Igor Vragovic
3rd May 2009, 07:15 PM
Hi,
In this post, I would like to give you a comment about Alicante parks. I am sure that you will look for them once you go there. In the middle of summer, Alicante (and Spain in general) could be so hot that you really need to find a good shade in the midday.
For that purpose, Alicante offers you several nice location where you can relax under the palm trees. Despite its warm climate and a dry landscape, there are large green areas in the city. Parks in Alicante are usually quiet, set apart from the busy city center. You can find a place to relax, enjoy Mediterranean vegetation and spend some time in recreational activities. During warm summer days, a lot of people gather there, playing with their children, walking with their dogs, sitting in the shade of palm trees, reading newspapers or enjoying the conversation.
The most fascinating green area of the city is not a park but a fantastic promenade along the harbor. Explanada de España promenade is our favorite walkway, always full of people. It connects the old headquarter building of the University of Alicante on one side and Hotel Meliá with Postiguet beach on the other side. People usually approached it from Rambla Avenue or from the Old Town. You will easily recognize it by its mosaic pavement forming a repeating three-colored geometric pattern imitating sea waves. Along Explanada, there are several rows of palm trees separating its pathways and forming a good shade. Its numerous restaurants and pizzerias are ideal places to have dinner. During daytime, you can refresh yourself taking a juice or an ice cream, or perhaps having a fast snack in Subway, McDonald's and in Turkish or Chinese restaurants. You can also entertain yourself watching the performances of the street artists or buy some typical souvenirs in one of the stands.
In the continuation of Explanada, you will find Canalejas Park - the oldest one in the city. Situated near the harbor of Alicante, Canalejas Park connects the center of Alicante with Regatta club and Panoramis complex, a place of leisure and entertainment. In front of it, there is a thematic park for kids with a Roman town and other attractions. People usually reach Canalejas Park walking along the Explanada promenade or going down the Doctor Gadea Avenue. The entrances of the park are guarded by two pairs of interesting stone sculptures - one of dogs and other of lions. Inside the park you can find several pretty sculptures and fountains and relax in the shade of giant old trees. Each year, at the end of February, Canalejas Park is full of young people celebrating the Carnival during the night.
The next two green areas are parts of much larger cultural monuments - Alicante castles. Visiting our fabulous castles you can get in touch with Alicante millennium past. On the top of Mount Benacantil, you can see the Castle of Saint Barbara (Santa Barbara). It is the most distinguished landmark of the city, dominating the Alicante landscape from its privileged location. The caste offers breathtaking views of Alicante bay and countryside. You can make a lot of fantastic photos for your collection. I prefer reaching the castle by foot, passing by a picturesque suburb Barrio de Santa Cruz (Holy Cross). This suburb is full with small old houses painted in white and narrow streets full of flowers. There are also two important sacral monuments: chapel of Santa Cruz and St Rocco. Arriving to the slopes of the mount, you enter Park Ereta that gradually climbs up to the fort. At the park entrance you will find Alicante Water Museum. Climbing up its terraced walkway, you can enjoy stunning views over the city and its harbor. In sunny days you can also easily see a tiny island of Tabarca on the south, in front of the coastal town of Santa Pola. If you want to take a break, there is a nice restaurant with a spectacular panoramic view over the Old Town, as well as modern exhibition hall in a harmonic relation with the surrounding nature.
Another castle in Alicante is Castillo de San Fernando. Today, the castle is a sightseeing spot and a place of rest and leisure. It is a smaller and lower one - quite easily reached by foot. As it is situated in the center of Alicante, you can go there whenever you need a break (be aware that climbing up the larger castle of Santa Barbara IS a real challenge). Castle of San Fernando is placed close to the railway station RENFE and the Maisonnave Avenue. You can easily reach it from the beautiful circular Plaza de los Luceros (plaza Estels), walking to the northwest along the General Marva Avenue. Climbing up the stairs, you will first see the Institute of Jorge Juan. Behind it there are other educational institutes, like Colegio de Huérfanos de Ferroviarios. On the eastern side, you can find the monument to the heroes of the Spanish War of Independence against Napoleon. Nearby is the main complex of this fortification with its Lion gate. In front of the walls, you can relax in a quiet Park of Tossal hill. You will meet with families, a lot of children, people walking with their dogs or jogging. If you want to stay in a good shape, try open-air fitness facilities. For photo enthusiasts - from this castle you have a great view over the larger castle of Santa Barbara.
