Last Updated on April 19, 2024 by snaphappytravel
Our guide to one day in Alicante and how best to experience this gorgeous Spanish city on a tight schedule. Featuring 6 of the top things to do in Alicante.
We featured the beautiful Spanish city of Alicante in our 12 places we loved article and for good reason. Alicante holds a special place in my heart because my parents have had a summer home here for 20 years. It’s a second home, a familiar place to escape. And that’s why I love it. In fact, not only is there loads to do in Alicante itself, there’s loads of cool day trips from Alicante too.
So, here’s our ultimate guide to spending one day in Alicante.
6 Things to Do in 24 hours in Alicante
Yep, 24 hours in Alicante may seem like a short amount of time but, you’d be surprised at how much you can fit into one day in Alicante. As long as you stick to a schedule and follow my list below (in that order preferably) you could fit up to 6 activities into one day in Alicante.
Of course, if you want to do one (or a few) of the recommended guided tours I’ve recommended in the below blog post, then I recommend allowing more than 2 days in Alicante!
Read Next: How to Spend two days in Alicante
Here’s the top 6 places we recommend visiting in Alicante (more detailed information if you scroll down):
- La Explanada de España
- Alicante Harbour
- Alicante Water Museum
- Castillo de Santa Barbara
- Barrio de Santa Cruz
- La Ereta Park
La Explanada de España
First stop coffee! There are lots of sweet little coffee shops lining La Explanada de España, and we picked one that was thronged with Spaniards smoking and chatting lazily outside. Inside was dark and dusty and very authentic. Very cheap too, I think we paid €4 for a ham & cheese croissant and coffee. Oh by the way, it’s called Cafeteria Ripoll
Afterwards we walked the famous Esplanade and I forced Paul to take lots of photos of me. FYI – as you can see it’s extremely instagram-worthy.
Alicante Harbour
We spent an hour or so walking around the harbor, mainly because it was sweltering and we needed a slight breeze from the ocean. As you stroll through here you will have gorgeous views along the picturesque Postiguet Beach. If you have time you may be interested in visiting one of the other amazing beaches in Alicante.
There are lots of restaurants lined along the harbor, great for people-watching but beware they are pricier because of their desirable location. Some of the best restaurants here include Restaurante El Pescador and Taberna del Puerto.
From the harbor you can go on a boat tour. Choose from a sunset catamaran experience (definitely a bucket-list-worthy experience!). It includes tapas and drinks (one alcoholic beverage, the rest non-alcoholic) on-board and even the chance to go snorkeling in the warm waters off the coast of the city. The best part is it costs only €32 per person.
Or if you have more time (i.e., 3 days in Alicante) definitely choose this awesome 6-hour day trip to nearby Tabarca Island. It includes a tour of lovely Tabarca Island. From the luxury boat, you’ll get to see the white sand of Carabassi Beach and the lighthouse at the Cape of Santa Pola. A paella lunch and some drinks are included in the price of €72 per person.
Alicante Water Museum
Next, we began the daunting hike to Castillo de Santa Barbara with a quick pit-stop at the Alicante Water Museum because it has awesome air-conditioning. It is actually quite an interesting stop, you can visit the ‘Pozos’ or Wells of Garrigós which are believed to date as far back as the 16th century. These wells were redesigned to their current layout in the 19th century in an attempt to lessen the effects of the prolonged droughts suffered by the city.
Castillo de Santa Barbara
Now, back to the climb to the Castillo, not for the faint-hearted especially during the hottest time of the day. FYI-if you have a car you can park in one of the carparks much closer to the top. It’s free admission to the Castillo de Santa Barbara.
We didn’t spend too much time wandering the Castillo grounds as I was most interested in the spectacular views. At 166 meters above sea level the views from here are unbelievable! The Castillo was built way back at the end of the 9th Century and over the years the archaeological remains of the Bronze Age, Iberian and Roman have been unearthed here. It is filled with history and such a great way to spend a couple hours.
