Alicante

Alicante, in the Valencian language Alacant, is a city in the Valencian community, located on the Mediterranean coast. Its name comes from the Greek and it means “white promontory”, for a Carthaginian settlement which the Romans later identified as “white fortress”. The current name was introduced with the arrival of the Arabs.
The city enjoys a mild climate almost all the year, and it is surrounded by an impressive natural landscape with Mount Benacantil, on which stands the castle of Santa Barbara, Mount Tossal, on which there is the castle of San Fernando, and the beaches of its coastline.
As for its history, we know that the first inhabitants date back to the first centuries BC. General Hamilcar Barca used Alicante to establish his military foothold, just before the Second Punic War.
Later that the Romans conquered it and turned it into a port city. During the Middle Ages it was conquered by the Arabs of whom some archaeological remains of their culture are preserved next to the town hall. Then it passed under the control of the Kingdom of Castile with the future king Alfonso X the sage, who began to repopulate it with groups of Christians from Castile. The Arab castle built on Mount Benacantil went by the name of “Santa Barbara”, on the occasion of the feast of the saint which coincided with the day of the conquest of the city.
In a later period it was conquered by Jaime I of Aragon and Alicante became part of the Kingdom of Valencia. After a period of crisis between wars and plague, the city prospered in agriculture by exporting wine and dried fruit, and thanks to its port, which favoured the establishment of colonies of foreign merchants who gave a great boost to the economy. It therefore became a military target in any conflict. It was almost destroyed and occupied by the Bourbons. To protect it, the wall and the castle of San Fernando were built.
Later that the port was enlarged, the railway was built and the wall was destroyed.
During the civil war it was heavily bombed.
Now it is a beautiful city that has also developed thanks to tourism.

PARKS AND PLACES FOR SPARE TIME

Some parks and places for spare time to visit are:

  • Explanada de España: a tree-lined avenue that runs alongside the port with a wavy mosaic of different colours as a floor.
  • Canalejas Park: it runs alongside the harbour and it is an ideal place to stroll and observe the sea, the two decorative fountains, the stone sculptures representing animals, and the monument to the Alicante playwright Carlos Arniches.
  • El Palmeral Park: with abundant native vegetation, a lake and waterfalls.
  • Lo Morant Park: with recreational areas, picnic areas, an amphitheater, a small lake, tennis courts and padel.
  • Ereta Park: from which to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the whole city.
  • Juan Pablo II Park: a large park with children’s play areas.
  • El Tossal Park: near the San Fernando castle.

ANCIENT PALACES, CHURCHES AND CONVENTS

Some palaces, churches and convents to see are:

  • Basilica of Santa Maria: in Gothic style, built between the XIV-XVI century on an ancient mosque.
  • Co-cathedral of San Nicolás de Bari: built between the 15th and 17th centuries on the remains of another mosque.
  • Santa Faz Monastery: dating back to the 15th century, and located 5 km from the city centre.
  • Casa de la Asegurada: built in the 17th century, home to the Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art.
  • Canonical Convent of San Agustín
  • Gravina Palace: built in the 18th century, it is the headquarters of the Gravina Museum of Fine Arts, dedicated to regional painting and sculpture.
  • Maisonnave Palace – Municipal Archive: built in the 18th century.

PLACES OF TOURIST INTEREST

Some places of tourist interest not to be missed:

  • Defence Towers of the orchard of Alicante: built between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries in the province of Alicante to defend against pirate attacks. Currently there are about twenty towers declared as “goods of cultural interest”.
  • Plaza de toros of Alicante (bullring)
  • Central Market where you can buy typical products such as nougat.
  • The roundabout of the Star
  • Port of Alicante: sports port surrounded by bars and restaurants.
  • Santa Cruz neighbourhood: narrow streets, white houses and plants that colour the facades.
  • Castle of Santa Barbara: built between the 14th and 18th centuries in the highest part of Mount Benacantil. It was an Arab fortress that Alfonso of Castile conquered on the feast day of Santa Barbara.
  • San Fernando Castle built in the 19th century to defend the city from the Napoleonic invasion.
  • Tabarca Island: a small island where you can observe the wall, the church of San Pedro and Pablo, the Governor’s House, the museum, the San José Tower and the lighthouse.