An the southern exit of Alicante, you can find El Palmeral. This amazing park is situated between Alicante harbor and Urbanova beach; usually reached by car (well, I go there by bike). It has hundreds of palm trees and other exotic plants, impressive waterfalls, boating ponds and wooden bridges. El Palmeral is a favorite picnic area where a lot of families enjoy a delightful atmosphere and numerous playground facilities for children. During the summer, there are regular family events like marionettes performances, presented in its auditorium.
And, that is not all. There are also other interesting parks, but normally not visited by tourists. One of them is the Garden of Quijano with the Panteon. It is placed on Plaza España square, near the bullfighting ring Plaza de Toros. In front of the park, there are several bus stops. You will see a lot of people in front of it, waiting for the bus, but almost none of them entering the park. Please, do not just pass by - go inside and visit its nice monument. Another interesting park is Park Lo Morant. It is the largest green area in Alicante that is planned as a single park. It is situated in the north of the city, near the suburbs Virgen del Remedio and Ciudad Jardin. This one is my favorite - that is because I live nearby. I like to go there in the evening to run or to have a walk with my dog. It is always full of people that live in neighboring streets - families having a picnic, youngsters playing soccer or basketball, older people taking a walk. However, as Lo Morant park is not situated close to the city center, you will most probably never go there. Finally, one of the best planed and maintained green areas of Alicante is its University campus. If you are an international student participating Erasmus-Socrates student exchange program, you will be amazed. Describing the University of Alicante would need a new lengthy article. With its huge park, contemporary architecture, libraries, congress halls, sport facilities and the museum, our University is the most impressive monument of modern life in Alicante.
I hope you found this post useful. Please, post me a note if you want to find out more about Alicante.
In this post, I would like to give you a comment about Alicante parks. I am sure that you will look for them once you go there. In the middle of summer, Alicante (and Spain in general) could be so hot that you really need to find a good shade in the midday.
For that purpose, Alicante offers you several nice location where you can relax under the palm trees. Despite its warm climate and a dry landscape, there are large green areas in the city. Parks in Alicante are usually quiet, set apart from the busy city center. You can find a place to relax, enjoy Mediterranean vegetation and spend some time in recreational activities. During warm summer days, a lot of people gather there, playing with their children, walking with their dogs, sitting in the shade of palm trees, reading newspapers or enjoying the conversation.
The most fascinating green area of the city is not a park but a fantastic promenade along the harbor. Explanada de España promenade is our favorite walkway, always full of people. It connects the old headquarter building of the University of Alicante on one side and Hotel Meliá with Postiguet beach on the other side. People usually approached it from Rambla Avenue or from the Old Town. You will easily recognize it by its mosaic pavement forming a repeating three-colored geometric pattern imitating sea waves. Along Explanada, there are several rows of palm trees separating its pathways and forming a good shade. Its numerous restaurants and pizzerias are ideal places to have dinner. During daytime, you can refresh yourself taking a juice or an ice cream, or perhaps having a fast snack in Subway, McDonald's and in Turkish or Chinese restaurants. You can also entertain yourself watching the performances of the street artists or buy some typical souvenirs in one of the stands.
In the continuation of Explanada, you will find Canalejas Park - the oldest one in the city. Situated near the harbor of Alicante, Canalejas Park connects the center of Alicante with Regatta club and Panoramis complex, a place of leisure and entertainment. In front of it, there is a thematic park for kids with a Roman town and other attractions. People usually reach Canalejas Park walking along the Explanada promenade or going down the Doctor Gadea Avenue. The entrances of the park are guarded by two pairs of interesting stone sculptures - one of dogs and other of lions. Inside the park you can find several pretty sculptures and fountains and relax in the shade of giant old trees. Each year, at the end of February, Canalejas Park is full of young people celebrating the Carnival during the night.
