Alicante Travel guide

History of Alicante

The first settlements in the area were centred around the slopes of mount Benacantil, occupied today by the castle of Santa Bárbara, which combined the privileges of being close to the sea yet offering the protection of being high above the surrounding land. Although no definite remains have been found, historians are sure that the Iberians fortified the hilltop. Another settlement was located in the Benalúa area, where the Roman city of Lucentum was built, the predecessor of the city of Alicante today. Others villages from the same period have been located at the Albufereta and in the Serra Grossa.

With the arrival of the Moors, the present-day city was built under the protection of the castle. Alfonso, later to become the 10th, known as the Wise, conquered the city in 1246 for the Castilian crown, and in 1308 Jaime II incorporated Alicante in the Kingdom of Valencia. In 1490 Ferdinand the Catholic granted Alicante its City Charter, and 100 years later it was to become the natural port of Castile, propitiating a growing sea trade, thanks to which the economy of the area began to flourish and population grew considerably, with Alicante attaining the rank of Spain's third largest trading port.

Alicante has seen its share of wars and conflicts throughout the history of Spain, and due to its position on the coast, all attacks have been made from sea. In 1691, under the reign of Charles II, the French Armada bombed the city for seven consecutive days. Without so much as a breathing space, it became involved in the War of Spanish Succession (1701-14). It sided with the Bourbons and suffered the bombardment and destruction of the castle of Santa Bárbara by English troops. During the War of Independence (1804-14), known as the Peninsular War, it was the provisional capital of the Kingdom of Valencia while Valencia proper was occupied by Major General Suchet.

In the 18th century Alicante began to recover after the disasters of recent wars, but it was really in the 19th century when it started to expand considerably. With the arrival of the railway in 1858, its linkage to the centre of the peninsula guaranteed its leading role as a port, giving it the cosmopolitan air of a city facing the sea and welcoming maritime traffic.

By the early 20th century the whole of Spain was almost at the point of revolution. After having backed a failed military dictatorship for years, King Alfonso XIII abdicated the throne. In 1931 a Spanish Republic was declared. In 1936, General Francisco Franco led an uprising against the lawfully elected left government, a coup supported by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, aiming to re-establish the authority of the Catholic Church, the Army and the aristocracy. This turned out to be the bloodiest civil war in Europe in the 20th century. After three years of bloodshed, Franco's army won, with Valencia and Alicante the last cities loyal to the government to be overcome. Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is a realistic saga inspired by the author's voluntary taking part in this warfare.

The next 20 years under Franco's police state proved disastrous for Alicante. After Franco's death in 1975, his successor King Juan Carlos I put Spain on the road to democracy. As regional governments were given more administrative power, Valencia Province was granted a degree of autonomy which, with the people's hard work, has transformed Valencia into a traveler's paradise

At the start of the 21st century, in this New Spain, Alicante is the Valencia region's second-largest town. It has spruced itself up and is starting to attract waves of visitors looking for the 'real' Spain. As its tourist dollars continue to grow, Alicante's only concern is how much tourism it wants or can continue to bear.

The rambling Castillo de Santa Bárbara on the bare rock behind the town beach is Alicante's only real "sight" – with a tremendous view from the top. It's best approached from the seaward side where a lift shaft has been cut straight up through the hill to get you to the top; the lift is directly opposite Meeting Point 5 on the other side of the road from Playa Postiguet. For the best local beaches head for San Juan de Alicante, 6km out, reached either by half-hourly bus from the Plaza del Mar or the FEVE rail line. Still better, take a trip to the island of Tabarca to the south – boats leave from Puerto on the Explanada de España daily in summer, weather permitting.


Culture

Alicante is a university city, with various faculties and a series of technical colleges. In summer a variety of Spanish courses for foreigners are held.

The City offers an interesting range of cultural activities taking place in various centres around town, such as the Casa de la Cultura (cultural centre), which has a well-stocked library, a historical archive and keeps locals and visitors abreast of cultural movements by staging exhibitions, conferences and films. A number of financial entities also have their own Cultural Centres, offering a diversified programme throughout the year. The Teatro Principal, a neo-classical building of the middle 19th century, with an extensive programme, the exhibition centre Lonja del Pescado...

In the month of September the National Theatre Meeting "Alicante a Escena" is held, along with the International Contemporary Music Festival. In December there is an International Puppet Festival.


Festivities

The calendar in Alicante is fuller than usual as far as festivities are concerned. Depending on the season in which you happen to be staying in the city, you can take your pick from an extensive variety of fiestas.

