Alicante, Capital Of The Costa Blanca & Close To Guardamar del Segura

The city of Alicante is built around a natural harbour and is the capital of the Costa Blanca. Alicante has a fabulous marina and is also a wonderful and popular beach resort. The cosmopolitan city of Alicante is a fantastic mix of both old and new.

Alicante has a history going back over 3000 years which has left it with some fascinating museums and architecture. Alicante is dominated by a fantastic castle, the Castillo de Santa Barbara, which sits high on a cliff above the sea and offers fantastic views of the city. It has a picturesque old quarter and modern avenues packed with shops.

Alicante has been a favourite destination for visitors for over a century and a half. Like Guardamar del Segura, Alicante boasts a number of beautiful beaches, all with fine, golden sands and high standards of cleanliness and service. Year after year they too are awarded the European Blue Flag which guarantees their consistent quality.

The Explanada de España is the perfect place to meet for a drink and a chat, or simply to take a break from sightseeing. Here you will find restaurants, cafés, bars, taverns, pizzerias, burger bars, chocolaterias and heladarias (ice cream parlours).

Behind the Explanada, stretching into the southern part of Alicante, is the area called 'La Zona', this is where you will find the nightlife where cafés, pubs, beer gardens, nightclubs and nightspots for young people all combine to create a lively atmosphere. Don't be surprised to see fashionable nightspots packed with teenagers or places for uninhibited adults; this is all part of the diversity offered in 'La Zona'

Another area of Alicante which is renowned for it's nightlife is the 'Ruta de la Madera' (literally the 'route of wood'), it is so called because wood is used in abundance to decorate it's pubs and disco bars.

The largest and most popular area of Alicante is 'El Barrio', which is suitable for all ages, beliefs and convictions. At night it has a lively atmosphere, due to the huge number of bars, pubs and taverns that cater for all tastes and that frequently offer live music or art exhibitions. 'El barrio' is situated around the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari.

If you are looking for a more modern and cosmopolitan area of Alicante for your entertainment then visit the port and marina where you will discover exclusive restaurants, pubs and cafés alternating with shops with a nautical flavour.

This area of Alicante also has fantastic views, and highly professional artistic and musical shows taking place during the summer months. On the other side of the marina is Panoramis, a wonderful shopping and leisure centre with a wide selection of pubs and restaurants together with Warner cinema screens.