√ Alicante (Spain): information on the city, what to visit and what to do Alicante?

Alicante

Coat of arms of Alicante (Spain)

Population: ~ 280.000

Time difference to London - Time zone GMT/UTC: 1 hour (+/- changes due summertime/daylight saving)

An international airport exists.

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Alicante´s exceptional location between the mountains and the sea provides the city with a special kind of enrapturing beauty.

The city, wherever one roams, is pervaded with the savour of the sea, playing its deeply-felt role as a seaport, as it has always done. As the poet Juan Gil-Albert said,

"Alicante looks uninterruptedly to the Mediterranean".

With its majestic palm trees, crystal-blue sea, white beaches, two historic castles, its churches,

its parks and gardens, its modern pleasure port, various shopping centres, the friendly people. Alicante has approximately 2.730 sun hours per year with an average year round temperature of 18° C and, of course, with its never-ending nightlife your days will be too short in Alicante.

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3.000 years of history

Alicante is a city with 3.000 years of history behind it.

The origin of the city goes back to the 4th Century BC, with the Iberians.

It is a place that has always been coveted by the different civilisations which have inhabited the Mediterranean Sea.

Akra-Leuka (Greeks), Lucentum (Romans), Ali-qant (Arabs)...

these are just some of the names that have been given to Alicante throughout its history.

Alfonso the 10th, known as The Wise, conquered the city in 1246 for the Castilian Crown and in 1296 Jaime II incorporated Alicante in the kingdom of Aragon.

In 1490 Ferdinand the Catholic granted Alicante its "City Charter".

Sports, one of the main attractions

The diversity of the landscape, a marvellous climate and superb facilities make sport one of the main attractions: Tossal Sports Park, the Alicante Sports Centre, Rico Pérez Football Stadium ...

THe pleasure port and harbour installations provide you with the opportunity to make the most of the sea: swimming, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, fishing, diving, regattas and competitions..., Alicante Vela, Escuela Mediterránea de Vela, Profundo Azul, Catatrips, Mundo Marino

Alicante is host to an all year round range of cultural activities

Libraries: Fundación Bancaja, Biblioteca Gabriel Miró, Biblioteca Paseito Ramiro...

Museums: Nativity Scene Museum, MUBAG Museum, MARQ Museum, La Festa Museum, House-Museum of La Asegurada, Alicante Bullfighting Museum.

Art Galleries: Juana Francés, Juan de Juanes, Bisel, Ruiz Morente, Casar, Litoral, LaVillavieja, Goya, Italia, La Decoradora, Aural, echaniz, Fang d’Art, Centro 14, Centro Municipal de las Artes, Ateneo, Sala de Exposiciones CAM, Sala Municipal Lonja de Pescado...

Theatre: Main Theatre, Arniches Theatre

Cinemas: Aana, ABC, CINEBOX, Astoria, Warneer Lusomundo, Yelmo ...

Alicante is the perfect place for shopping

From Rambla to Oscar Esplá Avenue, around Maisonnave Avenue, Alfonso X el Sabio Street, The Theatre Street, Gerona Street, Federico Soto Avenue or Dr. Gadea Avenue … shopping in Alicante is a pleasure.

On the other hands, the big shopping centres as Gran Vía, Plaza Mar 2, Puerta de Alicante, Vistahermosa … or the street markets spread across the city Campoamor, Carolinas, Benalúa or Babel.

A never ending nightlife

Alicante invites you to one of its no ending night-spots around the town:

El Barrio with multitude of places for have a drink and listen to live music, restaurants, taverns, pubs, clubs ... La Marina, the port of Alicante ... Panoramis Shopping Center or La Ruta de la Madera (Wood Route) ... All kind of stiles for all kind of people.

ALICANTE CUISINE

First and foremost the cooking tradition of Alicante region is a reflection of the delicious Mediterranean diet, where rice and fish stand our as protagonists.

Among the multitude of rice dishes we might mention:

PAELLA ALICANTINA (chicken and seafood)

ARROZ CALDOSO (soupy paella)

ARRÒZ A BANDA (literately meaning 'rice apart'. where the rice is served separately from the fish or seafood used to make the stock.