The most important of these are undoubtedly what Alicanteans call Les Fogueres de Sant Joan held at the end of June. This is the time of year during which Alicante becomes completely transformed. Dozens of monuments made of wood and papier-mâché are assembled in the streets throughout the city. Humour, satire and criticism of daily life bring many a smile to the faces of spectators. On the night of 24 June, after a shattering palmera, or fireworks display, all monuments are summarily consumed by the flames.

These festivities, however, last until 29 June, overlapping with the Feast of San Pedro, featuring colourful processions, fantastic fireworks and revelling in the popular barracas, makeshift fiesta houses constituting the centre of attraction for locals and visitors alike, with live outdoor music and dancing every night. Another prominent festivity is the romeria, or pilgrimage, to the neighbouring village of Santa Faz, held on the second Thursday following the eighth week after Easter and attracting thousands of "pilgrims".


Beaches

This is undoubtedly one of the city's strong points. Alicante's mild climate makes beach-life feasible practically all year round. You certainly have a lot of beaches to choose from.

An open beach? La Playa de San Juan, with seven kilometres of golden sand flanked by a road enabling you to stop wherever you want.

A secluded beach? La Albufereta, an intimate, residential stretch of sand, protected by the headland of the Serra Grossa.

An urban beach? El Postiguet, located almost within the city itself, at the foot of the Benacantil mountain, next to the port. And there's still another called los Saladares, Iying south of the city in the area known as Agua Amarga.

The sands simply never run out in Alicante. But if you prefer rocks, at the Cabo de las Huertas you'll find a rugged, rocky area with coves such as los Cantarales, los Judios and Palmera.

Nudist beaches? El Saladar and Los Judios. For scuba divers we can recommend the shores of the Isla de Tabarca off the coast.


Monuments

Castillo de Santa Bárbara (Santa Bárbara Castle) This is the most emblematic construction in the city, located on the summit of mount Benacantil at 166m above the nearby sea. Archeological findings seem to indicate that this was a site of an Iberian hill fort. Today the majority of the castle dates from the 16th century. Of note are the Torre del Homenaje (keep), the Baluarte de los Ingleses (the Englishmen's bastion), la Capilla de Santa Bárbara, el Salón de Felipe II and others. The ascent can be made either by car or via a lift going up from the Postiguet beach. Visiting is a must, because the bastions provide a splendid panorama of the city and the coast. From here you will see the island of Tabarca, located off the coast from Cape Aljub near Santa Pola.

Iglesia de Santa Maria (Church of St. Mary) This 16th-century church was built on the site of an ancient Arab mosque. It has a gothic interior, and baroque high altar and doorway.

Concatedral de San Nicolás de Bari (Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas of Bari) Finished in 1662, this church in renaissance style with baroque elements in the altar and communion chapel is considered as one of the best examples of Spain's high baroque. Of special interest is the cloister, adorned with grilles and wooden doors.

Ayuntamiento (City Hall) A fine example of baroque civil architecture finished in 1760. On the first step of the stairway on the first floor is a small metal disc indicating sea level, used as a reference point for measuring height above sea level for all other points in Spain.

Monasterio de la Santa Faz (Monastery of the Holy Face) Located in the village district of the same name eight kilometres north of the City along the Alicante-Valencia route, this church was terminated in 1766 in renaissance style, with a baroque doorway. In a side-chapel of the church there is a reliquary containing one of the folds of linen used by Veronica to wipe Christ's brow during the Calvary. This relic was brought from Rome in the 1 5th century. Abutting onto the building is a fortified tower from the 16th century.

Castillo de San Fernando (Castle of St. Ferdinand) This is located on the Tossal hilltop, and is now completely dismantled, although it is true to say that this fortress was never terminated, as it was begun just before the French invasion. The spacious platform it now offers is used for sports and leisure activities.

Palacio Gravina (Gravina Palace) Constructed in the 18th century, this building now contains the provincial Archives, governed by the provincial Council. Exhibitions and cultural activites are often staged here.

Isla de Tabarca (Island of Tabarca) This island is in fact a natural monument, and is the only inhabited island in the land of Valencia, an erstwhile refuge of pirates and corsairs, now pertaining to the municipality of Alicante. It is eleven nautical miles from Alicante and three from Santa Pola. The waters around the island are now listed as a Marine Reserve. The island has an important set of fortifications (walls, bastion and doorways), an 18th century church and the castle of San José. Tabarca was declared a Historical-Artistic Monument in 1964.