Things to see and do in the south of Alicante region?

[gastephen]

I'm looking for some advice from anyone who knows the area. I've got a week booked at the end of next month in Algorfa (about 20km NW from Torrevieja) and will have a hire car.

My interests are in seeing something of the 'real' Spain (if possible) - landscape, history, culture. But that said, I also have two daughters (ages 4 and 14) to keep interested and occupied. Day-trip destinations will therefore have to be within reasonable travelling time.

Where should I head for quieter and perhaps less typically touristy spots to visit?

Google Maps tells me that the city of Murcia is about 60km away and a bit further there is the Parque Regional de Carrasco y el Valle. Are these worth a visit?

Any information about the area and/or personal recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

[vicentef]

no seriously, you can go inside alicante region for seeing some pueblos, when i go to alicante, i look for the opposite of you, i like very much albir, is a town with more norwegians than spanish with street or roads, like calle oslo, calle noruega and things like that, every year nordic people go more inside alicante region, because the same reason as you, they want to live in a more spanish way, there is a nice montanious region inside alicante and even snow there. sorry if i cant help you more



sorry everybody for my english, you can send a private message to the man from pego, he can give you some advice.

[Culebronchris]

Murcia city is pretty good, impressive cathedral and quite Spanish for this bit of the World. Couple of big shopping centres out of town too. That's real Spain.

Baños de Fortuna, just outside Fortuna, is a hot spa that looks like a swimming pool with some peeling "Victorian" hotels. I like it but it may not suit children.

Caravaca de la Cruz is about 90 mins up the motorway. Worth a look.

Down on the coast I have a soft spot for Santa Pola. Plenty of we foreigners, like all this coast, but a bit different and the coast past Santa Pola del Este just before the Gran Alacant Urb. is rather nice - no buildings, rock pools etc. Lots of Flamingos on the salt flats (I think they are still there at this time)

There is a similar, and surprising, little beach on the coast that hosts La Marina. Despite the "international" flavour of La Marina the coast there has a row of old houses and a couple of slightly run down restaurants. A change from the blocks of flats.

Elche town is smashing, all the palm trees, lots of good museums and stuff and some intersting restaurants. It feels particularly sophisticated just as the evening paseo starts especially near the Basilica and Glorieta.

[gastephen]

Thank you very much, both of you, for your comments.

Elche sounds good.

I emailed about a dozen tourist offices in the towns in the area around Algorfa and quite a few have replied saying that they will post me some brochures, etc. (I found this site pretty good for getting their contact details: http://www.comunitatvalenciana.com/ofictur/plantilla_ofictur.htm)

Cheers, G.

[Sagitario]

Well, if you have a full week booked in Algorfa then I suggest you might want to spend at least one day of it in the port city of Alicante. El Centro de Alicante has a very cosmopolitan and Mediterranean feel about the place. Over the past decade “las afueras”(the suburbs) of the city have expanded dramatically however, el centro still remains compact and easy to walk round.

While the city is not exactly monumentally blessed, it nevertheless is extremely pleasant to “paseo” (stroll) round. The below YouTube video clip link to “Callejeando por Alicante” (streetwalking about Alicante) gives a fair visual description of what I’m trying to convey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqGo0m7d2vg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqGo0m7d2vg)

Well worth a visit are:
“Plaza de Los Lucheros” – 40 seconds into the video clip.
“Mercado Central” – comes up after 1 minute 20 seconds – even better seen from the inside during late-morning-to-early-afternoon weekday opening hours.
“Explanada” – 6 minutes 50 seconds – the long tiled and palm lined promenade that runs alongside the Marina.
Although not shown on this particular video clip, Alicante also has a beach, El Postiguet. While, like the city, compact in size, if the sun is shining the somewhat postage stamp beach can get crowded during the afternoon.

As one would expect, places to eat and graze are plentiful. The cuisine is very international and much of a muchness. If you have a sweet tooth then you might want to try the local delicacy of “turrón”. Personally, I prefer the hard Alicante recipe rather than the soft Jijona version.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turron (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turron)

If as you say, you have two daughters (aged 14 and 4) and in Alicante for only the day then I wouldn’t bother taking a look round the dominating “Castillo de Santa Barbara”. For it’s something of a footslog for adults, never mind children and other than the panoramic view, once you get everybody up there there’s not really a lot to do except wander around the battlements.

