
The Hogueras de San Juan mark the summer solstice and were formally constituted in 1928, though the underlying tradition of solstice fires is far older. Neighbourhood committees spend the year designing and building hogueras — towering, elaborate, frequently satirical monuments of wood and papier-mâché, aimed squarely at politicians and public figures. In 2026 there were 92 official commissions producing 184 monuments across the adult and children’s categories.
They go up in the streets at midnight on the 20th, stand for four days while the city judges them, and are then all burned on the night of the 24th. That final night is the Nit de la Cremà, and it begins with an enormous palm-shaped firework launched from Mount Benacantil at midnight. Firefighters then hose the crowds down in a tradition called La Banyà, which is as chaotic as it sounds.
What Else Happens
A mascletà at two o’clock every afternoon in Plaza de los Luceros — a purely percussive daytime firework display that you feel through the ground rather than watch. Take earplugs; this is not a suggestion. Alongside it: flower offerings to the Virgen del Remedio, parades of giants and dwarfs, an international folk parade, brass bands, and barracas and racós, the temporary tents where people eat, drink and dance until very late.
And it does not stop on the 24th: the International Fireworks Competition runs on Cocó beach for several nights afterwards.
It is officially a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest and yet it remains overwhelmingly a local event rather than a staged one. Accommodation books up and prices rise, so decide early. Traditional food to look for: coca, a flat pastry with tuna, onion and pine nuts, and fresh figs.
Building The Days
A Three-Day Alicante Itinerary Covering the City, the Coast and the Island
Alicante is compact and almost everything is walkable or a short tram ride, so three days is genuinely enough rather than a compromise.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| One | Lift up to the castle early, then walk down through Santa Cruz | Mercado Central, MARQ through the hot hours, Explanada at dusk, tapas on Castaños |
| Two | First boat out to Tabarca, walk the walls and snorkel the reserve | Caldero on the island, afternoon boat back, later evening in El Barrio |
| Three | Tram north, Serra Grossa walk out to Cabo de las Huertas and the rock pools | Playa de San Juan for the afternoon, last dinner back in the old quarter |
With a fourth day, the obvious additions are Elche and its UNESCO-listed palm grove, Guadalest up in the mountains, or Jijona if the turrón interested you. With a week, Alicante works well as a base for the wider Costa Blanca without ever having to stay in a resort.
Timing And Practicalities
When to Visit Alicante and What UK Travellers Should Know Before Booking
Best months. May, June, September and early October. Alicante is one of the driest and sunniest cities in Europe, which is wonderful for nine months of the year and hard work in August — the castle, the Explanada and Tabarca are all largely unshaded. Winter is genuinely mild and the city stays open, unlike much of the coast around it.
Entry. British passport holders can visit Spain without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Since the EU’s Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026, arrivals are registered biometrically — fingerprints and a facial image — rather than stamped. Allow extra time on a first crossing, and check the FCDO travel advice for Spain before you book and again before you fly.
Health. A UK Global Health Insurance Card gives access to state healthcare on the same terms as Spanish residents, though it is not a substitute for travel insurance. For current guidance, consult TravelHealthPro, run by the NHS-affiliated National Travel Health Network and Centre.
Getting around. You do not need a car. The city centre is walkable end to end, and the TRAM light rail runs north along the coast to San Juan, El Campello and on towards Benidorm. Alicante-Elche airport is about twenty minutes out with a frequent bus into the centre.
Boats to Tabarca. Sailings are weather-dependent and reduce sharply outside the summer season. Check the day before rather than turning up at the harbour, particularly in spring and autumn.
Snorkelling in a marine reserve. Tabarca is a protected area with rules governing where you can swim, anchor and fish. Stick to the marked zones, do not touch or take anything, and be aware that the Posidonia meadows doing all that water-filtering are themselves protected.
If you are there for the Hogueras. Earplugs for the daily mascletà, accommodation booked months ahead, and an acceptance that you will not sleep much. The city is at its loudest and most crowded, and that is the entire point.
The Active Version
Alicante as a Base for an Active Holiday, and How It Compares With Our Other Spanish Destinations
Alicante is the most compact of the Spanish cities we have written about, and that is both its strength and its limit. Everything is close: a 166-metre climb in the middle of town, a coastal path with coves at Cabo de las Huertas, a long flat beach twenty minutes up the tram line, and open water clear enough to make swimming and snorkelling a genuine activity rather than a novelty. What it does not have is a mountain.
That makes it the gentlest of the four. Marbella puts a 1,215-metre summit twenty minutes inland and is the most physically demanding. Málaga gives you a cliff boardwalk, a karst plateau and a national park within an hour. Barcelona is the culture-first option with the Collserola hills behind it. Alicante is where you go for sun, sea and walking rather than for ascent — and our Spain retreat destinations page covers what we run on this coast.
Across the wider range, İzmir is the closest parallel — a working Mediterranean port city where the training happens on flat waterfront rather than on hills. Fethiye and Marmaris are the mountain and trail options, while our Morocco and Portugal destinations lean Atlantic. The full list is on our destinations page.
