Unlike so many other resorts around the Costa Blanca, Alicante has tried to market itself for what it’s got to offer culturally, in addition to its famous beaches and superb weather. Jammed between the coast and mountain ranges, it’s a city of beauty as well as culture. Located on Mount Benacantil, the Castillo de Santa Brbara is a reminder of Alicante’s Moorish past. Even though it has progressed into a modern tourist city from a small city wanting rejuvenation, Alicante hasn’t forgotten its history and traditions. Local holidays are held across the year, and the traditional paella, available in pretty much every eatery, is the dish to try if you want to sample a little taste of the Costa Blanca.
In the four thousand years following the 1st settlement by humans around the Alicante area, Phoenicians and Greeks gradually started moving into the area. By one thousand BC they began to trade here, and made significant contributions to the pottery wheel, the alphabet and iron being brought to eastern Spain. In the next few centuries the Roman armed forces and squaddies from Carthage made claims for control. The initially winning Carthaginians established themselves on Akra Leuke, which today is where Alicante lies. They revealed a significant bit of the neighboring areas also, but eventually were beaten back by the Roman armed forces, who claimed control for the next seven centuries. By the fifth century A. D the Roman Empire was no longer the force that it had been and the Goths pretty much ruled Alicante.
Alicante basks in pleasant weather across the 4 seasons. Even at its coldest, the mercury doesn’t drop lower than 16C. Every year Alicante soaks up a total of about 2800 hours of sunlight, and gets rain on only about twenty days. These factors make it the perfect destination for either a summer holiday when the colleges are out, or a slug of winter sun to revitalise one’s spirits. The optimum months to visit are between May and October, but during August temperatures can hit 40C so it is a good idea to prepare in an appropriate way.
San Juan Beach ( La Playa de San Juan ), situated about 7km from the center of Alicante, is the best sandy beach in the area. Better still , it has been delegated a Blue Flag beach by the ECU. Everything a sun spotter could wish for is here ; sunbathing, safe swimming and water sports, shopping, and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat and / or get a pleasant drink. The gothic St Mary’s Church, built in the 14th-16th centuries, is an extremely popular sightseeing spot. It stands on what remains of the foundations of a traditional Moorish mosque. It has many precious designs, and inside has been decorated in the Baroque style. The Ayuntamiento ( Town Hall ), near La Explanada Park, features beautiful 115 ft double towers as well as a blue room, meeting room and an oratory.
Alicante suffered significantly in the 20 years of tyranny under General Franco. Bitterly cold weather in the early and mid forties devastated the livelihoods of orange farmers. With Franco’s death in the mid 70s, King Juan Carlos I rose to power, creating a democratic state. Eventually Valencia gained its independence after four hundred years. In the 21st century, the province of Alicante is one of the biggest in the Valencian Autonomous Community. The port has been re-opened and is a much used point of access to the province. Its El Altet airport is among the most hectic in the country, receiving as much domestic and world traffic as Madrid and Barcelona.
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Filed under Travel by Larry H. Newman