The principal Alicante Tourist Office is part of the main Bus Station complex located on La Calle de Portugal (bottom left-hand corner of the below linked street map). If you do happen to go to Alicante then I suggest you make it your first port of call in order to get one or two copies of their free street maps. Then at least you’ll have some idea of remembering where you parked the car and how to find your way about.

http://www.alicanteturismo.com/generales/callejero.asp (http://www.alicanteturismo.com/generales/callejero.asp)

[vicentef]

i couldnt do it better even with one week off

[greytop]

Also if you're driving around and see the sign for Xixona, take an hour off and look round the turrón factory and museum (http://www.valencians.com/weblinks-visit.lid-1851.htm). And yes there's a shop at the end of the tour!

[gastephen]

@Sagitario: Thank you for the comprehensive reply - very much appreciated!

@Greytop: Mmmmmm, turrón! (I've had the crujiente variety before, but I guess that doesn't really count as proper turrón)

[gastephen]

Thanks again to those who provided a few suggestions, which certainly provided some good pointers.

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable week in the Comunidad Valenciana, and, in case anyone is interested, I'll try to recount here some of my experiences of my short visit.

After getting back to the UK and its dreary autumnal weather and settling back into the old routine, those precious few days away - although it was only two weeks ago - already seem to be fading away all too quickly as distant memories. Was I actually ever abroad? Putting some of it into words at least gives me an excuse to try to recapture some of the delights of actually being there.

Look out for more coming soon...

[gastephen]

Algorfa

http://i36.tinypic.com/14wrl8z.jpg
Villa with shared pool

Stayed in a rented villa in an urbanización just outside the town of Algorfa, opposite a golfing complex (La Finca Golf), and surrounded by orange groves.

http://i36.tinypic.com/6pc5rs.jpg
Orange groves, Algorfa

The town is in the Vega Baja del Segura comarca of Alicante province, and apparently foreign residents make up 65% of its population. A couple of local landmarks are:

The Ermita, which is in the process of being restored and really stands out at night when floodlit.

http://i35.tinypic.com/wm1h0o.jpg
Ermita, Algorfa

The Castillo de Montemar, which was built in the 18th century and is a private residence. Up until the end of the Civil War this belonged to the family of the Counts of Casa Rojas and served as their summer house.

http://i36.tinypic.com/2w7e0pw.jpg
Castillo de Montemar

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More coming soon...

I'll try posting some more of the pictures on the Photo of the Week (http://www.notesfromspain.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4736) thread.

And in case anyone is interested in zooming in on the satellite imagery, I've marked on this map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11) all the places to be mentioned.

[Skipper]

Don't miss Benidorm and the area.

From the skycrapers of Benidorm you can be in the fisher's traditional town of Altea in just 15 minutes. And from Altea you can go to the inland to the impressive town of Castell de Guadalest (the old town is over a rock) and visit the Fuentes de el Algar...

Enjoy Alicante!

http://www.guadalest.es/imagenes/portada.gif

http://www.comunitatvalenciana.com/images/municipios/altea.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Benidorm_uitzicht_vanaf_het_kruis.jpg

[gastephen]

Don't miss Benidorm and the area.

From the skycrapers of Benidorm you can be in the fisher's traditional town of Altea in just 15 minutes. And from Altea you can go to the inland to the impressive town of Castell de Guadalest (the old town is over a rock) and visit the Fuentes de el Algar...



Thanks, Skip! Something else to add to the list for next time, then!

[gastephen]

Ciudad Quesada
Didn’t actually venture into the town, but did have a quick look around the Zoco Sunday market on the outskirts. This is held on ground by a now closed cement works, and, judging by the stalls there, is very popular with the local British community. There are also a lot of stalls selling produce such as fruit and vegetables, bread, and cooked chicken.

http://i38.tinypic.com/2dkh9it.jpg
Zoco Sunday Market, Quesada

Torrevieja
Didn’t spend a great deal of time there – really just a stroll along the front.