We spent a whole lot of time admiring the views from the top and taking lots of photos. There is a restaurant and a little kiosk on site for refreshments, which is a welcome sight in the heat of the Summer!
You can see the Castillo on a private guided tour like this one, which also visits other Alicante highlights – like Carbonell House, Barrio de Santa Cruz and the ‘Explanada de España,’ promenade. It’s 3 hours long and costs €70 per person. It starts at 10 am from Passeig Esplanada d’Espanya but it must be booked in advance.
You can book this private tour of Alicante and the Castillo here!
Barrio de Santa Cruz
This cute and colorful neighborhood is the oldest part of the city. Barrio de Santa Cruz nestles at the foot of Benacantil Hill. Step back in time as you climb this neighborhood’s narrow streets to Santa Barbara Castle at the top of Benacantil Hill. At night, the atmosphere grows lively as locals head to the Barrio’s many tavernas for tapas and drinks.
If you’re a guided tour lover, then this Alicante City & Beach Tour is a fantastic choice. It’s 2.5 hours long and costs from just €30 per person. And, of course, it involves you pedaling past some of the city’s top sights (like Barrio de Santa Cruz, the Central Market, and Alicante Town Hall) on a bike.
La Ereta Park
This park has excellent views of San Nicolás Cathedral and the Port of Alicante thanks to its location on Mount Benacantil. It is also a great starting point for visiting other sights I recommended such as Barrio de Santa Cruz and Castillo de Santa Barbara.
This park is almost 7 hectares and is home olive trees, oak trees and other typical Mediterranean plant life. There’s also an exhibition hall, small museum and a water fountain here.
One Day in Alicante – How We Got Here
Located on the Costa Blanca, with the closest major city being Valencia. Alicante has lots to offer a respective tourist in a short time.
Even though I’ve visited Alicante on day-trips numerous times in my youth, This time I decided to spend the night here and truly get a feel for this coastal city. We took the bus from Torrevieja, which is where my parents’ house is located, and it was approximately an hour’s bus journey from Alicante. Our hotel for the night was just a 20-minute drive from downtown. So, we put our luggage into the coin-operated luggage storage at the Alicante bus terminal. If memory serves me right, it was about €5.
If you’re arriving into Alicante Airport, you can hop on the C-6 bus into the city center. This costs around €4. Otherwise, a taxi will set you back around €20.
You can also reach Alicante via train from the larger cities of Barcelona and Valencia. Detailed information on trains to Alicante.
What To Do in Alicante?
If you have longer than one day in Alicante, ideally 3 days in Alicante (which we highly recommend) then you’ll be able to tick off a couple more awesome Alicante attractions. Some of my favorite activities I’ve done in Alicante include hopping on a boat cruise to Tabarca Island and wandering the qauint, historic streets of Guadalest – a gorgeous mountain town.
Here’s a list of a few of the best things to do in Alicante if you have more time –
- Go on a Boat Cruise – From Alicante harbor, you can hop on a boat tour to one of the off-shore islands like Tabarca Island or go snorkeling in the turquoise waters of Cabo de Huertas. We really loved this experience as we got to see Alicante from a different perspective and relax on a luxurious boat.
- Go Wine Tasting – Only a 45-minute drive from Alicante is a small village in the Vinalopo region which is famous for producing a sweet dessert wine known as Fondillon. This is the guided wine tour we did during our visit to Alicante. And because it’s just 4 hours long it’s ideal if you’re short on time (which we were!). We got to visit a vineyard and see how the wine is made, as well as taste some awesome wine.
- Visit Guadalest – About an hour’s drive from Alicante is the stunning village of Guadalest. And as I said, we loved wandering its photogenic cobblestone streets and taking in the views of the Guadalest Valley below! For us, there are two must-visit places in Guadalest Village (which would you believe only has a population of 200 people!) The first is Guadalest Castle and the second is the white bell tower of Penon de la Alcala.
- Go Shopping at the Central Market – The Central Market of Alicante is an icon in Alicante CBD, constructed back in 1912 it has been a meeting place for local farmers, fishermen and charismatic stall owners for decades. Most of the restaurants in the city buy their produce here daily, and of course, locals come here to stock up, so it’s the perfect place to get a real feel for daily life in Alicante.
