Alicante Introduction - Alicante City Guide
Alicante, one of la Comunidad Valenciana’s three provincial capitals, is a city you can’t help but enjoy. This city guide should help enhance your visit to Alicante, and be sure to check out the links to other worthwhile guides at the end of the page.
Alicante City Guide - Table of Contents
Introduction
Although you won’t find a Prado or Guggenheim, Alicante will show you genuine city life, Spanish style, juxtaposed to fine beaches and several underrated museums. And, when the sun goes down, it has a nightlife that is worth the trip alone.
History
After long periods of Iberian and Roman rule, Alicante was conquered by the Moors in AD 713. It became part of the great estate of Al-Andalus and new ties were established with the vast Islamic Empire. Alicante's name, Arabic for 'The City of Light', is one of the remnants from this period. The Muslim reign lasted until the 13 th century when King Jaime I recaptured the city and made it part of his newly created Kingdom of Valencia.
Orientation
Lapping up against the south-western slopes of Monte Benacantil is El Barrio, Alicante 's old quarter. Here, in its' narrow crooked streets, you will find some of Alicante's gems, whether they be museums, churches, restaurants, or nightclubs. Shadowing the harbour, between the bustling streets of Rambla Méndez Núñez and Avenida Doctor Gadea, is Explanada de España, the city's most popular promenade.
Next: Alicante - Essential Information
Alicante City Guide - Table of Contents
More Information
Local Tourism Board
The website for Alicante's local tourist board has a lot of information, and it is worth checking out.
Other Sites
Spain.info's pages on Alicante are a must read, as is VirtualTourist.com's Alicante Travel Guide. Some other websites worth visiting include Jet2.com's Alicante city guide and Lonely Planet's Alicante city guide.
Spain.info also offers a quick and short little video of the main parts of Alicante: video of Alicante (1986kb).
A worthy read is provided by Robert Carlton (of Alicante Spain fame) over at Escape Artist, who invites us on "A Foot Walk Around Alicante", a guided tour/ walk around Alicante city.
For a complete set of links including the ones given above, Go Costa Blanca has an excellent collection of resources about the city of Alicante located in our resource section.