Everything here can be done independently and most people should. What a coached week adds is structure — an assessment beforehand, twice-daily programmed sessions built around the terrain, nutrition guidance, scheduled recovery, and a twelve-week plan written before you fly home. That last part is usually what separates a good week from a change that holds.
Where To Start
The retreat destination finder narrows things down in a couple of minutes, and the fitness holiday readiness calculator gives an honest read on where your training currently sits. Our formats are under retreats, with London personal training and online coaching either side.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Planning a Trip to Alicante
How many days do I need in Alicante?
Three is comfortable and covers the castle, the island and the coast without rushing. Two works if you drop Tabarca. Longer, and it becomes a base for Elche, Guadalest and the wider Costa Blanca.
Is the castle free?
Entry to the castle grounds is free. There is a modest charge for the lift that runs up through Mount Benacantil from the tunnel entrance opposite Postiguet beach. Walking up costs nothing but is steep and largely unshaded — our advice is lift up, walk down through Santa Cruz.
Is Tabarca worth half a day?
If you snorkel or swim, comfortably yes. It was Spain’s first marine reserve and visibility in the water regularly runs past twenty metres. If you have no intention of getting in the sea, it is a pleasant but small walled village and you may prefer the beach at San Juan.
When exactly is the Hogueras de San Juan?
The official festival runs 20 to 24 June every year, with the monuments burned on the night of the 24th and a fireworks competition on the beach for several nights afterwards. Events build through the preceding weeks. Book accommodation months in advance if you want to be there for it.
Which beach should I choose?
Playa de San Juan over Postiguet, almost always. It is longer, wider and considerably less cramped, and the tram ride out takes about twenty minutes along the coast. Postiguet is fine if you only have an hour to spare.
Do I need a car?
No. The centre is walkable, the TRAM handles the coast north, and boats to Tabarca leave from the harbour. A car only becomes useful if you plan to explore inland towards Guadalest or the mountain villages.
Is Alicante good for solo travellers?
Yes. It is compact, well lit, easy to navigate on foot, and the tapas culture of small plates at a bar counter suits eating alone far better than a table for one in a restaurant. Ordinary city precautions apply late at night around the busier parts of El Barrio.
Important Information About This Guide
The information on this page is general and provided for planning purposes only. Coastal walking at Serra Grossa and Cabo de las Huertas involves uneven ground, rock and limited shade. Open-water swimming and snorkelling carry risks that vary with conditions, and the waters around Tabarca form a protected marine reserve with rules governing access. Assess your own capability honestly and follow local signage.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, a recent injury, a cardiovascular concern, are pregnant, or have been inactive for a prolonged period, please speak to a qualified medical professional before undertaking sustained activity in heat or open water. Optimo Lifestyle coaches are qualified to design and deliver training; they are not medical practitioners and do not provide medical advice.
Boat sailings, opening hours, ticketing and festival programmes change. Always confirm details with the operator directly, and check current FCDO travel advice for Spain and TravelHealthPro guidance before booking and again before departure. Nothing on this page is a substitute for official advice current on the day you travel.
Please also read our terms of use and privacy policy.
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References and Citations
Sources consulted in preparing this guide. All information was accurate at the date of last review, August 2026.
- Castillo de Santa Bárbara. Castle information, Mount Benacantil, access routes and lift. Ayuntamiento de Alicante. Available at: castillodesantabarbara.com
- Turisme Comunitat Valenciana. Tabarca Island Marine Reserve — designation, dimensions, water clarity and Posidonia meadows. Available at: comunitatvalenciana.com
- Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Reserva Marina de Isla de Tabarca — Spain’s first marine reserve, declared 1986. Government of Spain. Available at: mapa.gob.es
- Turespaña. Bonfires of San Juan, Alicante — festival history, dates and programme. spain.info, official tourism portal. Available at: spain.info
- Ayuntamiento de Alicante. Hogueras de San Juan — official programme and commissions. Available at: alicante.es
- MARQ, Museo Arqueológico de Alicante. Collections and visitor information. Diputación de Alicante. Available at: marqalicante.com
- Turismo de Alicante. Explanada de España, Barrio de Santa Cruz, Mercado Central and municipal beaches. Available at: alicanteturismo.com
- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana. TRAM d’Alacant network and coastal services. Available at: fgvalicante.com
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs. Entry/Exit System (EES) fully operational, 10 April 2026. Available at: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Spain travel advice. UK Government. Available at: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain
- National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). Spain country information. TravelHealthPro. Available at: travelhealthpro.org.uk
- Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). Professional standards and register. Available at: cimspa.co.uk
Written and reviewed by the Optimo Lifestyle coaching and editorial team, London. Our coaches are Level 3 qualified personal trainers, CIMSPA endorsed and YMCA Awards certified, with credentials independently verifiable through the CIMSPA professional register. Last reviewed: August 2026.