Where to stay in Alicante
We stayed at the cheap & cheerful Ibis Alicante, which is as I mentioned before is 6km from Alicante city. We choose the Ibis Hotel because it is very reasonably priced (approx. €30). Also, we had an early flight to catch to the airport the next morning and this hotel is on the route to the airport. The airport bus service stops just across the road.
If you book any of the hotels listed here through these links – I will get a tiny commission (to continue my travels) & you will get the best available rate!
We also highly recommend the following hotels in Alicante:
- Casa Alberola Alicante – a stylish luxurious adults-only hotel located in the city centre.
- My Flats Luxury Downtown – luxurious self-catering apartment with a terrace.
- Suites del Mar by Melia – located right on the main beach in Alicante & with spectacular views. And a rooftop pool!
- Hotel Almirante – a large outdoor pool and epic beach views from most of their rooms. This hotel is located at San Juan beach, a 10 minute drive from Alicante.
- Urban Hotel by MC – this is very reasonably priced considering its location in the central district. The rooms are clean and minimally styled and there are loads of bars & restaurants nearby!
You can search all the best hotels in Alicante here via booking.com!
Have I convinced you to visit Alicante (for just one day)?
In short, Alicante is a quintessentially ‘Spanish’ city. The Castillo de Santa Barbara is beautiful, and the harbor area is very sophisticated, with cool bars and restaurants. But the best part for me is the quirky flower-filled streets of Barrio de Santa Cruz underneath the Castillo. Tell me, how did you find our guide to one day in Alicante?
Recommended to read next | splurge-worthy things to do in Santorini
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Thanks for the insights. From photos it does not look crowded at all. I’d love to visit Alicante now. What an incredible little place.
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You have convinced me to visit Alicante. But definitely not on a hot day. I’ll got in the spring or fall. Beautiful sights.
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Barrio de Santa Cruz looks like such a cute neighborhood – I would love to spend the day exploring here!
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Cute! I love Alicante. Thanks for inspiring me!
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Yes, you’ve definitely convinced me to visit Alicante! Love all of your photos and pinned for future reference!
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Great guide 🙂 I haven’t visited Alicante yet, but your guide makes me want to go! I would especially like to visit Barrio de Santa Cruz and the castle.
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Loved your blog post! Going to pin & save it for later when I (finally) make it to Spain. That climb to the castillo looks beautiful, hard, but beautiful.
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Alicante looks so beautiful! You seriously have me missing Spain. I love that country so much! 🙂
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Love your photos! The streets look so dreamy, thank you for sharing! Spain has to be on my list now 🥰
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Your photos are beautiful! Spain just looks so amazing. I cannot wait to visit once it’s safe to do so!
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Your pictures took me back to memory lane of my last visit to this place and now I’m itching to go back again soon.
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What a beautiful place! I’ve never been heard of this destination before!
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I’m ready to pack my bags right now! Love your pictures. I’d really like to visit Alicante Harbour, it looks so beautiful
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Spain is one of the places I desperately want to visit. I went to Columbia and Mexico as a child, but have not ticked Spain off the list as yet. La Explanada sounds like a magical destination.
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This just makes me miss Spain so much! Great pics and tips for Alicante! 🙂
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Spain is definitely on my must see list. Now you’ve just added a new stop while I’m there!
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Busiest city in travel manners thanks for the info.
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I had never even heard of Alicante, but it’s definitely on my list now! Beautiful photos!
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Such beautiful photos! I have to admit that I had not heard of Alicante until now. How amazing is that? Thank you for sharing with us. Spanish cities have my entire heart!
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Very very charming city. Great shots of Alicante. Have not visited this part of Spain and will certainly add it to my travels the next time I’m in the country. You’ve certainly intrigued me!!
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Alicante looks like a beautiful city with so many places to visit. The water museum looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing !
