Our Guide to 24 Hours in Alicante, Spain

Our guide to one day in Alicante and how best to experience this gorgeous Spanish city on a tight schedule. Featuring 7 of the top things to do in Alicante.

Here are the top 7 places we recommend visiting in Alicante (more detailed information if you scroll down):

• La Explanada de España
• Alicante Harbour
• Alicante Water Museum
• Castillo de Santa Barbara
• El Barrio de Santa Creu
• La Ereta Park
• Go on a boat tour

Early Morning – La Explanada de España

First stop coffee! There are lots of sweet little coffee shops lining La Explanada de España, and we picked one that was thronged with Spaniards smoking and chatting lazily outside. Inside was dark and dusty and very authentic. Very cheap too, I think we paid €4 for a ham & cheese croissant and coffee. Oh by the way, it’s called Cafeteria Ripoll

Afterward, we walked the famous Explanada and I forced Paul to take lots of photos of me. FYI – as you can see it’s extremely Instagram-worthy.

As you will see, Explanada de España is lined with many bars and restaurants, too. It seems this is where the locals come to eat! If you plan to come back in the evening be sure to check out Horchateria Peret an atmospheric bar that’s been serving Alicante for over 50 years, and La Terraza del Gourmet for awesome Mediterranean food! 

Your Next Read: If you’re planning a visit to the nearby island of Mallorca, then you should check out my guide to visiting the Drach Caves. They’re one of the island’s most famous attractions!

Morning – Alicante Harbour

We spent an hour or so walking around the harbor, mainly because it was sweltering and we needed a slight breeze from the ocean. As you stroll through here you will have gorgeous views along the picturesque Postiguet Beach. If you have time you may be interested in visiting one of the other amazing beaches in Alicante.

There are lots of restaurants lined along the harbor, great for people-watching but beware they are pricier because of their desirable location. Some of the best restaurants here include Restaurante El Pescador and Taberna del Puerto.

Early Afternoon – Alicante Water Museum

Next, we began the daunting hike to Castillo de Santa Barbara with a quick pit-stop at the Alicante Water Museum because it has awesome air-conditioning. It is actually quite an interesting stop, you can visit the ‘Pozos’ or Wells of Garrigós which are believed to date as far back as the 16th century. These wells were redesigned to their current layout in the 19th century in an attempt to lessen the effects of the prolonged droughts suffered by the city.

Afternoon – Castillo de Santa Barbara

Now, back to the climb to the Castillo, not for the faint-hearted especially during the hottest time of the day. FYI – if you have a car you can park in one of the car parks much closer to the top. Handily, it’s free admission to the Castillo de Santa Barbara.

If you don’t have a car, consider renting one to make your visit to Castillo more convenient and comfortable. For affordable and reliable car rentals in Alicante, we recommend Mietwagenparadies. When we recently visited the region for 2 days we used them and highly recommend them! They offer a variety of options to suit all needs.

In short, having a rental car means you can easily explore all the attractions Alicante has to offer.

We didn’t spend too much time wandering the Castillo grounds as I was most interested in the spectacular views. At 166 meters above sea level the views from here are unbelievable! The Castillo was built way back at the end of the 9th Century and over the years the archaeological remains of the Bronze Age, Iberian and Roman have been unearthed here. It is filled with history and such a great way to spend a couple of hours. And it’s one of the top things to do in Alicante.

We spent a whole lot of time admiring the views from the top and taking lots of photos. There is a restaurant and a little kiosk on site for refreshments, which is a welcome sight in the heat of the Summer!

Recommended tour of the Castillo:

You can see the Castillo on a private guided tour like this one, which also visits other Alicante highlights – like Carbonell House, El Barrio, and the ‘Explanada de España,’ promenade. It’s 3 hours long and costs €70 per person. It starts at 10 am from Passeig Esplanada d’Espanya but it must be booked in advance.

Late Afternoon – El Barrio (Santa Creu)

This cute and colorful neighborhood is the oldest part of the city. El Barrio or Santa Creu nestles at the foot of Benacantil Hill. Step back in time as you climb this neighborhood’s narrow streets to Santa Barbara Castle at the top of Benacantil Hill. At night, the atmosphere grows lively as locals head to El Barrio’s many tavernas for tapas and drinks.

If you’re a guided tour lover, then this Alicante City & Beach Tour is a fantastic choice. It’s 2.5 hours long and costs from just €30 per person. And, of course, it involves you pedaling past some of the city’s top sights (like El Barrio, the Central Market, and Alicante Town Hall) on a bike.

Early Evening – La Ereta Park

This park has excellent views of San Nicolás Cathedral and the Port of Alicante thanks to its location on Mount Benacantil. It is also a great starting point for visiting other sights I recommended such as El Barrio (Santa Creu neighborhood) and Castillo de Santa Barbara.

This park is almost 7 hectares and is home olive trees, oak trees and other typical Mediterranean plant life. There’s also an exhibition hall, small museum and a water fountain here.

Sunset – Go on a boat tour!

