Margie

What's it like any good hotels, restaurants, scenic views? Local color? <BR>Thanks <BR>Margie

toppy

anybody know this place?

Abbey

Hi Margie, <BR> <BR>I was in Alicante 10 years ago, just for the day. We took a bus from this resort town called Torrevieja. I thought that Alicante was beautiful. We mostly just walked around the town-beautiful orange-tree lined streets, pretty views of the water. <BR> <BR>We didn't do any major sightseeing, because we were too busy just enjoying the walks. There was an old church that you could view, but when we got there, they were closing for the mid day siesta. <BR> <BR>One thing I remember really enjoying is this drink called Granizata Limon--it's some sort of lemon crushed ice drink that was fantastic. Every cafe sold them, so try to have one if you go. <BR>Have fun.

Maribel

Margie, <BR>I'm copying for you a post a wrote a while ago for Beth, who was thinking of a visit there in the fall. <BR> <BR>"I once spent a month there in mid June-July (hot during the day but cool at night) taking a lit. course at the U. of Alicante with other American profs, and we were housed at the old Hotel Leuka in the high part of town (when I return some day, I'll stay at the much nicer, more comfortable Melia on the beach). What I enjoyed were the following things: the beautiful weather, being there for the Noche de San Juan (6/24) and its incredible fireworks, or "fogueres" extravaganza (the people of the region of Levante are master pyrotechnicians and really take their fireworks to a higher level-an amazing spectacle!), drinking great "horchata" (almondish, milky, refreshing summer drink), those many fabulous rice dishes that the beach front restaurants serve, the views from the Castle of Santa Barbara and the very lively evening paseo, the ritual stroll, down the pretty palm tree lined, mosaic tiled promenade and the nightlife centered around the port area. In our free time, besides soaking up the sun on the very pleasant but crowded family beach of San Juan de Alicante (we took the bus to this particular beach because the town beaches didn't seem then very nice), we took day trips up the coast to the villages of Denia, Javea with its pretty Old Quarter and beaches that the Spanish Impressionist, Joaquin Sorolla painted, and Altea (a laid back, hippy-ish artists colony-we skipped ugly, tacky Benidorm), also took a looong all day ferry trip from Denia to Ibiza (didn't sample those "hedonistic" midnight to 6 a.m. disco rituals!), a short jaunt on the Kontiki ferry to the Isla de Tabarca (only 18 km away) for swimming/sunbathing and more beach paella, a trip down to Murcia to visit the Sculpture Museum (displaying 18th c polychromed wood amazingly life-like sculptures that are still used for the Holy Week "pasos" or floats), and up to Valencia (before it launched its ambitious campaign to become the new Bilbao). I don't believe Alicante's Museum of the Asegurada, a collection of 20th c art (many of the same artists featured at the Museo del Arte Abstracto in Cuenca-Tapies, Chillida, Saura, plus Gris, Miro, Picasso, even a Chagall) had opened yet-I missed it then. <BR>And I just missed the height of the tourist madness by leaving mid July. I think it would be quite nice but quiet in the fall. The "alicantinos" are very friendly, relaxed folks. I can highly recommend two fabulous seafood restaurants. We didn't try pricey but acclaimed "Maestral" in Vistahermosa, but we loved "Delfin", on the explananade , and "Darsena", on the pier. Darsena serves 50 different rice dishes, and the Alicante specialty is "arroz a banda", which is "rice all by itself", just served on a heaping dish, but having been slowly simmered in a delicous fish broth-it's remarkably good. (I've never been there, but "El Pegoli" near Denia is famous for this dish-it's the only rice dish they serve). For tapas outside the pier area, Piripi and Nou Manolin are very good bets. <BR>Hope this gives you some ideas." <BR>Maribel <BR>

Kay2

Tagging along on a very old post, but there are few on Alicante.

I will be in Alicante for business for a week and will probably have a half day here, an evening there, etc. to explore.
I want to have some ideas ready so I don't waste any opportunity.

I know about the castillo. From Maribel's post I see I should catch the evening paseo down the promenade. From my guide book it says the railroad up the coast has some great views. Where else should I steal away to, catch a glimpse of, etc.?