MUSEUMS

Some museums to visit:

  • Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA)
  • Gravina Museum of Fine Arts
  • Archaeological Museum
  • Volvo Ocean Race Museum
  • University of Alicante Museum
  • Museum of the Agua-Pozos de Garrigós
  • Nativity scene museum
  • Bull Museum
  • Bonfire Museum: where to discover one of the city’s best-known traditions.
  • Lonja de Pescado (fish market)
  • Nueva Tabarca Museum

THEATRES

  • Main Theatre
  • Auditorium of Diputación de Alicante
  • Arniches Theatre
  • Auditorium of Concha de la Explanada
  • Auditorium of Casa de la Música, in the Las Cigarreras Cultural Centre
  • Cultural Centre Imaginalia

CULTURAL AND SPORTING EVENTS

Some cultural and sporting events to attend:

  • Alicante Film Festival in May
  • International Festival Festitíteres between November and December
  • Alicante Medieval
  • The Volvo Ocean Race regatta which consists of sailing around the world and takes place every three years.

FESTIVALS

Some traditional Alicante festivals are:

  • Porrate de San Antón: it takes place in January in honour of the patron saint of animals, and on the occasion of this festival there is a market, called “porrate”, where traditional products are sold including sweets and dried fruit.
  • Holy Week: during Easter the processions take place from Palm Sunday to the day of the Resurrection.
  • Romería de la Santa Faz (Procession of the Santa Faz): on the second Thursday after Holy Week a procession of eight kilometres is celebrated from the Cathedral of St. Nicholas to the monastery of Santa Faz, where people venerate a reliquary containing a piece of cloth with the signs of the face of Christ.
  • Fogueres de Sant Joan (bonfire of Saint John): festivals of international tourist interest and intangible cultural interest which take place in June, on the occasion of the saint’s feast. They last a few days and in addition to the bonfires where huge papier-mâché figures are burned, there are other events such as parades, bullfights, live music and sports competitions. In addition, during this period you can taste the typical coca amb tonyina (a kind of savoury pie filled with tuna) and bacores (dark-skinned figs).
  • Moros y cristianos (Muslims and Christians): celebrations that commemorate the battles in which Christians conquered the territories occupied by Muslims. They are celebrated at different times of the year, between March and August, in five neighbourhoods of the city.
  • Saint Nicolás: patron of the city, it is celebrated with a procession on December 6th.

BEACHES

  • San Juan
  • La Almadraba
  • La Albufereta
  • El postiguet
  • Agua Amarga
  • Los Saladares
  • Los Arenales del Sol
  • Tabarca Island

GASTRONOMY

Some typical dishes of Alicante gastronomy are:

  • All i pebre: diced eels cooked in a sauce made from garlic, chilli pepper, sweet paprika, olive oil and parsley.
  • Pericana: a sauce made from dried pepper called ñora and fish which is greased on bread.
  • Borreta alicantina: a soup made of potatoes, cod, dried peppers, spinach and garlic.
  • Tuna mojama: slices of bluefin tuna.
  • Olleta alicantina: a soup of rice, vegetables, legumes and / or meat.
  • Arroz a la alicantina: rice dish with vegetables and meat.
  • Arroz a banda: rice dish with fish, ñora and garlic alioli sauce, served with a sauce called salmorreta, based on ñora, garlic and tomato.
  • Arroz con costra: rice dish with sausage covered with a layer of beaten eggs.
  • Cocido alicantino: also called cocido con pelotas, it is a broth with minced meat balls, chickpeas and vegetables.
  • Escalivada alicantina: vegetable salad with red peppers and grilled aubergines, tomato, onion, garlic and olive oil.
  • Toña alicantina: a soft brioche inside and covered in sugar. During Easter week, a boiled egg is added, and it is called “mona alicantina”.
  • Nougat made with almonds and honey.

OTHER CITIES OF THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY TO VISIT ARE:

HOW TO GET TO ALICANTE

  • By plane: Alicante-Elche airport
  • By train: Alicante train station
  • By car
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