The next two green areas are parts of much larger cultural monuments - Alicante castles. Visiting our fabulous castles you can get in touch with Alicante millennium past. On the top of Mount Benacantil, you can see the Castle of Saint Barbara (Santa Barbara). It is the most distinguished landmark of the city, dominating the Alicante landscape from its privileged location. The caste offers breathtaking views of Alicante bay and countryside. You can make a lot of fantastic photos for your collection. I prefer reaching the castle by foot, passing by a picturesque suburb Barrio de Santa Cruz (Holy Cross). This suburb is full with small old houses painted in white and narrow streets full of flowers. There are also two important sacral monuments: chapel of Santa Cruz and St Rocco. Arriving to the slopes of the mount, you enter Park Ereta that gradually climbs up to the fort. At the park entrance you will find Alicante Water Museum. Climbing up its terraced walkway, you can enjoy stunning views over the city and its harbor. In sunny days you can also easily see a tiny island of Tabarca on the south, in front of the coastal town of Santa Pola. If you want to take a break, there is a nice restaurant with a spectacular panoramic view over the Old Town, as well as modern exhibition hall in a harmonic relation with the surrounding nature.
Another castle in Alicante is Castillo de San Fernando. Today, the castle is a sightseeing spot and a place of rest and leisure. It is a smaller and lower one - quite easily reached by foot. As it is situated in the center of Alicante, you can go there whenever you need a break (be aware that climbing up the larger castle of Santa Barbara IS a real challenge). Castle of San Fernando is placed close to the railway station RENFE and the Maisonnave Avenue. You can easily reach it from the beautiful circular Plaza de los Luceros (plaza Estels), walking to the northwest along the General Marva Avenue. Climbing up the stairs, you will first see the Institute of Jorge Juan. Behind it there are other educational institutes, like Colegio de Huérfanos de Ferroviarios. On the eastern side, you can find the monument to the heroes of the Spanish War of Independence against Napoleon. Nearby is the main complex of this fortification with its Lion gate. In front of the walls, you can relax in a quiet Park of Tossal hill. You will meet with families, a lot of children, people walking with their dogs or jogging. If you want to stay in a good shape, try open-air fitness facilities. For photo enthusiasts - from this castle you have a great view over the larger castle of Santa Barbara.
An the southern exit of Alicante, you can find El Palmeral. This amazing park is situated between Alicante harbor and Urbanova beach; usually reached by car (well, I go there by bike). It has hundreds of palm trees and other exotic plants, impressive waterfalls, boating ponds and wooden bridges. El Palmeral is a favorite picnic area where a lot of families enjoy a delightful atmosphere and numerous playground facilities for children. During the summer, there are regular family events like marionettes performances, presented in its auditorium.
And, that is not all. There are also other interesting parks, but normally not visited by tourists. One of them is the Garden of Quijano with the Panteon. It is placed on Plaza España square, near the bullfighting ring Plaza de Toros. In front of the park, there are several bus stops. You will see a lot of people in front of it, waiting for the bus, but almost none of them entering the park. Please, do not just pass by - go inside and visit its nice monument. Another interesting park is Park Lo Morant. It is the largest green area in Alicante that is planned as a single park. It is situated in the north of the city, near the suburbs Virgen del Remedio and Ciudad Jardin. This one is my favorite - that is because I live nearby. I like to go there in the evening to run or to have a walk with my dog. It is always full of people that live in neighboring streets - families having a picnic, youngsters playing soccer or basketball, older people taking a walk. However, as Lo Morant park is not situated close to the city center, you will most probably never go there. Finally, one of the best planed and maintained green areas of Alicante is its University campus. If you are an international student participating Erasmus-Socrates student exchange program, you will be amazed. Describing the University of Alicante would need a new lengthy article. With its huge park, contemporary architecture, libraries, congress halls, sport facilities and the museum, our University is the most impressive monument of modern life in Alicante.
I hope you found this post useful. Please, post me a note if you want to find out more about Alicante.