Greenhouse

Javea/Xabia is lovely. It's about an hour or so from Alicante. Skip Benidorm, tacky indeed, as Maribel has already stated.

travelbunny

..Alicante is a city which is very busy in the summer. It is a seaside resort fredequented by people from Spain with many fewer foreign tourists than the Costa del Sole...It is very enjoyable with restaurants and ammenities for tourists..If you do book in July and August be prepared to book ahead and expect high season prices

NEDSIRELAND

Kay2 writes &quot;...From my guide book it says the railroad up the coast has some great views. Where else should I steal away to, catch a glimpse of, etc.?&quot;

I don't know if I am out of date on this (relative to your guide book), but the last time I was there the 'Trenet' (Little train) was out of service.

It's just a short bus ride to San Juan playa or Playa Muchavista or Campello.

For hotels, the Melia is nice (on the water) and, although we haven't stayed there, the Palas had an excellent restaurant. It's a 'Golden Oldie' type hotel also on the waterfront. There's a large Corte Ingles (Department store) and I found prices at the local shops to be much cheaper than Madrid, for souvenirs, etc.

lincasanova

new hotel sharing last meters of meli&aacute; hotel ,on waterfront,is the &quot;spa maris&quot;, which many times can be found in www.bancotel.com for 50 euros/night. you can also get it at Halcon Viajes, sometimes, too, for same price. (tax and breakfast separate).
has spa in basement. rooms are new, correct, functional.

most beautiful view from this hotel is through HUGE plate glass window overlooking sea in the caf&eacute;.(open to the public).

go up to the castillo de santa b&aacute;rbara for panoramic view up and down coast.

the Arqueologic museum won first prize for best new european museum.
entrance about 10 euros.

but otherwise, alicante is not my favorite beach city, but if you are there forced on business, ..but otherwise i would go to altea for the artsy, more &quot;small-town&quot; atmosphere for a few days.

benidorm is not very pretty urbanistically speaking, but the beaches are very nice. they have several sections up and down the coast.

anotheh amazing small town in mountains outside benidorm area definitely worth a visit is GUADALEST. (a friend of ours was married in the hillside chapel there)

downtown alicante can seem a bit &quot;seedy&quot;.. many people hanging around waiting for the ferry to algiers.

reminder to all.. don't let your watch down ANYwhere in this country.
there are purse snatchers and pickpockets EVERYwhere as you can notice from the boards. the bigger the city, the more likely to be a victim.

to make matters more interesting, our new government has just signed something to accept from france 250,000 illegal immigrants the french will not legalize.
have to get more details on this.. can hardly believe it.

restaurant recommendations Nou Manolin, darsena, etc. were right on . excellent.
remember to reserve or go extra early before spanish crowd at 1:30-2:00., 9:30 pm.

corte ingl&eacute;s caf&eacute; is not bad either..and there are many other caf&eacute;s in that neighborhood.

movies in english once a week at new shopping center at southern pier from yacht club.(called paradise??)

Kay2

Back from the whirlwind trip to Spain.

Easy 15-minute cab ride from airport and several other helpful taxi drivers during stay. Locals told me I got the good ones. I wouldn't want to drive in that traffic around the circles and creating/merging lanes.

Stayed at the Spa Porta Maris Hotel with hotel room over water--nice except could also hear coastal highway traffic--maybe the rooms that angle toward the sea rather than the beach are even quieter. Still, small balcony was nice with water lapping below. Room modern with interesting tub/shower inset so faucet end of tub surrounded on three sides by walls and rest with curtain. Staff attempted to be helpful with my many quetions. Maid kept taking my soap.

I see why Alicante is not foreign tourists' major destination. The castillo looks neat from the town and the views are good from the top. The paseo was nice and the marble interesting. I did check out the dept store, walked the boulevards, looked at the fountains and explored the old town. So much construction everywhere there! Some good restoration, other tear down and replace with more sterile buildings. The coast is pretty but after white sand beaches of places like Florida the brown sand just isn't as appealing to me.

The tram did run up the coast and I went to Campello--lovely limited waterfront development--caught the 5:30pm fish auction and looked at the tower and archeological dig. I didn't take the train on up the coast, but it was running.

They fed me too much paella and fish so I gained weight that I must now work off. I liked the almond desserts.

Young people were especially friendly and helpful. I must improve my Spanish before next trip--my basic tourist vocabulary was insufficient to communicate.

Amyone know a good small English/Spanish food translator? My contacts there wanted one as well to use when they go to UK and US.