1. The beaches here in, and around, Alicante are amazing. The beach right in town is called Playa del Postiguet, and it is a very nice beach. This beach tends to be more crowded, especially during the summer months and September, as many foreigners like to spend the day tanning and swimming here. I have spent several afternoons there and definitely recommend it. However, el Postiguet is not my favorite beach in the area. My favorite beach is called San Juan. To get to this beach it is necessary to take either a tram or bus for about 25 minutes. The beach makes up for the small amount of time and money that you have to spend getting there. San Juan is a very extensive beach, my host Dad told me that is actually 14km! Not only is it a large beach , but it is less crowded and much cleaner than el Postiguet. One of my favorite things about going to San Juan is how beautiful it is. The area surrounding the beach is all mountains, and that combined with the endless views of the sea are breathtaking!
The first picture is of Postiguet and the second is from San Juan.
2. My second favorite thing to do in Alicante is walk along the Explanada and in the port area. The Explanada is a pedestrian street that goes along the length of the port and brings you to Playa del Postiguet. Along the Explanada there are many restaurants, many of them offering Spanish food but others also serve Indian or American food. Also, there is a section of the street where street vendors have permanent stands to sell their goods. There is a huge variety of products being sold from things like bags and clothes, to nuts and incense. The quality of the products is very high and the prices are reasonably low so I enjoy walking around and doing some shopping there.
The port is also very nice to walk through as there are more restaurants and vendors selling their goods there as well. You also get to see all of the boats in the marina and are sometimes lucky enough to see large cargo ships coming in. At the end of the port there is an elevated walkway that takes you out even further so that looking back on the city you get to see the port area, the beach, and the castle towering over it all. It is really very pretty.
3. El Castillo de Santa Barbara is the main castle in Alicante. It is situated on top of a large hill/mountain that over looks the sea and the city. It is a very difficult walk up to the top, but there are very well kept paths that make it easier to do. I however recommend getting a ride to the top, if possible. The castle is actually one of the largest in Europe and so there are many areas to see while there, and years worth of history to learn about that it is necessary to dedicate a fair amount of time to seeing it all. One of my favorite places is the courtyard where prisoners were kept during the Spanish Civil War. The views from this area are gorgeous, and I also really enjoyed learning about Alicante's role in the War while there. The top of the castle has the best views in the area, by far. The views of the city, beach, and sea are incredible, especially if you can go when the sun is setting. This is definitely a place to go while in Alicante.
4. Another one of my favorite things to do is to go out at night. "El Barrio" is where almost all of the night life in the city is. The area is filled with restaurants, bars, and clubs. The environment is very fun, as there are so many people out at night and so many places to go. I really enjoy the dancing and overall fun that I have whenever I go out. The only drawback is that in Spain people don't start going out until after midnight and they stay out until the early hours of the morning, so I am always very tired after a night out.
5. Another one of my favorite things to do in Alicante is hiking. I have not done a whole lot yet, but have plans to do some serious hiking in the surrounding mountains very soon. One easy and quick hike that I have done though was incredibly enjoyable. The hike we went on took us down by the sea and through some secluded beach areas and was very very pretty. I am definitely going to be exploring more of the natural wonders close Alicante within my remaining two months here!
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