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I love the architecture of Barrio de Santa Cruz, it looks really charming. I had heard about Alicante before but never really considered visiting but it looks really lovely adding it to my bucket list!
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I prefer to go by car to the last point of the Castillo because I am not a good climber. I am sure view from the top must be incredible. Other places also look interesting to visit.
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I’ve seen some decently priced flights to Alicante on WOW Air recently. I wasn’t sure about it, because I’d never really read much about it. But now, seeing all your photos and things to do, I may consider buying a ticket!
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Wow, I never new there was so much to do in Alicante! It looks beautiful x
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I love your photos!! Alicante looks so beautiful- you’re so lucky that your parents have a holiday home there. Spain is a really incredible country and I would love to explore so much more of it 😊
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Oh yes you have convinced me to visit Alicante already. Lovely post and well described.
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I’d love to go back to Spain and do some more exploring. Alicante looks like a great place to visit. Since I like history and views the Castillo de Santa Barbara would be on the top of my list of things to do. Good to know there is a snack stand at the top as I’m sure it gets super hot.
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What a nice city! Love the pictures. Thank you for sharing this guide… I guess I would choose to stay longer though haha
– https://www.brunabersch.com/
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What time of year did you go? Based on your photos, It seems like it wasn’t very crowded with tourists….just how I like it!
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Hello Jaime, we went mid-June and a week day so definitely less crazy x
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So many places to see in 24 hours! I would love to visit Barrio de Santa Cruz. I love cute and colorful neighborhoods and I bet the tapas there are delicious 🙂
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Spain is such a delightful country to explore and now I have more to add to the list! Your photos of Alicante are gorgeous – thanks for sharing this wonderful area!
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The view of Alicante Harbour is beautiful and quiet unique. Love the houses with flower pots hanging down the sode. What a pretty location. 😀
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Great guide! I haven’t been to Spain yet, so I will def use this to help plan a trip!
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Spain is a place that I want to visit. You have inspired me more. The photos are awesome.
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Really nice photos and great tips! Have been in Spain a few times but have unfortunetaly missed Alicante. Will make sure to visit it next time!
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Oooh I’ve never been to Alicante. It looks gorgeous, although very hot!!
The Castillo de Santa Barbara looks the most impressive. The views from there must have been spectacular!
I also love that photo in Barrio de Santa Cruz with all the plant pots. It’s so pretty!
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We have only been to Barcelona so far, where we visited Poble Espanyol and saw all the different architectures of Spain, gathered in one place. Alicante is so wonderful. Being a Mediterranean guy I love all such countries. Really nice and bright photos.
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Wow I’ve always wanted to go Spain and your photos just inspired me to do it again! Alicante is the perpect place to be, the harbour is gorgeous, the skyline, the weather and the colourful neighbourhood! I think i can spend all day taking pictures there!
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Yes, it is definitly Instagram worthy. Great photos. I would love to see Alicante. Spain is just so beautiful. La Explanda Espana is gorgeous. I would love to see that in person.
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We will be in Valencia in October! And Alicante is just under 2 hours from our friend’s place in Valencia where we will be staying. We will surely visit it!
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What a beautiful area. Nothing like good advice from an insider. Would love to have the chance to follow your guide to Alicante!
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We spent a lot of time near here when I was a child. I loved your pic of the hanging pots on the white walls – that’s exactly how I remember it. Thanks for bringing back so many good memories.
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Spain has been on my list of places to travel to for so many years, and your post about Alicante has me wanting to add it to my Spain bucket list right away. What a beautiful place!
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I`ve been living in Spain for almost 10 years and even though I`ve traveled quite a lot around here, I still haven`t been to Alicante!
I`m organizing a road trip this summer, I`ll add it to the list!
Pinned it so I won`t lose this post!
Gracias!
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This looks beautiful! Ok I definitely need to go now!
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I’ve always wanted to visit Spain. 😊 I will have to add this city to our list.
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Alicante sounds so lovely thanks for the tips!
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Great photos! Definitely makes me want to visit!
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Well this needs to be at the top of my travel list! xx
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