Alicante Travel Guide | 60 Mindful Alicante Travel Tips for Vacation Itinerary

Written by: Sini Hietaharju,
Travel Researcher, Yoga Teacher & Mindful Traveller

Join the SLOW TRAVEL REPEAT community

Your monthly mindful magazine.

Slow reflections for the mind.

Travel guides for the soul.

Repeat practices for the body.

Spain Travel Guide

> Valencian Community Travel Guides

> Alicante Vacation Travel Guide

Alicante travel guide

In this guide, I tell the best Alicante tips for your Alicante vacation.

How do I know about that? Glad you asked, I have lived over 3 years in Alicante, and I still call this beautiful Spanish town my hometown.

At the end of the article, you can download Alicante Travel Guide PDF and save all my favorite spots to Google Maps.

Alicante travel tips
Alicante travel guide
Alicante travel tips
Alicante Travel Guide Content

10 BEST HOTELS

These are the loveliest wellness hotels in Alicante Centro to have a cozy stay.

You'll have a nice room, great breakfast and city and beach nearby your accommodation in all of these three options.

7 BEST HOTELS IN ALICANTE CENTRE

innside-melia-alicante

INNSIDE BY MELIA ALICANTE

8.3

3802 Reviews

nh-alicante

NH HOTEL ALICANTE

8.5

1958 Reviews

MELIA alicante

MELIA ALICANTE

8.4

5749 Reviews

AC-hotels-alicante

AC HOTELS ALICANTE

8.4

2318 Reviews

PORT-alicante-hotel.jpg

HOTEL SERAWA ALICANTE

8.3

1240 Reviews

GRAN-SOL-HOTEL

GRAN SOL ALICANTE

7.9

4131 Reviews

HOTEL-MAYA-ALICANTE

HOTEL MAYA ALICANTE

8.3

6998 Reviews

The 3 Best Price-Quality Choices for accommodation in Alicante

These hotels are offering great comfort, but with a smaller budget compared to the iconic hotel choices above.

Choosing one of these, you can be sure your stay will be comfortable and still in a central location.

B&B HOTEL

BYPILLOW

BOUTIQUE PALACIO

Alicante Hotels on a Map

If you would like to read more about best hotels to stay in Alicante based on different categories, and read detailed reviews about the best hotels in Alicante, check out the article:

best hotels to stay inalicante

Pic of me at the rooftop of Hotel Port Alicante (please note this hotel is in San Juan, 7kms from Alicante) Below linked the best hotels in Alicante centre.


18 MINDFUL THINGS TO DO IN ALICANTE

Here you can find, in my opinion, the 17 best things to do in Alicante, Spain. Browse by category and choose the most resonating ones to your Alicante travel itinerary.

alicante things to do travel tips
alicante travel itinerary

5 must-sees and must-do activities in Alicante

1. Castillo de Santa Bárbara

This historic 9th-century hilltop castle offers panoramic views over the city and beach.

You can reach it by a foot or by taking an elevator from Postiguet Beach.

Best of all, entry to the castle grounds is free.


Unusual, cool thing to do in Castillo de Santa Barbara: Book a Vine Tasting (It's only 26€)

2. Photograph or simply enjoy the Explanada

This iconic promanade surrounded by palm trees is lovely for evening walks.

The restaurants at explanada are quite touristy though. Only restaurant I can recomment at the Explanada is the Indian New Delhi.

alicante promenade

3. Mercado Central

Mercado visit is a typical but nice activity for a daytime. It's open Monday through Saturday and is perfect for an affordable picnic or a guided food tour.

4. Relax by the Postiguet Beach

Well, obvious, but I must mention this Alicante tip. What I love most about Alicante is that you have the beach right near the city, so you can easily pop by for some sunbathing.

For drinks, I recommend walking all the way to the end of Postiguet to Chiriguito Amor Amar ,as the places closer to the centre are touristy and not so nice.

You can also book a private yoga class in English in postiguet Beach.