ARROZ NEGRO (with seafood and calamari red, which gives to the rice a funny black colour)

Fish is the basic ingredient of the cooking pot, which along with salted meats and fish and seafood represent a long-standing tradition in local cooking.

Vegetables are basic in dishes such as the OLLETA (white beans and lentils pot with all kind of local vegetables)

The ESMORÇARET ALACANTÍ is a typical dish containing sardine, fried egg and “ñora” (a kind of sweet chilli), which is garnished with salted fish, black olives… and COCA AMB TONYNA (tuna pie).

Other pie from Alicante is COCA DE MOLLETES (made with olive oil and flour crumble).

Desserts

For dessert we may choose from dates aniseed rolls, almond’s HORCHATA, TURRONES (nougats) or the COCA BOBA (almond sponge cake) served with herb liqueurs CANTABRIA, sweet wine MISTELA and PALOMA ( dry anisette with ice cold water).

Wine producing region

Alicante is also a wine producing region, of these worth mentioning are full bodied red, (“Marqués de Alicante”, “Santa Rosa”, “Merlot”….) young rosés and whites (“Terreta Rosè”, “Marina Alta”, “Moscatel de la Marina”…. ) made with monastrell, vermeta and garnacha grapes and FONDILLÓN, a famed Alicante mature wine.

ALICANTE, FIESTAS ALL YEAR ROUND!

Practically every month there is a Fiesta somewhere in Alicante. Light, gunpowder, fire, satire, tradition, inventiveness and locals who put their heart and soul into their FIESTAS.

The list is long and varied… the most difficult thing is deciding which ones to choose. In any case, one fiesta or another is being celebrated in our streets every month of the year. Enjoy them!

JANUARY:

The Epiphany parade.

The three Wise Kings arrive to our streets January 5th bringing to children and adults the magic of the Christmas’ presents and gifts.

FEBRUARY:

Carnival.

The warm weather allows thousands of revellers to dress up, enjoy the many fun events and forget winter. Open-air dances liven up many corners of Alicante.

You can be the King of our Carnival!

MARCH or APRIL:

Holy Week (Semana Santa).

A full week of parades with hundred floats and religious images, showing the Passion on the Mediterranean.

MAY:

Spring in Alicante sees the streets of Santa Cruz neighbourhood overflowing with flowers during the spectacular Cruces de Mayo festivity.

JUNE:

Bonfires of San Juan.

From 20th to 24th one hundred bonfires, enormous inflammable monuments, beautifully crafted and stylised, with baroque arrangements and imaginative shapes are erected in streets and squares.

Dance, music, fire, gunpowder, parades, sensations… in never-ending nights of colour. The 24th Bonfires are all burn… and water, fire and Mediterranean Sea create the most amazing magic atmosphere in the celebration of summer solstice.

JULY & AUGUST:

A wide range of leisure and cultural activities are offered during “summer festivals”. There are performances of music, theatre and dance for all ages and tastes.

On the night of August 3rd, “la Alborada” choir concert signals the start of the Fiestas in honour of the Patron Saint of Alicante: Procession, mass and “cordà” (consisting basically of people lighting and setting off huge rockets within an enclosed area).

But also Moors and Christians Parades, colours and rhythmic marching of the squadrons in a no- bloody battle remembering the Medieval Age’s battles

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER:

“Alicante a Escena” (Alicante on Stage) amateur theatre groups festival and International Contemporary Music Festival.

NOVEMBER:

Spanish Theatre Fair of Contemporary Artists with actuations, lessons, speeches ...

DICEMBER:

International Puppet Festival, “Festitíteres”, puppet’s shows all around the city.

More information and interesting Web-Sites regarding Alicante:

► www.alicante-ayto.es

City Hall of Alicante (web site in Spanish only)

► www.alicante-spanien.com

Practical informations on Alicante, cheap flights, hotels and rent a car. (Web site in German only)

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