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Playa del Cura, Torrevieja

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Playa del Cura, Torrevieja

Did, however, spend much more time in the Carrefour hypermarket – stocking up on provisions and also browsing the books and DVDs (came away with El Orfanato on DVD and a nicely illustrated Enciclopedia de los Nudos), and purchasing a few hard-to-get-in-the-UK indulgences, such as horchata, ron miel, and turrón.

http://i38.tinypic.com/25tkgzm.jpg
Carrefour purchases

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Google map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[Margot]

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable week in the Comunidad Valenciana After getting back to the UK and its dreary autumnal weather and settling back into the old routine, those precious few days away - although it was only two weeks ago - already seem to be fading away all too quickly as distant memories. Was I actually ever abroad? Putting some of it into words at least gives me an excuse to try to recapture some of the delights of actually being there....

Dare I say it in this forum?...It strikes me that this part of Spain can't begin to match the spectacular countryside surrounding you in Wales (but perhaps I'm wrong - having never visited the Alicante area. And then - I know - sometimes even Paradise can feel like Hell -without an occasional respite.)

[gastephen]

Dare I say it in this forum?...It strikes me that this part of Spain can't begin to match the spectacular countryside surrounding you in Wales (but perhaps I'm wrong - having never visited the Alicante area. And then - I know - sometimes even Paradise can feel like Hell -without an occasional respite.)

Well, you can only take so much "spectacular" before you start taking it for granted :eek:

[gastephen]

Elche
In an experience that was to be repeated several times over in other towns, we spend quite a while driving around looking for somewhere to park. Street plans that don’t indicate one-way roads don’t help. And entrances to car parks – often just an inconspicuous ramp down to an underground parking area – just seemed all too easy to miss. Despite that, Elche is wonderful. The city boasts over 200,000 palm trees in numerous groves. Strolling along the 2 km length of the Ruta Palmeral Histórico provides a very pleasant way of passing half an hour or so. I’d also have liked to see some of the sites along the Monumental Route and perhaps visit a few of the town’s ten museums, but it was getting late and a little one was getting tired. Perhaps some other time…

http://i35.tinypic.com/25oykc6.jpg
Elche

http://i36.tinypic.com/3097ris.jpg
Elche

Monteagudo
Not far over the border between the Comunidad Valenciana and Murcia and on the approach on the N340 to the outskirts of Murcia city, an impressive hilltop statue of Christ with outstretched arms comes into view. This is located on top of the Castillo de Monteagudo, a fortification dating back to the 12th century Almohad dynasty. The statue itself is 14 m tall and was designed in 1951.

http://i38.tinypic.com/ruv0wo.jpg
Castillo de Monteagudo

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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[djS]

Elche and Santa pola , now that where you need to go if you want real spanish
that where i live
djs

[vicentef]

Hi greytop, i was looking yesterday homes in albir, and i saw a home of 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom for 155.000 E that i liked a lot.

How is this zone of albir and alfaz del pi in winter? I supposse that is not very populated or am i wrong?.


Thanks in advance.

[gastephen]

Murcia
Spent a day here leisurely wandering around, taking in some of the sights. The Plaza Santo Domingo is a very pleasant place to relax sitting at one of its terrace cafes. The convent church provides a focal point to the square, which was set out in 1547 as the main square of the city.

http://i35.tinypic.com/2hs20z6.jpg
Iglesia Conventual de Santo Domingo, Murcia

Also impressive is the cathedral. Work on its construction started in 1388 and took four hundred years to complete. Handily, this too has at least one adjoining cafe-lined plaza.

http://i37.tinypic.com/3ddns.jpg
Catedral, Murcia

The Río Segura cuts through the city and there are several bridges crossing it. On the north bank stands the Glorieta, with its fountains, in front of the Ayuntamiento.

http://i37.tinypic.com/2e4axs7.jpg
Río Segura, Murcia

http://i36.tinypic.com/33wqvx4.jpg
Ayuntamiento, Murcia


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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[greytop]

Hi greytop, i was looking yesterday at houses in albir, and i saw a home of 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom for 155.000 E that i liked a lot.
How is this zone of albir and alfaz del pi in winter? I suppose that is not very populated or am i wrong?.
Thanks in advance.sorry - can't help much there Vicente. Alfaz del Pi has more foreigners than Spanish I believe, including a lot of Scandinavians. I've only ever driven through it on the N332 however! 155K seems a lot for 1 bedroom though in the present financial climate, but it may be luxurious or in a very good location.

