The area around Alicante has long been a favourite holiday destination, and it is true to say that it has something for everyone.

Alicante is a substantial university town with a typically Latin ambience. Although visitors are catered for very well, it is not at all a ‘tourist town' as such. There are excellent shops and department stores and a broad esplanade flanked by open-air cafes. Most of the cultural attractions are clustered in the old part of the town beneath the citadel of Santa Barbara at the eastern end of the Esplanada. Take a bus to Plaza del Mar to start exploring this area. There are two art galleries, other specialist museums, an aquarium and a concentration of historic churches.

The culture of the siesta appears to be rigorously observed in Alicante , so what seems to be a ghost town during late afternoon turns into a thriving commercial metropolis again by 7.30pm ! Local public transport is good and cheap. Pick up information and timetables at the Airport Tourist Office in the arrival hall or at any of the five Offices in Alicante itself.

Alicante is also well known for its fiestas. See the photos of the San Juan Festival held every year, in June, in Alicante.

For something typically Spanish we suggest.
Elche. Only 1/2 an hour by car from Alicante, this historic city dates back over 5000 years. You can visit the Unesco World heritage palm forest, which is known as the Oasis of Europe. A stroll around the city will surprise you. There are Moorish baths, and a Moorish fortress. There is also the Basilica of Santa Maria, and the Fortress Palace which is now a museum of archaeology. Roman remains can be seen in a number of coastal towns such as Santa Pola, where there is an excellent museum, which chronicles the history of the coastal area. Try the sea food in one of the sea food restaurants at Santa Pola. This big fishing port accommodates most of the fishing fleet for the area.

We strongly recommend a visit to the "Curate's Garden" at Elche. These wonderful gardens are known as "Jardens del Heurta" - see the photo's below. See also the web page on the useful links page.

Santa Pola

This wonderful typically Spanish town lies a few kilometres south of Alicante. It boasts one of the largest fishing fleets in Europe and the Fish market can be seen every weekday afternoon from 16.00 on the concrete harbour pier. There are also some splendid museums in the town, featuring the history of the area. The main musuem can be found in a wonderful restored old castle not far from the promenade. There is also a large sea aquarium at the north end of the promenade. From this point you can see the small inhabited island of Tabarca a few miles off shore. There are boat trips out to the island and the whole area is a marine conservation area which boast rare marine species.

Cycle Hire and Horse Riding

There are many excellent stables in the Costa Blanca region. The Spanish like thier horses and many of the schools have good reputations for teaching riding and doing day hacks etc. We suggest El Rancho which does both horse riding and cycle hire. It is possible to to half day or shorter rides here through the Orange and Lemon Groves avoiding the traffic. Cycle hire for the day works out at 20 euros. This goes down if you hire bikes for longer periods, and the owner will deliver bikes locally to you. Call for further details. El Rancho can be found between Los Montesinos and La Marquesa town.

Sailing and Windsurfing

This can be done near Santa Pola or further south on the Mar Menor. You can rent a motor bike for the water and water ski at Santa Pola . Tel 0034 635 677 473

Something for Children.
The Rio Safari park at Elche has birds, aquariums reptiles and marine shows. The Aqua Park at Quesada is open in July and August, and has a range of water based activities for children. Guardemar has good municipal tennis facilities and a newly built year round swimming pool. Both are situated near the beach front at the north end of

Guardamar.
The beaches all along the coast are fantastic. Picnic areas abound on the north side of Guardamar near the sand dunes. It is true to say that the Spanish are fanatical picnic fans, especially on a Sunday, when the whole family gather together for lunch al fresco. The beach extends as long as 16 miles along this stretch of coast. There are lots of activities for children on the beach at Guardamar, including beach volley ball, climbing frames, and plenty of cafes for those who don't want to picnic.

Something for Adults.
Torrevieja and Benidorm have plenty of night life on offer. The Benidorm Palace, (about 45 minutes drive north of Alicante) has dancers and entertainers to suit a range of tastes. Dinners, shows and dancing shows are available from Tuesday to Saturdays every week, and dinner, including wine, dancing and a show costs around 37 euros per person. Tel 96 585 16 60 to book. Be aware that not everything labelled a “night club” is exactly what you would expect. What the Spanish call a night club, can often be something very different to the British would expect.

Activities.
Cycle hire is also available in Torrevieja (near the bus station) from Pepito and Juanito on 96 570 63 91. Wind surfing and sailing are available all along the coast. The best shopping in the areas are Alicante, Santa Pola or Murcia. Murcia has a fabulous in door market in the city centre almost every day of the week. Elche is famous for its shoe industry. There are Sunday markets every week just inland from Guardamar and a flea market the first Sunday in each month.

Golf - see separate golf pages.

Shopping and Restaurants near La Marquesa Golf (Properties 1, 3, and 8)

There is an amazing Mercadona supermarket in Rojales, on the east side of town. You can catch a bus there, or it is only a mile or so to walk. The fish counter there has to be seen to be believed. We strongly suggest you try some fish whilst out there. It goes on the BBQ and is cooked in no time in or out of foil. Cooking it in foil takes a bit longer but can keep it more moist. If you want it cleaned ask for "pescado limpio". The markets at Rojales is held every Thursday and the market at Torrevieja is held every Friday.By the roundabout on the La Marquesa golf course there are now some excellent shops and restaurants. We suggest you try morning coffee at Mount blanc coffee shop - and you have to try one of the divine belgian chocolates whilst you are there! The Pirates bar and the Irish bar are also popular although the Irish bar can get a bit rowdy. Since Christmas 2005, a new "Supavalu" supermarket has opened. It is very well stocked and clean and sells virtually everything you could need.

If you are eating out, we have had good reports of the new Chinese restaurant above the Supavalu store. We can also reccommend La Perla Roja for something special and the Greek and Thai restaurants near La Perla Roja. These can be found at the north east end of the golf course not far from the small back road to Guardamar.

There are a couple of great ladies clothes shops in Quesada, ie over the hill on the south side of the complex. We suggest Redz for a great range of lovely trendy clothes - they have a superb selection of sizes too. The hairdressing and beauty salon in Quesada "Queens" is very good for many beauty treatments, and Quesda itself has an impressive range of bars night clubs, and restaurnats including a curry house.

Maps

We use Michelin map 123 of Spain. You can also use Everest maps - see our links page for details.