I’ve been showing people around this city for three years now, and I still get a little thrill every time someone asks me what to do in Alicante. Because the honest answer is: so much more than you’d expect from a place people often treat as just a beach stop or a cruise-day tick-box.
If you’re after the best things to do in Alicante, the ones I’d actually send my own friends to, this is my local, no-fluff guide, sorted by mood so you can build the kind of day that suits you (history lover, foodie, sunset chaser… I’ve got you).
Ready? Let’s go.
Start high: the castle and its stories
You can’t really talk about Alicante attractions without starting at Santa Bárbara Castle. It sits 166 metres up on Mount Benacantil, and from the top the whole city, the bay and the Mediterranean open up in front of you.
Entry to the castle is free, and you can either walk up through Parque de la Ereta or take the lift built into the rock, the entrance is right opposite Postiguet Beach, and it’s a lot kinder on your legs 🙂
Go up for the views, of course. But those walls hold battles, a old hospital, and even a legend that gave the city its name, and that’s the part most visitors walk straight past. It’s exactly why I built my Santa Bárbara Castle tour around the stories, not just the panorama.
Get gloriously lost in Barrio de Santa Cruz
If you only have time for one neighbourhood, make it this one. Santa Cruz is the old fishermen’s quarter climbing up towards the castle: white houses, blue flowerpots, tiny staircases and cats sunbathing like they own the place. It’s the most photogenic corner of the city and, for me, the most alive.
My tip? Come mid-morning or late afternoon, wear comfy shoes, and just wander. Half the magic here is not knowing what’s around the next turn. It’s easily one of the best things to see in Alicante, and it costs you absolutely nothing.
The tastiest things to do in Alicante
Eating well is genuinely one of the best things to do in Alicante, and I won’t be taking questions on this. Start at the Mercado Central, our gorgeous covered market, where locals still do their daily shopping and the seafood counters are a show in themselves.
For lunch, hunt down arroz a banda or arroz del senyoret, our rice dishes are a serious point of local pride (please don’t call everything «paella» in front of an alicantino 😉). Then save room for turrón, the almond nougat this region is famous for.
If you want the stories behind the dishes and the spots where I actually eat, that’s the kind of thing we dig into on a walk together.
Sunsets, viewpoints and the Explanada
When the heat softens, do what we do: stroll the Explanada de España, the palm lined promenade with its wavy marble floor in red, cream and black. Grab a horchata or an ice cream, sit near the marina, and let the evening happen around you.
Want a higher view without the climb? The terraces around the old town and the castle look – outs are hard to beat. These are the quiet Alicante activities that never make the «top 10» lists but somehow end up being everyone’s favourite memory.
Beaches within easy reach
Postiguet is the city beach, golden sand right below the castle, perfect for a swim between sightseeing. With a little more time, San Juan is longer and more laid-back, an easy tram ride from the centre. A morning at the castle and an afternoon by the sea is, honestly, a pretty perfect Alicante day.
Day trips: when the city makes you curious
Here’s what most guides won’t tell you: some of the best things to do in Alicante are actually just outside the city. Elche and its UNESCO palm groves, the little island of Tabarca, colourful Villajoyosa, the mountain village of Guadalest, all easy day trips. If you’re the kind of traveller who likes to venture beyond Alicante, we can shape a route around exactly that.
So, how do you fit it all in?
You don’t have to and that’s rather the point. Pick the experiences that make your eyes light up and leave the rest for next time (there’s always a next time with this city). If you’d rather not plan it alone, well, that’s literally my job: I run private and shared experiences in English, French and Italian, from a relaxed Alicante Essentials walk to a fully tailor-made route built around you.
Whatever you choose, come curious. If it’s your first time to visit Alicante, Spain, know that there are far more things to do here than any guidebook lets on, and I’d love to show you the ones that make people fall for this place the way I did.
Ready when you are. Message me and let’s plan your day 🙂