[delgado]

Don't miss Benidorm and the area.

From the skycrapers of Benidorm you can be in the fisher's traditional town of Altea in just 15 minutes. And from Altea you can go to the inland to the impressive town of Castell de Guadalest (the old town is over a rock) and visit the Fuentes de el Algar...

This is possibly the best place in Spain that I have ever been to and is truely magical, especially if you go in the summer as you can swim in the ICE cold mountain spring ( All the way to the top if you are feeling adventurous). Well worth a visit!!

sorry - can't help much there Vicente. Alfaz del Pi has more foreigners than Spanish I believe, including a lot of Scandinavians. I've only ever driven through it on the N332 however! 155K seems a lot for 1 bedroom though in the present financial climate, but it may be luxurious or in a very good location.

I think that you are pretty spot on with your comments and the fact that I never bothered coming off the N332 to have a look at the village (in 4 years) nor you in 6 years (was it?) probably tells you something. The fact that the N332 going through Alfaz is littered with puti clubs and women of the night plying their trade on the road side probably doesn't give the best impression either. I also seem to remember always reading about some crime or other in the CB news that took place there(although this probably wouldn't be a problem for you if you don't live in a big house with a fancy car).

However ,this is all speculation ,as like I said, I never really ventured into the village of Alfaz and I guess that it does have some good points .....

1 ; Close to all the big "discotecas" , KM, Pacha , Penelope etc.....

2 ; A short distance to Benidorm , which is actually better in the winter as the majority of the people in the bars and clubs are Spanish speaking locals ( From all parts of the world)

3 ; Direct train link to Alicante , although Valencia is harder to get to , being as you would need to get the train to Denia (you can gat a ferry to ibiza or mallorca from there) and then get a bus to Gandia , and then finally the train to Valencia .

4; Reasonably close to Alicante airport (maybe 30mins by car) with buses going from Benidorm and a direct train link ( as I said)

Hope this helps!!!

ps. Great fotos Stephen , I really want to go back to Spain now!!!

[ValenciaSon]

So have homes in the Valencia area been de-valuing much lately? Is that expected to go on for a while?

[vicentef]

Its a shame this zone is not very populated in winter, i have been there this summer and i liked a lot this town.

Valenciason, almost every expert say that prices are not going down a lot, maybe a 10 % maximun in some homes. Its similar to the states, i read the other day that manhattan homes are still rising their prices.

[gastephen]

ps. Great fotos Stephen , I really want to go back to Spain now!!!

Thanks. If you are interested I'll be posting more over in this thread (http://www.notesfromspain.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4736).

[gastephen]

Orihuela
Only stopped here very briefly. Didn’t have a street plan, so trying to negotiate the narrow streets and one-way systems was a bit off-putting. This is a pity really, as Orihuela is actually the capital of the Vega Baja comarca. The town nestles into the side of the Sierra de Orihuela, which juts abruptly up out of the plain. It has a 10th century castle on top of the mountain and apparently the town has – amongst other things – a cathedral, various churches, several museums, and a palm grove of possible Islamic origin.

http://i35.tinypic.com/23lxefq.jpg
Orihuela

http://i37.tinypic.com/2exo4jk.jpg
Orihuela

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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[gastephen]

Callosa de Segura
This is another town to be found at the foot of a small mountain range, the Sierra de Callosa, rising up out of the Vega Baja.

http://i33.tinypic.com/aky9vp.jpg
Sierra de Callosa from Algorfa

We happened to arrive there on market day (Wednesday), so what I imagine to be an otherwise fairly quiet town was bustling with activity, which also meant, while trying to find somewhere to park, having to contend with little old ladies trundling their shopping trolleys and seemingly in no particular hurry to use the pavements at the sides of the very narrow roads.

Before going into the town centre, we stopped at the Museo de Cáñamo, which is located in a small building adjoining the local police station. There the friendly old curator, who speaks no English, will greet you at the gateway and unlock the museum and switch on the lights for you. He’ll also accompany you around and explain some of the exhibits. This is a lovely little museum that, if only fleetingly, transports you back in time to catch a glimpse of the agricultural and industrial history of Callosa. The displays show some of the tools and methods used of old in the processing of the raw material and the creation of finished hemp products such as various types of rope.