Local's tip: If you want a longer, bigger beach, head by tram 7kms north from Alicante to San Juan. There is a long sandy beach.

beach sunset alicante

5. Barrio de Santa Cruz

Although a bit touristy, this old town area of Alicante is a vibe.

Thw narrow streets, cute places to "tomar algo" (=to drink some, to eat some tapas) are great for an evening in Alicante.

One of my favorite cafés of Alicante is there as well: Madness Café

8 Outdoor activities in Alicante

1. Do a boat tour to Tabarca Island

There is a small island in front of Alicante, where you can go for a day trip.

The island itself offers mostly relaxation, swimming and sunbathing, but it's a nice activity for a day.

I recommend purchasing tickets beforehand online, you can do it here: Buy tickets to Tabarca Island Boat Tour

2. Do a tour to see waterfall and beautiful lake Guadalest

It would be shame to miss the stunnign natural sights surrounding Alicante. If you are not renting a car, I recommned booking a tour to see some sights.

With this tour you can see cute village Altea, Algar Waterfalls and Guadalest lake

3. Go kayaking or SUPping

Especially a little bit outside of Alicante there are stunnig spots for watersports. Turquoise water and caves in the sunshine is a great activity.

I recommend booking this Kayaking tour.

4. Do a tour to see waterfall and beautiful lake Guadalest

It would be a shame to miss the stunning natural sights surrounding Alicante. If you are not renting a car, I recommend booking a tour to see some sights.

With this tour you can see cute village Altea, Algar Waterfalls and Guadalest lake

5. Visit Winery and do Wine tasting

Did you know Alicante is the oldest wine regions in Europe?

You should definitely do a wine tour in Costa Blanca.

You can check, for example these two great tours:

Small-Group Countryside Wine Tour with 4 Tastings (rated 4.8)


Winery tasting & Visit Gaudi style church (rated 4.8)

6. Go see a Sunset from Parque Ereta

If you are not that much into wine, you can stay in Alicante and enjoy a lovely evening watching sunset by Parque Ereta. It is a walking distance from centre, and you can walk there through the beautiful old town, aka Barrio de Santa Cruz.

7. Do a TukTuk Tour

I know this is a touristy activity, but actually it's pretty fun.

Quite recently we got TukTuks in Alicante, and if you are too lazy to walk all day, explore with a TukTuk.

You can book it here.

8. Visit Parque el Palmeral

This is a lovely park 5kms from the centre of Alicante, full of beautiful palm trees. Do a picnic here or simply read a book under the palm trees. There is a small kiosk in the aprk where you can buy good coffee and some snacks.

alicante vacation
alicante travel blog photo from parwue el palmeral palm trees

5 Indoor activities in Alicante

1. See Flamenco Show

Although the roots of Flamenco are in Andalusia, there are some great flamenco shows in town to see. The rhythm, the movement and the guitar is a nice show.

This one is just 15€.

2. Go to a Spa

3. Go Indoor Climbing

This is a bit extraordinary activity and maybe not for everyone, but in Alicante there's a great indoor bouldering place.

It's just 15€ including shoe rental, you can find it here.

4. Visit museum of Illusions

I am not much of a museum person myself, but this Museum of Illusions in Alicante is actually pretty cool place to visit. You can buy tickets directly from their website, here.

5. Try the best cheesecake

I am getting ahead of myself, as next I will list you the best restaurants in Alicante for brunch, lunch, dineer and coffee. But this cheesecase place called Las tartas de Julita is a must-try.


18 BEST WELLNESS EXPERIENCES

In this section I have listed you the best massages, pilates and yoga studios and spas in Alincante.

If you are looking for a longer relaxation, I recommend below some retreat organizers in the area whole current offerings you can check.

alicante yoga retreats
yoga alicante

8 BEST SPAS AND MASSAGES IN ALICANTE

I always want to inspire to make the travels more mindful, relaxing and rejuvenating. That's why wellness experiences and services play an important role on this Alicante travel blog.

5 BEST YOGA AND PILATES STUDIOS IN ALICANTE

I love testing different yoga and pilates studios during travels. These are the ones you should check out in Alicante.

