What I did and saw: Castillo de Santa Barbara- The Castillo de Santa Barbara is visible from almost anywhere in Alicante from its hilltop position. I had a very nice walk to top to visit the castle. Once I made my way up I had a picnic with beautiful views of the water. To get down from the castle I took the "ascensor al castillo de santa barbara" down to the Playa del Postiguet. Explanada de España- There is a nice promenade to walk along the river. This waterfront walking area is known as the Explanada de España. There are also many tent shops set up along the way. Mushroom Street- On San Francisco Street there a number of large mushrooms have been built along the street. It is a fun area to walk through, and there are many shops and cafes/bars/restaurants situated along the street. Playa de San Juan- Playa de San Juan is a very nice, sand beach. It provides beautiful views of both the water and the hillside. It is slightly outside of downtown so I took tram to get there. Mercado Central- The central market in Alicante offers a wide range of food like vegetables, seafood, meats, and cheeses. Las Escaleritas del Jorge Juan- Las Escaleritas del Jorge Juan are a set up stairs that offer some very nice views of Alicante from the top. Rambla de Mendez Nunez- The Rambla de Mendez Nunez is one of the main streets in Alicante. It is a nice place to walk down, and offers many places to eat and drink. I stopped at the beautiful Plaza Portal de Elche along the Rambla as well. Plaza de Gabriel Miro- Plaza de Gabriel Miro is a very pretty plaza with a lot of bars and resturants. Where I ate and drank: Sip and Wonder Coffee House- Sip and Wonder is an excellent coffee shop. It was great to find high quality coffee and a cool evironment. They provide great service and also serve a nice food menu. Beershooter- Beershooter is a nice craft beer store sells a wide range of local and international craft beer. La Piazza- La Piazza is a nice little restaurant next to the St. Nicholas of Bari Cathedral of Alicante. The paella (which was invented in nearby Albufara in the Valencia area) was very good, as was the wine. Baru Coffee- Baru Coffee is another great new coffee place in Alicante. From my understanding, craft coffee is a fairly new thing in the Alicante area, but Baru and Sip and Wonder are two great examples of the growth of quality coffee in the area. Baru also serves a great food menu. Heladeria Borgonesse- As I've written before, if I am going to eat something unhealthy it better be worth it. The ice cream dish I had at Heladeria Borgonesse was well worth it. It was one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. I was not able to get a picture of it because it was eaten so fast. I recommend trying out this historic place if you are in Alicante. Tribeca- Tribeca is a cool, alternative pub that serves hamburgers. They have some cool tattoo-style wall art hanging up around the place as well. Where I stayed: X Hostel Alicante- X Hostel Alicante was a nice, average hostel. The staff were very friendly and helpful, but the facilities could use an update. It would also be nice to have curtains on the beds. Alicante Flats- Alicante Flats was an excellent place to stay. It is well located near the Rambla de Mendez Nunez, and the facilities were very clean and comfortable. However, you do need to set up a check in time prior to checking in. Old Centre Inn Alicante- Old Centre Inn was not the best place I have stayed, but it was a good enough hostel for a night. How I got around: I arrived in Alicante via train from the Barcelona area. Once in Alicante I walked to get around, with the exception of taking the tram to Playa de San Juan. My favorite thing:
There are many things to like about Alicante. There are nice beaches, excellent coffee spots, and it was not overcrowded with tourists the way many major European cities tend to be. My least favorite thing: While it has many great things to offer, Alicante does not have quite as much to offer as some of the larger European cities. For next time: Next time I would like to go in the summer when I could fully enjoy the beaches.
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About MeWelcome to the Healthy Explorer Blog. If you like travel stories have a look around my blog and check out my podcast— maybe you'll find an extra spark for your own adventures.
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