Alicante enjoys an exceptional location between the mountains and the sea. The renowned writer Joan Fuster wrote that Alicante “is, without a doubt, the friendliest of all Valencian cities, a city one would choose if one were to exchange a village for a city”. It is known for the beaches of San Juan, Albufera, Postiguet, Saladar and Los Judíos and the coves of Cantarales, Los Judíos and Palmera.

 The waters surrounding Tabarca Island are recommendable for diving enthusiasts. The city of Alicante is known for its festivals of “Chistians and Moors” and the Fogueres de Sant Joan, where dozens of wood and cardboard monuments are raised throughout the city and are set ablaze on the night of 24th June.

 A city of congresses and trade fairs, Alicante has a strong industrial and commercial tradition which can be seen reflected in the different trade fairs that take place throughout the year at the Province of Alicante’s Palacio Ferial: the International Shoe Fashion and Technology Fair (MODATEC), the Automobile and Caravanning Fair (FIRAUTO), the International Shoe Fair, the Building Materials Fair (FIRAMACO), the Real Estate Promotion Fair, the Consumer Goods Fair, (FIRALACANT) and the Mediterranean Tourism and Hotel Trade Fair (MEDITUR). Alicante offers a gourmet cuisine that is completely linked to the sea. Rice takes centre stage in delicious dishes such as rice a la alicantina, caldero, rice a banda, rice with crust, black rice, etc.

One of the most emblematic constructions of the city is the Castle of Santa Barbara, located at an elevation of 166 metres and dating back to the 16th century. Other important monuments are the Tower of Homage, the Bastion of the English, the Chapel of Santa Barbara, the Hall of Philip II, etc. From the Bastion, visitors may marvel at the best views of the city and the coast.

Visitors may also glimpse Tabarca Island located in front of the Cape of Aljub or the Cape of Santa Pola. Also of note are the Church of Santa María which dates back to the 16th century; the Double Cathedral of San Nicolás de Bari which was finished in the 17th century; the Town Hall, an excellent work of Baroque civil architecture which was finished in the 18th century; the Monastery of La Santa; the Castle of San Fernando; and the Gravina Palace built in the 18th century, which today houses the Provincial Archive under Alicante Provincial Council. In addition, Tabarca Island belongs to the municipality of Alicante and was declared an Artistic-Historical Monument in 1964.

Separated from Alicante by a distance of eleven nautical miles, it is an authentic natural monument and the only inhabited island of the Community of Valencia; historically, it was also a refuge for pirates and corsairs. The waters surrounding it have been declared a Marine Reserve.

It has an important fortified area (wall, bastion and doors). Of special note is the church (18th century) and the Castle of San José.