Visiting Alicante
Visiting AlicanteAlicante was, in 1989, only a brief stop in one of my trips to Benidorm.
We didn’t see much, but… did we loose much?
The coast was our objective, and we browsed it all, before and after the destination.
Playa de San Juan, in Alicante, was the place for vacation in 2022. Alicante was seen again, but not too deeply.
Alicante
Let’s add some more notes.
This second visit was brief but well prepared with readings in san Juan beach.
It improved the image, but confirmed that, in terms of tourism, beaches aside, it is far from the great beauties of Spain.
Santa Barbara Castle
Dominating the city from the top of an impressive hill, the castle is a large complex, only accessible by elevator or microbus.
It offers a huge variety of experiences, including gastronomic and cultural activities.
Puerta del Mar
The busiest place in Alicante is this square, which connects the esplanade and Postiguet beach. It is embellished by a fountain, a monument to the surrogate soldiers and a pirate sailing ship.
Carbonell building
The most beautiful building in Alicante has a curious history, as it seems to have been built in 1925, as revenge by its owner, barred from the nearby hotel for its modest appearance.
It has shops on the ground floor and houses on the other floors.
Esplanada de Espanha
The esplanade of Spain is the jewel of the city. Built with 6 million pieces in marble, whose sequence produces an illusory image of volume, it is flanked by hundreds of palm trees, composing a very interesting ensemble.
Canalejas monument
The esplanade of Spain has at one end the Puerta del Mar, and at the other a monument to a local deputy, José Canalejas.
Ayuntamiento
The Palace of the “Ayuntamiento” is an 18th century Baroque building, which conveys a feeling of weight and power, but of debatable taste.
S. Nicola di Bari
I read so much praise for the cathedral that I considered it a must-visit. Bad luck! It was closed and I had to make do with the mannerist façade, imposing but discreet.
Postiguet beach
The city’s main beach, Postiguet, is practically in the center. Maybe that’s why the feeling it gave me was of overcrowding.
I believe that this proximity is reflected in the prices, so I congratulated myself on choosing Playa de San Juan, a few (few) kilometers away, but with another tranquility (and probably also economy).
Around Alicante
Around AlicanteSpending two weeks in Playa de San Juan, we had time to travel around it, seeing some places for the first time, and adding new impressions to the already known.
Despite the excellent beach taking up more time than expected, here’s what we were able to visit in the “dry” times.
Torrevieja
There was great curiosity about Torrevieja, where, every year, I find a lot of accommodation on the internet. In a quick visit I confirmed the idea I had, of an intense exploration of several beaches of only average quality.
The pink lake is the most interesting detail.
Guardamar del Segura
Guardamar del Segura is a beach that I admitted to choosing on the internet several times, so I was very curious to visit. It seemed like a good beach to me, but after the desperation of finding a place to leave the car, I will only remotely admit it again, and only with guaranteed parking.
Benidorm
Another visit to Benidorm, another idea of the frenzy that this beach is.
Here, the sea is an accessory, what really counts is what happens in a city that doesn’t stop, doesn’t rest, and only sleeps sometimes.
Villajoyosa
We had passed Villajoyosa many, many years ago, running, and I remembered nothing of the city.
This new visit is, therefore, a first image, and I liked it. The beach is reasonable, but the tourism boom has not erased all signs of tradition, and the colorful houses make a difference to the usual concrete forests.
Santa Pola
Like Villajoyosa, Santa Pola was also a forgotten image. We were there in the end of the afternoon, without time for the visit that I would like to do.
I was impressed by the salt flats, inhabited by flamingos, but the extensive beaches did not enthuse me.
Revisiting maybe…
Topo Gigio
Topo Gigio
An Italian restaurant is always a good option when travelling with children. It wasn’t too early, there weren’t many people, so it was our choice in Alicante.
The service was very slow – few people were there but only one employee.
Nothing to say about the food – I was hoping for a risotto, there wasn’t, I switched to a tagliatelle, which was absolutely delicious.
The pizzas and salads from the rest of the family also received a positive note, and the price was as expected.
Around Alicante
Spending two weeks in Playa de San Juan, we had time to travel around it, seeing some places for the first time, and adding new impressions to the already known.
Despite the excellent beach taking up more time than expected, here’s what we were able to visit in the “dry” times.
Torrevieja
There was great curiosity about Torrevieja, where, every year, I find a lot of accommodation on the internet. In a quick visit I confirmed the idea I had, of an intense exploration of several beaches of only average quality.
The pink lake is the most interesting detail.
Guardamar del Segura
Guardamar del Segura is a beach that I admitted to choosing on the internet several times, so I was very curious to visit. It seemed like a good beach to me, but after the desperation of finding a place to leave the car, I will only remotely admit it again, and only with guaranteed parking.
Benidorm
Another visit to Benidorm, another idea of the frenzy that this beach is.
Here, the sea is an accessory, what really counts is what happens in a city that doesn’t stop, doesn’t rest, and only sleeps sometimes.
Villajoyosa
We had passed Villajoyosa many, many years ago, running, and I remembered nothing of the city.
This new visit is, therefore, a first image, and I liked it. The beach is reasonable, but the tourism boom has not erased all signs of tradition, and the colorful houses make a difference to the usual concrete forests.
Santa Pola
Like Villajoyosa, Santa Pola was also a forgotten image. We were there in the end of the afternoon, without time for the visit that I would like to do.
I was impressed by the salt flats, inhabited by flamingos, but the extensive beaches did not enthuse me.
Revisiting maybe…
