What to see in Alacant
Alacant (Alicante) is the great city of the southern Valencian Community: a provincial capital, a bright port city facing the Mediterranean, with a lively historic centre and urban beaches a step from downtown. It lies about 170 km from València and, despite the affectionate rivalry between the two, it's a getaway that deserves more than a single day.
Its symbol is Santa Bárbara Castle, a fortress set atop Mount Benacantil, with Arab origins dating back to the 9th century. From its highest esplanade, the "Macho del Castillo," the panorama over the bay runs a full 360º. At its foot is the Santa Cruz quarter, a maze of lanes with white-and-blue houses smothered in flowers, and along the sea runs the Explanada de España, an avenue of palms and rippling marble paving that is the heart of local life. Don't miss the co-cathedral of San Nicolás or the basilica of Santa María.
From València, the Euromed or mid-distance train links the two cities in around an hour and a half to two hours: comfortable and direct. By car it's about two hours along the AP-7. Once there, almost everything is walkable.
Local tip: head up to the castle at sunset, when the light gilds the city; the lift, carved into the rock, saves you the climb. Afterward, go tapas-hopping through the Barrio. To keep exploring the south, combine it with Benidorm or Torrevieja.
🚆 How to get there from València
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Castle · FREECastillo de Santa BárbaraAlacant — Monte BenacantilA medieval fortress on Mount Benacantil, 166 metres above the sea, with views over the city, the port and the Mediterranean.
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Monument · FREEExplanada de EspañaAlacant — frente al puertoAlicante's best-known promenade, a palm-lined boulevard by the harbour paved with nearly seven million tricolour marble tiles that ripple…
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Town · FREEBarrio de Santa CruzAlacant — casco antiguoAlicante's oldest quarter, a maze of steep little lanes with whitewashed houses, flower pots and bursts of colour at the foot of the…
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Monument · FREEBasílica de Santa MaríaAlacant — casco antiguoAlicante's oldest church, built between the 14th and 16th centuries over a former mosque. It has a Baroque façade and a Gothic interior.
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Church · FREEConcatedral de San Nicolás de BariPlaça de l'Abat Penalva, Casc Antic (Old Town), AlicanteAlicante's co-cathedral is one of the masterpieces of Herrerian Renaissance architecture in the Valencian Community, built between 1616 and…
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Church · FREEMonasterio de la Santa FazPartida de la Santa Faz, Carretera de Valencia, Alicante (afueras)This 15th-to-17th-century monastery on the outskirts of Alicante guards the relic of the Holy Face, a cloth said by tradition to have wiped…
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Church · FREEIglesia de Santa María de los Ángeles (San Juan de Alicante)Plaça de l'Església, centre de Sant Joan d'AlacantAn 18th-century Baroque church in the nearby town of Sant Joan d'Alacant, renowned for its extraordinary cycle of mural paintings.
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ChurchIglesia de las Santas Justa y Rufina (Orihuela)Calle Mayor / Casco histórico, OrihuelaLocated in Orihuela, within Alicante province, this church is a 15th-to-16th-century Gothic gem with a splendid tower offering one of the…
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MuseumMARQ — Museu Arqueològic Provincial d'AlacantAlacant — casco antiguoProvincial archaeology museum housed in the former San Juan de Dios hospital (1926-1929), designed by architect Juan Vidal Ramos.
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Museum · FREEMUBAG — Museu de Belles Arts GravinaAlacant — casco antiguoFine-arts museum set inside the Palace of the Count of Lumiares, an 18th-century gem in the old town.
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Museum · FREEMACA — Museu d'Art Contemporani d'AlacantAlacant — casco antiguoContemporary-art museum beside the Santa María basilica, built around the Casa de la Asegurada (1685), the city's oldest public building…
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Castle · FREECastell de Sant FerranAlacant — casco antiguoFortress built on Mount Tossal during the Peninsular War (designed in 1809 and finished around 1813) to strengthen Alicante's defences…
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MonumentLucentum (Tossal de Manises)Alacant — casco antiguoArchaeological site of the ancient Ibero-Roman city of Lucentum, on a low rise by the sea at La Albufereta, about 3.5 km from the centre.
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Monument · FREEMercat Central d'AlacantAlacant — casco antiguoLarge covered food market opened in 1921, designed by architect Enrique Sánchez Sedeño in an eclectic style with Valencian Art Nouveau…
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Monument · FREECasa CarbonellAlacant — casco antiguoStately building inaugurated in 1925 facing the Explanada, designed by Alicante architect Juan Vidal Ramos for textile magnate Enrique…
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Cool venueTeatre Principal d'AlacantAlacant — casco antiguoThe city's main theatre, opened in 1847 to a design by architect Emilio Jover Pierron.
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Garden · FREEParc d'El PalmeralAlacant — casco antiguoLarge seafront urban park of about 19 hectares at the southern edge of the city, with more than 7,000 palm trees.
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Viewpoint · FREEParc de l'EretaAlacant — casco antiguoTerraced park on the slope of Mount Benacantil, right below Santa Bárbara castle.
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Beach & nature · FREEIlla de TabarcaAlacant — casco antiguoSmall island off the Alicante coast, the only inhabited one in the Valencian Community and Spain's first marine reserve (1986).
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Beach & nature · FREECala Cantalar (Cap de l'Horta)Alacant — casco antiguoSmall rock-and-sand cove at Cabo de las Huertas, minutes from the centre yet wild in feel.
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Monument · FREEPozos de Garrigós (Refugio Antiaéreo nº 13 - Museo de Aguas)Alacant — vessant del Benacantil, vora el Parc de l'EretaBelow the slope of Mount Benacantil, by the entrance to Ereta park, lie 19th-century cisterns carved into the rock that became an air-raid…
🏖️ Beaches
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Alacant from València?
By train on Renfe's Euromed and Intercity services from Joaquín Sorolla station, by bus with ALSA, or by car along the coastal AP-7, which is currently toll-free.
How long does it take from València to Alacant?
The train takes about 2 h 15 min to 2 h 30 min. A direct bus is around 2 hours, and by car on the AP-7 it's about 170 km and roughly 1 h 45 min.
What is there to see in Alacant?
The highlights are Santa Bárbara Castle on Mount Benacantil, the Explanada de España promenade, the old town of the Santa Cruz quarter, San Nicolás Co-cathedral and the Basílica de Santa María, plus the MARQ archaeology museum and the MUBAG fine-arts museum.
Is Alacant worth visiting with kids?
Yes. The climb up to Santa Bárbara Castle, Postiguet beach right by the centre, and the family-friendly MARQ make Alacant an easy day out with children, though at about 170 km it's best planned with time to spare or as an overnight trip.