Please note that some of the places do classes only in Spanish, but I would say it's easy to follow along with the visual demonstrations. To join a class, best way is to reach out for the places over Instagram, or sending a mesage on Whatsapp.

5 BEST RETREATS IN ALICANTE

wellness activities in alicante

Costa Blanca in Spain is a great area to join a yoga retreat, as nearby Alicante there are all year around many fantastic retreats organised.


9 BEST CAFÉS

These are my favorite cafés in Alicante.

All are places that you can also sit in, instead of having only takeaway coffee.

Below cafeterias you can see the best brunch places.

To navigate easily to the places, grap the Google Maps Pins to Alicante.

best cafeterias in alicante

Pic from JevoleCoffee

9 BEST CAFETERIAS IN ALICANTE

  • Madness Specialty Café

  • Sip and Wonder

  • Swallow Specialty Coffee

  • Martisano

  • Santagloria Coffee & Bakery

  • Espacio Elemental

  • Mon Sucree

  • Liaopastel

  • Tres Texturas

  • JevoleCoffee

9 BEST BRUNCH PLACES IN ALICANTE

  • Eat My Trip Specialty Coffee

  • Brunchit (located in San Juan)

  • Maldita Gloria (better one in San Juan, but there's one also in Alicante centre)

  • Dolci Garipier (located in San Juan)

  • Blueloop (located in San Juan)

  • Cafeteria Baker & Co (located in San Juan)

  • Martisano

  • Sip and Wonder

  • Madness Specialty Coffee

I have added all of these places to the Google Maps Saved Places list.

best brunch and lunch restaurants in alicante

Pic of Madness Specialty Coffee Brunch

16 BEST RESTAURANTS

In this part, I will list you the great lunch restaurants and places to dine in Alicante.

Some of them are my personal favorites, while others are the winners in the instagram voting of big alicante account Alicante Street Style.

You can also get all of them directly to your Google Maps for easy exploring. See the link below for free download.

best dinner restaurants in alicante

6 BEST LUNCH RESTAURANTS IN ALICANTE

  • El Cup

    Good lunch place with a daily menu, aka Menu del día

  • Boddhigreen

    Great vegetarian restaurant

  • Samana Alicante


    Asian Mediterranean Fusion restaurant. Remember to make a reservation.

  • Urban Poke


    Good poke bowls in the centre

  • El Corte Inglés Alacant Edifici Moda


    Versatile meals to choose from at the rooftop restaurant of the department store

  • Saona


    Nice daily menu for lunch (remember to reserve a table)

10 BEST DINNER RESTAURANTS IN ALICANTE

These are my favourite restaurants in Alicante, or something I recommend trying during your stay here.

Not to only trust my opinion, these 13 restaurants in Alicante were voted the best on many online listings, and these results kept on repeating on social media as well.

At the end of this article, you can download all of these to Google Maps as saved places to go. This makes it easy to navigate around and see locations on Alicante map.

GET ALL THE RESTAURANTS DIRECTLY TO YOUR GOOGLE MAPS

Best Restaurants in Alicante

By downloading the maps saved places, you subscribe to the monthly SlowTravelRepeat newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.


6 BEST SITES TO BOOK YOUR TRIP

Accommodation

Booking - Best for hotels and accommodation in general.

Activities

Getyourguide - best for guided tours, bucketlist activities and ticket booking

Transportation

Local bus and tram - You can simply buy a ticket on the bus

Omio for Trains, buses and flights within Spain

Discover cars for rental cars

Clothes and yoga gear

Icaniwill for high-quality workout clothes (20% discount with code sinimalism20)

Manduka for lightweight, high quality travel yoga mat with 10-year warranty (15% discount with code sinimalism)


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAVELING TO ALICANTE

How many days do I need in Alicante?


A minimum of 3 days is ideal for a slow travel experience. This gives you time to explore the castle, wander the Old Town, relax on Postiguet Beach, and take a day trip to Tabarca Island or Guadalest. If you have 5–7 days, you can explore the surrounding Costa Blanca towns like Altea, Denia, and Javea at a more relaxed pace.

