Three days is, for me, the ideal amount of time to fall for Alicante: enough to live the city without rushing and to escape and discover the province too. The problem is that most people organise it badly, too much on one day, too little on another, or crossing the city end to end for no reason.
So I’ve put together this 3 days in Alicante itinerary the way I’d plan it for a friend coming to visit: with real timings, the order that actually works, and those little tricks you only know if you live here. Adjust it to your pace, but this is the skeleton.
Before you start: how to make the most of this 3 days in Alicante itinerary
Two keys to make everything fit. The first: in Alicante we eat late (between 2:00 and 3:30pm) and dine around 9:00pm. If you try to have lunch at 12:30, half the kitchens won’t even be open yet. The second: the centre is walkable. You won’t need taxis or a car for Day 1; the only transport you’ll use is the TRAM, and for the day trips, the train or a car.
One logistics note that saves headaches: the three underground TRAM stops in the centre are Luceros (the big interchange), Mercado (next to the Central Market) and MARQ-Castillo. Memorise those three names and you’ll move around without thinking.
Day 1: the heart of the city
Morning
Start strong and clear-headed at the Central Market. It opens in the mornings (Monday to Saturday; closed on Sundays), and early on is when it’s most alive — though opening times are always worth checking before you go, as they can change with the season.
Opened in 1921, it’s the best place to take the city’s pulse. From there, walk up to Barrio de Santa Cruz while it’s still morning, when the light falls beautifully between the white houses and the sun isn’t yet fierce. If you want the detail of where to get lost, I cover it in my guide to Barrio de Santa Cruz.
Lunch
Head down for a proper rice. There’s no debate here: it’s a midday dish. Nou Manolín (Calle Castaños) or, more neighbourhood-style, Racó del Pla are safe bets. Order arroz a banda or del senyoret, and don’t call it «paella» 😉
Afternoon
Here’s my best trick of the day: save Santa Bárbara Castle for late afternoon. Most people go up at midday, in the heat and with the sun in their eyes; if you go around 6:00-7:00pm, you dodge the crowds and catch the sunset from the top, when the stone turns golden.
Take the lift on Avenida Juan Bautista Lafora (around €2.70), but note that the last lift up leaves 40 minutes before closing, and both the price and those closing times are worth checking in advance, as they vary by season and can differ from what I quote here. You’ll find everything in my guide to Santa Bárbara Castle.
Evening. Come back down and have tapas for dinner. Cervecería Sento (Calle Girona) and its «Iván» montadito are a classic, and the old town comes alive after dark. Round off the day with a stroll along the Explanada de España.
Day 2: a trip to the sea or to the palm trees
The second day is for leaving the city, and here you’ll have to choose based on what you’re in the mood for.
Important: pick one, not both. The most common mistake I see is trying to squeeze Tabarca and Elche into the same day; there isn’t time, and you end up enjoying neither.
Option A – Tabarca (sea and calm).
If the weather’s good and you fancy beach and history, the island is a wonderful plan. The boat leaves from Alicante’s port and the crossing takes around an hour, so go with the first departure of the morning and note the time of the last boat back (missing it means sleeping on the island).
Ferry timetables change through the year, so check the current schedule before you set out. I tell you everything in my guide to Tabarca.
Option B – Elche (culture and palm trees)
If you’d rather stay on dry land, Elche is a hop away: the Cercanías train (line C 1) takes just over half an hour and drops you in the centre with no parking worries.
Palm grove, Basílica and good rice. Train frequencies are worth confirming on the day, as they can vary. All the details are in my guide to the Elche day trip.
Whichever you choose, come back to Alicante for dinner: that way you make the most of the afternoon at your destination without dragging bags back and forth.
Day 3: the villages of the Costa Blanca
For the last day, my recommendation is to discover the inland or the northern coast. And here logistics rule, so let me be clear:
If you have a car: Guadalest + Altea. It’s the perfect combination, mountain and sea in a single day, but you need a car: public transport doesn’t reach Guadalest well. Go up to the village on the rock first thing in the morning (quiet, with lovely light), then head down to eat and wander around Altea in the afternoon. My guide to Guadalest has all the details.
If you don’t have a car: Villajoyosa or Altea by TRAM. Here’s the key fact almost nobody tells you: TRAM line 1 leaves Luceros roughly every 30 minutes and takes you right along the sea to Villajoyosa in just under an hour (a gem of colourful houses and chocolate; I cover it here).
To reach Altea, on the other hand, you take L1 to Benidorm and there change to line 9, which runs about once an hour; allow around two hours each way. It’s beautiful, but plan your time, and the last train back, carefully. As always, treat these frequencies as a guide and check the live timetable, since services can change.
Back and farewell. Save the last afternoon for whatever you missed on Day 1: a swim at Postiguet, a final turrón ice cream at Laneu or Livanti, or simply a cold drink watching the sunset over the harbour.
Doing it on your own or with a guide
This itinerary is designed so you can follow it yourself, and it works. But I’ll be honest about when it’s worth having a local by your side: if you’re tight on days and don’t want to lose a minute working out train times, if you’re travelling with family or reduced mobility, or if you’re the kind of traveller who prefers to understand what you see rather than just photograph it.
That’s where I come in. I can guide you for a single day, the castle and the old town, say, as part of my Alicante experiences,or plan all three days as a tailor-made route, combining the city with those escapes to venture beyond Alicante, at your pace and in your language. You enjoy; I’ll handle the logistics.
So there’s your plan. Adjust it, shuffle it, make it yours. And if you’d like me to help you fine-tune it or join you for part of the way, message me and we’ll put it together 🙂