The street market is centred around the indoor Mercado de Abastos, next to which a churros stall was doing a brisk trade with the locals (not to mention one particular hungry tourist).

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Mercado de Abastos, Callosa de Segura

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Churros stall, Callosa de Segura

Callosa also has a 10th century castle perched on top of the local mountain. This one, dating back to 916, being the oldest in Alicante province.

A fairly gentle climb up some winding back alleys leads you to Callosa’s iconic landmark: the Santuario de San Roque, built on the spot where, as legend has it, the town’s patron saint once appeared. From here the panoramic views across the vega are stunning.

http://i38.tinypic.com/eq3tcp.jpg
Santuario de San Roque, Callosa de Segura

http://i37.tinypic.com/2heijgz.jpg
Callosa de Segura

There is also very short video here (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wPKU0jRejh8). This is best watched in high quality - just click the link below the video, on the right.

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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[gastephen]

Santa Pola
Stopped in Santa Pola a couple of times for the beach, of which there are several, with a total length of over 11 km. The town also has the Castillo-Fortaleza, built in 1558 and now used as a Centro Cultural.

http://i37.tinypic.com/w2eybq.jpg
Playa de Levante, Santa Pola

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Castillo-Fortaleza, Santa Pola

Also drove up round the coast a little bit to the more isolated beaches of Santa Pola del Este and Gran Alacant. The nearby island of Tabarca can be easily seen from the former, while the latter affords fantastic views across the Golf d’Alacant to Alicante itself, with the Castillo de Santa Bárbara unmissably prominent on the city’s skyline.

http://i35.tinypic.com/2mw55k9.jpg
Platja del Carabassí, Gran Alacant

http://i36.tinypic.com/346x5jn.jpg
Isla de Tabarca from Santa Pola

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Alicante from Gran Alacant

Driving back on the N332 to the southwest of Santa Pola I managed to catch all but the briefest glimpse of a small flock of flamingos on the water in the salt pans. Unfortunately there was no where to stop at the time to get a closer view.

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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[gastephen]

Terra Natura, Benidorm
My elder daughter had visited a ‘zoo’ in Benidorm when she had been in this part of Spain with her cousins earlier in the year and wanted to go back. Didn’t know exactly where it was. Or what it was called. Nevertheless, we set off up the autopista bound for Benidorm. Incidentally, this was to be my first ever experience of driving on a toll road. There were alternative routes, but what the heck! We were on holiday. No point passing up the chance of driving on the impressively named AP 7 – E 15 Autopista del Mediterráneo, the peaje portion of which, it turned out, was also impressively quiet.

We stopped for some refreshment at La Marina services, about 10 km out from Benidorm – these were also exceptionally quiet: apart from a group of three that arrived a little while after us, the cafe was empty. We picked up a few tourist information leaflets and discovered the whereabouts of Terra Natura – not the place my daughter had previously been to, but it looked good, was pretty close, and didn’t involve having to drive into the city itself. That settled it.

http://i38.tinypic.com/2rfujib.jpg
Benidorm

Turning off the autopista, you drive past the theme park Terra Mítica to get to there. The big, wide roads and roundabouts leading up to Terra Natura were, this time, eerily quiet – not another soul to be seen. Anywhere. It was therefore something of a relief to actually see some other cars when we got to the car park – seems we had arrived just after opening time, and it was out of season. A couple of coaches has obviously just deposited their payloads – groups of primary-school children on a day out, whom we were later to catch sight of a couple of time as our paths crossed – chanting in unison “Queremos ir al parque”, with the teacher responding with a stern “El parque, ¡no!” as their tour took them past the play area, for example; or later shouting “¡Nos vamos!” to each other in relay when their obviously long awaited time to play had come to an end.