What is the best time of year to visit Alicante?
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the best weather – warm sunshine without the intense summer heat. Summer (June–August) is hot and busy, ideal for beach lovers but expect crowds. Winter is mild and quiet, perfect for a peaceful retreat without the tourist rush.

Is Alicante a walkable city?
Yes, very walkable. The city center is compact and pedestrian-friendly. You can easily walk between the Old Town (Barrio de Santa Cruz), the Explanada, Postiguet Beach, and the castle elevator. The flat promenade makes strolling along the waterfront a pleasure. For longer distances, the tram and bus network is excellent.

Is Alicante expensive for a holiday?
Alicante is affordable compared to Barcelona or Madrid. A budget traveler can manage with €60–80 per day, while a mid-range traveler can expect €100–150 per day. Accommodation, food, and drinks are reasonably priced, especially if you eat where the locals eat – away from the most touristy spots on the Explanada.

What is the best area to stay in Alicante?
For first-time visitors, the city center (Centro) is ideal – close to everything. For a quieter, more local feel, the Old Town (Barrio de Santa Cruz) offers charm and authenticity. For longer stays and beach lovers, San Juan (7km north) has a beautiful long sandy beach and is easily accessible by tram.

Can I visit Alicante without a car?
Absolutely. Alicante is well-connected by public transport. The tram connects the city with San Juan, Altea, and Benidorm. Buses reach further destinations. The airport is 15 minutes from the city center by bus (C6) or taxi. For day trips, guided tours are an easy option.

Is Alicante safe for solo travelers?
Yes, Alicante is very safe for solo travelers. The city is welcoming and easy to navigate. Many hotels offer single rooms, and the local culture is warm and open. As with any city, take normal precautions – especially at night – but Alicante is considered one of the safer Spanish cities.

What is the local food specialty in Alicante?
Alicante is famous for rice dishes – paella, arroz a banda, and arroz con costra are local favorites. Fresh seafood is abundant. Don't miss the local turrón (nougat) – Alicante is the birthplace of this sweet treat. For dessert, the cheesecake at Las tartas de Julita is a must-try.

What language is spoken in Alicante?
Both Spanish (Castilian) and Valencian are official languages. English is widely spoken in tourist areas, hotels, and restaurants. Learning a few phrases like "gracias" and "buenos días" is always appreciated by locals.

Is Alicante airport easy to get to?
Very easy. Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC) is just 15–20 minutes from the city center. The C6 bus runs regularly and costs around €4. Taxis are readily available. The train also connects the airport to the city center for a more sustainable arrival.

GET ALL THE PLACES FOR GOOGLE MAPS

Navigate easily to all the places I recommended in this Alicante Itinerary Guide.

I have listed all of them in Saved places on Google maps to make it easy for you.

Enjoy it for free (for now!) and bring it along to Alicante!

GET ALICANTE TRAVEL GUIDE IN PDF

Want these tips accessible offline?

You can download for free the Alicante Travel guide PDF here.

Explore more mindful travel in Spain guides:

Find wellness hotels in Spain, mindful travel tips for different areas and slow travel guides to Spain.

LATEST BLOG POSTS:

WRITTEN BY

Hey there, I'm the Author

I'm Sini, a digital nomad and an enthusiast in slow living, mindful traveling and yoga retreats.

This is your go-to mindful corner of the internet.

I'm here to share my slow travel tips, the dreamiest places, and stories and photographs from my journeys.

I happen to be kind of a professional in this as well, as I have my Master's degree in Tourism Research, and both my master's and bachelor's theses are about wellness travel.

I want to share the hidden gem hotels, dreamiest retreats and mindful destinations, as well as some deeper journals and thoughts on what meaningful life is.

With my job as a Marketing Person for Wellness Businesses , like retreats, I have some great places to share with you on this beautiful globe.

Welcome to dive into your most meaningful journeys - join the newsletter if you want monthly slow travel inspiration.

You can read more about me here.

Slow Travel Repeat on Instagram
Pinterest Slow Travel Repeat
Facebook Slow Travel Repeat