History
It is thought that the area in and around present-day Alicante has been inhabited for over seven thousand years. Controlled by the Roman Empire for one thousand years, the area was the subject of many feuds and battles with Carthage. Lucentum, as it was then known, was conquered by the Arabs in the 8th century and was eventually taken by the Castillian King, Alfonso in the 12th century. It very quickly then passed to the Kingdom of Valencia in 1298 and ruled by King James of Aragon. Alicante developed into a major Mediterranean port, trading in rice, wine, fruit and wool.
Alicante then suffered years of decline until the early 20th century when it became a port of huge strategic importance during World War One. Spain’s neutrality in the Great War allowed it to trade with any country it wished, leading to a prolonged period of affluence. Alicante became the last Republican loyal city to fall to Dictator Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
Population
Alicante is the capital city of the province of Alicante and is the second largest city in the Valencian community with a population of 330,000 inhabitants. The city is one of the fastest growing in Spain and is currently a major economic port. The wider conurbation of Alicante-Elche has a population of 770,000 with a large foreign population mostly made up of Argentinians, Ecuadorians and Columbians. There are thought to be a large number of illegal immigrants from North Africa and eastern Europe currently living in the area. This area is also home to many retired British, French and German citizens.
Places to Visit
Perched over the city of Alicante is the Castle of Santa Barbara on Mount Benacantil. The castle was originally built by the Arab occupiers of the 9th century and was constructed as a defensive fort. The Explanada de Espana is a very impressive promenade that is made from over six million individual marble stones. The promenade is a popular meeting place, concert venue and place to take a relaxing stroll. There is a Mark Hersch monument at the end of the promenade. The majestic San Nicholas Cathedral was built in the 1600s over the site of an ancient mosque and was only given cathedral status by Pope John Paul XXIII in 1959.
There are two fantastic parks in Alicante – El Palmeral Park and El Ereta Park. El Palmeral includes playgrounds, lakes, walking trails, picnic areas and a concert auditorium. There is also Tabarca Island, just of the Alicante coast. The island boasts a church, a lighthouse and a population of around one hundred. The island is a very popular tourist attraction, with boats ferrying people from Alicante on a regular basis. The coves, rocky beaches, fishing locations and seafood restaurants prove very popular with holidaymakers from Alicante Santa Pola and Torrevieja.
The Basilica of Santa Maria was built in stages during the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Its gothic style and the high Rococo style altar make it a must-see attraction. The military and religious heritages of the Alicante are evident all over the city with tourist attractions such as Gravina Palace, the Castle of San Fernando and the Defence Towers of the Huerta de Alicante. There are also many museums in Alicante, showcasing many local artefacts from the various wars, occupiers and rulers the city has known. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante houses local items dating as far back as 100,000 years ago. The museum also won the 2004 European Museum of the year.
Cuisine
Like any Spanish city, Paella is found everywhere and the abundance of locally caught, fresh seafood in Alicante makes the dish particularly popular in the area. There are several tapas bars in and around Alicante that serve selections of appetisers. However, there are some dishes that have their roots in the region. A very popular local spin on Paella is called Rice a la Alicantina and is a combination of rice, chicken and seafood with red peppers. Arroz a Banda is hugely popular all over Valencia and is best described as a fish based risotto. A very famous Alicante dessert is called Turron. This is nougat and is particularly popular with the locals at Christmas time. However, many restaurants sell it all year round. Jijona is the soft form of Turron whilst the hard variety is called Alicante. A speciality found in many Alicante restaurants is the Turron a la Piedra which is stuffed full of almonds and flavoured with cinnamon and lemon. No visit to any part of Spain would be complete without a jug of Sangria which is wine seasoned with honey, chopped fruit and wither triple sec or brandy.
Accommodation
As with all the main Spanish resorts, there is no shortage of places to stay in Alicante. There really is something for everyone, whether it’s a cheap hotel or a luxury villa. Hotels such as the Melia Hotel, Amerigo, Palmera Beach, Castilla and the Hesperia Spa Golf are amongst the best on offer in Alicante. The locations of El Campello, San Juan and Muchavista are extremely popular with tourists as they offer a wide range of accommodation against the backdrop of the beautiful beaches of Alicante.
Weather
The average annual temperature in Alicante is around 18C but there are very large seasonal variations. The average temperature in July and August is 32C but temperatures can dip to just above zero in the winter months with the average January and February temperature currently at 6C. The area in and around Alicante is generally very dry with the most rainfall occurring in October when an average of 48mm falls. The driest month on average is July when an average of only 5mm falls during the whole month. Humidity is relatively low with the peak occurring in October at 69%. In the summer months there are around 11 hours of sunlight per day and around 6 hours in the winter months. Clearly, the best time to visit Alicante is June to August as the average temperature is in the 30’s, there is very little chance of significant rain and around 11 hours of sunshine can be enjoyed every day.
Transport
Visitors to Alicante can fly straight into the city as the airport is amongst the biggest and busiest in Spain. There are regular internal flights to Barcelona and Madrid and Alicante is a popular destination from many European airports. The railway station has regular services to all the major Spanish cities and there are regular ferry services to the Balearic Islands and Algeria.
For tourists staying within the old town, most tourist locations are within walking distance. There is a great transport infrastructure in Alicante with both buses and trams serving all of the major resorts and places of interest. These services generally operate between the hours of 6am and 11pm although there are a number of night services available. One bus or tram ride costs around €1.20 and the bus drivers carry change. A rechargeable travel card can be bought for €7 plus €2 for the card and can be used for 10 rides. These cards are available for purchase at the TAM office near the Mercado Station.
Taxis are in abundance in all the resort locations and tourist hot-spots. All Spanish taxis are generally very reliable, so long as they are properly licensed. Radio-Taxi and Tele-Taxi are the main operators in Alicante.
Other Places of Interest
There are currently two football teams playing in Alicante. Hercules FC which competes in La Liga and Alicante CF which plays in Segunda Division B. Hercules CF often competes against the best teams in Spain and are based at Estadio Jose Rico Perez. There are also a number of exciting and very popular festivals in Alicante. The Bonfires of Saint John is held during the summer solstice. A week later, seven nights of firework contests between companies on the urban beach of Playa del Postiguet commence with various other forms of pyrotechnic wonder. Another very popular Valencian festival is the Moros y Cristianos which commemorates many battles between the muslims and the Christians over the villages, towns and cities of the Valencia area.