The entrance fees soon mount up, especially with children over 12 paying full fare and a separate charge for parking (adults €23, children 4-12 €18, car park €4). That said, however, a trip here does make for a thoroughly enjoyable family day out. The park is divided into large themed areas – América, Asia, Europa – and the enclosures are all on a fairly large scale. One particular favourite was the Itanagar Forest with its small herd of elephants. And, of course, there are the big cats. And a huge, landscaped, walk-through aviary. And all the other animals. And…

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Terra Natura, Benidorm

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Terra Natura, Benidorm

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Terra Natura, Benidorm

There are numerous themed restaurants and cafes throughout the different sections of the park. The bad news was they all seemed to be shut this time of year, with only a few kiosks open selling snacks such as crisps or waffles. And don’t go expecting to find anything particularly wholesome or nutritious at the ‘fast food’-style main restaurant at the park entrance either (especially if you have any non-standard dietary requirements such as gluten-free or vegetarian). So, if you too happen to be planning a visit out of season, my advice would be to pack picnic to take with you – there were certainly no shortage of lovely spots there to have one.

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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

[gastephen]

Alicante
Alicante is another city with a very nice centre to spend a day wandering around. We started off, as usual, with a quick cafe stop – this time in one of the terrace cafes in the circular Plaza de Luceros, which has the delightful Levante fountain as its centrepiece.

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Levante fountain, Plaza de Luceros, Alicante

Next up was a stroll through the Parque de Canalejas and then along the wonderful Explanada de España. This palm-lined promenade, on the other side of the main road from the marina, is made up of one long marble mosaic consisting of 6.6 million tiles of three different colours.

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Explanada de España, Alicante

There are souvenir stalls along part of its length and it seems to be a favourite haunt for the locals to come and sit for a while relaxing, having a chat, or reading their newspapers. At the end of the esplanade there is another lovely fountain, this one in the Plaza Puerta del Mar.

The imposing Castillo de Santa Bárbara, perched up high on its rock above the city, is definitely worth a visit for the amazing panoramic views alone. And, what’s more, entrance is free.

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Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante

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View from Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante

We did save ourselves the climb up to the top of Monte Benacantil, though, by paying the small fee to ride up in the fast lift inside the mountain itself. You reach the lift, which rises 144 metres up to the middle level of the castle, through a long tunnel whose entrance is on the Avenida de Jovellanos.

http://i42.tinypic.com/jju1j7.jpg
Access tunnel to lifts inside Monte Benacantil, Alicante

The castle, which has Islamic origins and dates back to the 9th century, covers a large area at the summit and its surrounds and has three different levels. The views of the city really are spectacular, with landmarks such as the Plaza de Toros and the cathedral being very easy to spot.

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Plaza de Toros, Alicante

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Iglesia Concatedral de San Nicolás, Alicante

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Alicante (continued)

The interior of the Iglesia Concatedral de San Nicolás is impressive, with its vaulted ceiling and a dome that reaches 45 metres in height. When I was there they were setting up to rehearse for the Ciclo de Música Antigua y Medieval, a free event that apparently plays to a capacity crowd over five performances.

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Iglesia Concatedral de San Nicolás, Alicante

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Iglesia Concatedral de San Nicolás, Alicante

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A few minutes walk up the Calle Mayor from the cathedral brings you to the twin-towered Basílica de Santa María, the city’s oldest church. This dates back to the 14th century and was built on the site of what was Alicante’s largest mosque. On one of the towers there is an unusual one-handed clock.

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Basílica de Santa María, Alicante


The 18th century Ayuntamiento is close to the cathedral and has an impressive long façade with a tower at either end and a small dome in the middle. Apparently the first step of the main staircase inside the building is known as the ‘cota cero’ and formerly served as the reference point for measuring the height above sea level of any point in Spain. Various rooms are open to the public and entrance is free – unfortunately though we happened to be there at the wrong time of day.

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Ayuntamiento, Alicante

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City’s shield sculpted in marble, Ayuntamiento, Alicante

Our walk back to the car took us along the Avenida Federico Soto past El Corte Inglés. Time was running short, so a half-hour browse was agreed upon, during which time I’m afraid I didn’t make it any further than the ground floor, with its enticing area dedicated to books, stationery, CDs and DVDs. I did, however, manage to venture briefly into the Supermercado section just long enough to buy a couple of packs of chufas (€1,65 for 250 g). These are now safely stashed away in a cupboard at home waiting for some future horchata-production experimentation.

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El Corte Inglés, Alicante

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Map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117858212964563224374.00045653906aa52f7f396&ll=38.097821,-0.791016&spn=0.385276,0.772476&t=h&z=11)

FIN