Must SeeFree
Santa Bárbara Castle
Monte Benacantil
A huge hilltop fortress with sweeping views over the bay and the city.
- Suggested time: 2 hrs
- No booking needed
Daily, roughly 10:00–20:00 (earlier in winter)
Things to do in Alicante
9 places, 7 of them free. A sun-drenched port city with a hilltop castle and a palm-lined promenade.
BeachesFree
Postiguet Beach
El Postiguet
The city’s central beach, right beneath the castle, with easy access to cafés.
- Suggested time: 3 hrs
- No booking needed
Open access; lifeguards in season
Local FavouritesFree
Explanada de España
Centro
A marble-tiled wave-patterned promenade lined with palm trees and café terraces.
- Suggested time: 45 min
- No booking needed
Open-air; always accessible
MarketsFree
Central Market
Centro
A century-old market hall of fish, fruit and local cheeses, with a cluster of tapas bars.
- Suggested time: 1 hr
- No booking needed
Monday–Saturday mornings to mid-afternoon
Hidden GemsFree
Santa Cruz Quarter
Old town
Colourful, flower-hung lanes climbing the hill from the old town, full of small cafés.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
Open-air; always accessible
Day Trips~£18
Tabarca Island Boat Trip
Tabarca (ferry)
A tiny walled island with clear water, snorkelling and simple seafood restaurants.
- Suggested time: 5 hrs
- Booking recommended
Ferries daily in season; reduced in winter
Museums~£4
MARQ Archaeological Museum
Centro
A well-designed museum tracing Alicante’s history from prehistory to the Middle Ages.
- Suggested time: 2 hrs
- No booking needed
Tuesday–Sunday, roughly 10:00–19:00
Day TripsFree
Guadalest Village
Guadalest (25 km)
A mountain village clinging to a rock above a turquoise reservoir.
- Suggested time: 5 hrs
- No booking needed
Village open daily; museums keep their own hours
NightlifeFree
Old Town Nightlife (El Barrio)
El Barrio
Tightly packed bars and terraces below the castle that fill on weekend nights.
- Suggested time: 3 hrs
- No booking needed
Bars typically open from early evening until late
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