One of the nicest cities to visit in Spain is Alicante on the Costa Blanca. Close to one of Spain’s biggest tourist destinations, Benidorm, and near to all of Costa Blanca’s beach resort towns, Alicante sees millions of visitors every year so, of course, there are many interesting things to see and do there. These are some of the best.
The Castle of Santa Barbara – The most-visited tourist spot in Alicante, the Castle of Santa Barbara is incredible and no trip to Alicante is complete without seeing it. it’s one of Spain’s largest medieval fortresses and its dramatic location, perched at the top of Mount Benacantil overlooking Alicante, guarantees most visitors to Alicante will get there if they can.
The castle was built in the 10th century and has dungeons, a moat, a palace and many other places to explore. It’s also famous for the image of a moor’s face on the mountain side, that you can see from a specific angle. Ask at the castle where you should stand to see it. Don’t miss taking photographs of the incredible view over Alicante, plus visit one of the cafes at the castle as it’s a great way to refresh yourself before starting the hike down.
You can get to the Castle of Santa Barbara by walking up the mountain road (fun, if you love hiking) or take the elevator from Postiguet Beach all the way up.
Terra Natura Park – On the outskirts of Alicante, close to Benidorm, you’ll find Terra Natura Park. A 1,500 acre nature park packed full of animals, birds and reptiles, it has a huge water park and swimming pool, amusement rides, animal shows, restaurants, cafes and shops. The kids will love Terra Natura (well, mom and dad will love it too) and it’s a wonderful place for a day trip, particularly on a hot day, as you can keep cool at the water park.
Museum of Archaeology (MARQ) – This Alicante museum is one of the most spectacular museums in all of Spain as, not only is it one of the most technologically-advanced museums you’ll ever see, it’s won several awards too.
Dedicated to archaeological finds from all over Alicante and surrounding area, the exhibits have everything from Stone Age tools, to hunter-gather implements, roman household items, medieval pottery, right up to items from the present day –the full span of Alicante history. But none of this is displayed in the usual dull way. At the Museum of Archaeology, you’ll see an area that explains in-depth all about archeaology itself, wonderful hands-on exhibits, and even a full-size boat that was found submerged under several meters of water.
The museum is open every day except Monday, and discount and family tickets are available.
Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Bari – One of the less popular religious buildings in the Alicante area, it’s still one of the best must see places to visit for anyone interested in religion or religious architecture.
Known for its communion chapel, which is said to be one of the most beautiful Baroque chapels in Europe, don’t miss taking photographs from the ground up of the inside of its lovely dome too. It’s also not only interesting to visit the actual cathedral, but you should also explore the labyrinth of winding streets around it.