From Alicante Harbor, you can go on a boat tour. We chose this sunset catamaran experience (definitely a bucket-list-worthy experience!). It’s 2 hours long and includes tapas and drinks (one alcoholic beverage, the rest non-alcoholic) on board and even the chance to go snorkeling in the warm waters off the coast of the city. The best part is it costs from just €32 per person.

I have to say, it will be an amazing way to end your one day in Alicante!

Or if you have more time (i.e., 3 days in Alicante) definitely choose this awesome 6-hour day trip to nearby Tabarca Island. It includes a tour of lovely Tabarca Island. From the luxury boat, you’ll get to see the white sand of Carabassi Beach and the lighthouse at the Cape of Santa Pola. A paella lunch and some drinks are included in the price of €72 per person.

Getting to Alicante

Located on the Costa Blanca, with the closest major city being Valencia. Alicante has lots to offer a respective tourist in a short time.

Even though I’ve visited Alicante on day trips numerous times in my youth, This time I decided to spend the night here and truly get a feel for this coastal city. We took the bus from Torrevieja, which is where my parents’ house is located, and it was approximately an hour’s bus journey from there to Alicante.  Our hotel for the night was just a 20-minute drive from downtown. So, we put our luggage into the coin-operated luggage storage at the bus terminal here. If memory serves me right, it was about €5.

If you’re arriving into Alicante Airport, you can hop on the C-6 bus into the city center. This costs around €4. Otherwise, a taxi will set you back around €20.

You can also reach Alicante via train from the larger cities of Barcelona and Valencia. Detailed information on trains to Alicante. Or if you love the easy nature of a guided tour, then you may consider one of the many Spain small group tours.

What should you do in Alicante (if you have more time)?

If you have longer than one day in Alicante, ideally 3 days in Alicante (which we highly recommend) then you’ll be able to tick off a couple more awesome attractions. Some of my favorite activities I’ve done in Alicante include hopping on a boat cruise to Tabarca Island and wandering the quaint, historic streets of Guadalest – a gorgeous mountain town.

Here’s a list of a few of the best things to do in Alicante if you have more time –

Go Wine Tasting –

Only a 45-minute drive from Alicante is a small village in the Vinalopo region which is famous for producing a sweet dessert wine known as Fondillon. This is the guided wine tour we did during our visit to Alicante. And because it’s just 4 hours long it’s ideal if you’re short on time (which we were!). We got to visit a vineyard and see how the wine is made, as well as taste some awesome wine.

Visit Guadalest –

About an hour’s drive from Alicante is the stunning village of Guadalest. And as I said, we loved wandering its photogenic cobblestone streets and taking in the views of the Guadalest Valley below! For us, there are two must-visit places in Guadalest Village (which would you believe only has a population of 200 people!) The first is Guadalest Castle and the second is the white bell tower of Penon de la Alcala.

Go Shopping at the Central Market –

The Central Market of Alicante is an icon in Alicante CBD, constructed back in 1912 it has been a meeting place for local farmers, fishermen and charismatic stall owners for decades. Most of the restaurants in the city buy their produce here daily, and of course, locals come here to stock up, so it’s the perfect place to get a real feel for daily life in Alicante.

Your Next Read: After Alicante, we visited Santorini. And I just loved it there! You can check out my guide to splurge-worthy things to do in Santorini

Where to stay in Alicante

We stayed at the cheap & cheerful Ibis Alicante, which is as I mentioned before is 6km from Alicante city. We choose the Ibis Hotel because it is very reasonably priced (approx. €30). Also, we had an early flight to catch to the airport the next morning and this hotel is on the route to the airport. The airport bus service stops just across the road.

If you book any of the hotels listed here through these links – I will get a tiny commission (to continue my travels) & you will get the best available rate!

We also highly recommend the following hotels in Alicante:

• Casa Alberola Alicante – a stylish luxurious adults-only hotel located in the city centre.
• My Flats Luxury Downtown – luxurious self-catering apartment with a terrace.
• Suites del Mar by Melia – located right on the main beach in Alicante & with spectacular views. And a rooftop pool!
• Hotel Almirante – a large outdoor pool and epic beach views from most of their rooms. This hotel is located at San Juan beach, a 10 minute drive from Alicante.
• Urban Hotel by MC – this is very reasonably priced considering its location in the central district. The rooms are clean and minimally styled and there are loads of bars & restaurants nearby!

You can search all the best hotels in Alicante here via booking.com!

Have I convinced you to visit Alicante (for just one day)?

In short, Alicante is a quintessentially ‘Spanish’ city. The Castillo de Santa Barbara is beautiful, and the harbor area is very sophisticated, with cool bars and restaurants. But the best part for me is the quirky flower-filled streets of El Barrio de Santa Creu underneath the Castillo. Tell me, how did you find our guide to one day in Alicante?

I’ve also written a detailed blog post about elsewhere in Spain including 13 Best Things to Do in Lanzarote With Kids, how to spend 5 days in Lanzarote, and Visiting Lanzarote in off-season, I’d love it if you could check them out!

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Last Updated on October 16, 2024 by snaphappytravel