Ondara, Costa Blanca: what to discover.

First of all, Ondara is located in the province of Alicante. More specific , four kilometers inland of the coast of Denia.
Denia is situated in the Northern part of the Costa Blanca. It is also a very popular holiday destination.

 

Ondara, a little hidden germ.

Few tourist  at the Costa Blanca explore  Ondara.  But the little town has a very interesting  historical centre. But it is hidden by a busy ring road.
More popular is the shopping center.” Portal de la Marina”. Indeed, it is a large shopping center at the Avenida Costa  Blanca at Ondara.

Ondara
Ondara

So next time when you go to the shopping center, perhaps take also the time to stop in the lovely historical center.

Because it  has a beautiful old town.

 

 

 

First of all, in the middle town is the  Plaza de toros. Since ages this Plaza has been the meeting place for the locals.
Recent  renovation has discovered the original features and stones.

When the main entrance is close, you can still visit the bull ring.  Enter the bullring trough the terrace of the restaurant.

From here you can see  the whole complex.

Ondara
Ondara

 

Just across the road from the bullring, there is a large white house.

In the past, this long white building was the fresh foodmarket of Ondara.

Now it is a cultural space. Regular there are concerts or exhibitions.

From there you can cross the bridge ” Barranco de la Alberca”. So here you can discover traditional old streets. Take your time and relax.

By the same way, you arrive at the” Plaza del Convento “.
A nice town square with a beautiful fountain.

Ondara
Ondara

The town hall of Ondara is now in the Franciscan Convent . This Convent date from the 17 century.

Ondara Castle

In the past  the castle was built by the Moors. There are remains from the bell towers and the towers.
In the middle age the bell towers where important for the locals in case of invaders.
But als for festivities and fiestas.

The town of Ondara organised  many local and cultural activities and festivities.
Throughout the year for example there  are :  Art exhibition, a Street food fair, a book fair, a music festival, a jazz festival, a winter fair and of course in december a traditional ” navidad ” scene.

Ondara in the past

Since the stone age caveman lived in this place.
Also Roman remains were discovered.
The Moorish influence in the early middle age, has left  visible marks  ( the  castle and clock tower).
Also important to known is that the Moors introduces the irrigation system . It was very important for the grow of agriculture land.
You can still see the results.

 

How you can get to Ondara

Follow the old N 332. Or the motor way A 7.
The nearest airport is one of Alicante. 

 

Tips for trips

Read more about the nearby  Denia on our webpage : Denia

Denia Bous al mar
Denia Bous al mar

To end

As you can see, Ondara has much to offers beside the Shopping center.
We hope to give you some ideas and inspiration.
Enjoy your stay !

Cocentaina Feria de todos los Santos

Cocentaina is a town situated in the province of Alicante. South east of Spain.
The village is located between the “Serpis” river  and the mountain range of “Sierra de Mariola ” national park.

Cocentaina
Cocentaina

Tourist and cycling fans like Cocentaina, there are very nice biking paths and roads  who are very attractive.
For example a part of the “Vuelta de Espana” use this roads.
Some professional cycle  teams take the route for training.
Some say for example the Astana pro team.
The economy of the town is based on the textile industry.

Climate

The province enjoys an excellent mild Mediterranean climate.
Like the rest of the Costa Blanca .

The average year temperature is around  20 C.

History

Cocentaina is now a town of 12 000 persons.
In the past, the 11th century it was the capital of a large Moorish region.
As you known, this Moorish region did cover  a great part of the Alicante region.
Around the 13th century the Christians began their conquest in the region.

About the town Cocentaina

The town is  a  medieval treasure town.
So, it looks like you are catapulted into the  Medieval Ages, especially in the time of their” Feria de todos los Santos” or “Fair of all Saints” . Read more below!

Cocentaina Feria
Cocentaina Feria

It is strange that  in travel guides they do not write about the town. So it is really a hidden place, but very popular by Spanish people.
So now  it is up to you to discover it.
The local people are very proud of their history of Moors and Christians
So when you walk around in the old part next to the “Comtat Palace ”  you can see “medieval” flags and shields.

The castle of Cocentaina

In the past the castle was origin Gothic ( 13th century).
Then the count changed it to Renaissance style.
For instance, the ceilings and the columns  are beautiful painted.
Some of the paintings represent the war between the Moorish and the Christians people.

Side by side is a large church. Nearly the size of a  cathedral. The most striking point of the architecture is the enormous golden entrance door.

During  your stay, is also worth ta take a walk to the ” Hermitage of Saint Barbara”. At this point there are some breathtaking panoramas..

From the Arab castle of “Penelles” is only the tower remaining

Cuisine of Cocentaina

The cuisine is Spanish mountain food.  That is normal, the food is influence by the region.
But also by climate and geography. So, that is important for the cooking methods and the ingredients.
As Spain has a history of invasions, there are also influence of the way of cooking and the new ingredients.

For example  for the region of Cocentaina stewed partridge or fresh lamb.
Or ” platos de cuchara “or one spoon dishes. See our page culinary specialty of the Costa Blanca
Good meals for a stay in the mountains.

Mean event in Cocentaina .

The Moors and Christians Festival and the Feria de Todos los Santos ( all Saints Fair).
The Moors and Christians festival is dated in 1586.

The fair of  All  Saint   has been celebrated since  almost 700 years.
No wonder that is a  declared as ”  Fiesta of National Interest”.
For these special days of the town , the tourist information has  leaflets and maps at different information points.

Plan of the Fiesta

Cocentaina map
Cocentaina map

It is also interesting, to plan your visit back in time for the several activities.

For instance , there is a conventional market  with fresh fruit and vegetables cheeses and cured meat  from the region.

But there is also a zone for children with attraction and games.

Of course the old town is transformed  into a town in the Medieval ages.
In the historic buildings are all sort of exhibition related to the medieval Ages : arts and crafts.

Arab and Moorish Souks

It is really a sort of magic and very nice to discover.
For example there are  of course Arab souks , medieval market Valencian artisan, Jewish quarter and stalls.
In past , the town was also a real life mix of Moors and Christians and Jewish People.
Indeed , this mix was also found in the other city of  South Spain.
To sum up: Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla.

Cocentaina Fair
Cocentaina Fair

Now in Cocentaina at the “Fiesta de Todos Santos”  the stalls are filled  with all sort of  handcrafts and little treasures.
Medieval looking jewelry, spices and herbs. Of course also  essential oils and incense. So it is  a Fiesta  for your senses.
In every street of the old town  there are jugglers, singers, minstrels and knights.
Furthermore there are also stalls of  serving everything to eat. Such as  sausages potatoes, meat roasting on charcoals and preparation of  fish.

So the fair is in Spain very popular with more than 800 stalls !

The  young children love the time of the knights and the Medieval festival.

Map of the Fiesta

The map is interesting to take a look at.
So you can see the different sections.
It depends what you want to see.
In short, we give you a choice : traditional fair, from horses to car, shoes and toys, local wines, traditional crafts, metal work,  lace making, embroidery,  glass blowing, soap making, candle making, pottery making…

When ?

The fair and the festivities  are taking place  the bank holiday of the 1 the November. ( all saints )
The stalls will open from 9 till 22.00 hour

If you want to come to the fair , there are many temporary parking’s  just outside the  town center.
So it is is just a walk away , and preferable with all the Spanish visitors.

So, during you stay at the Costa Blanca why not enjoy a day back in time ?

Elche, the city of Palms

Elche is most known as the city of the Palms.

Elche
Elche

The city is located in the south of the town Alicante. Alicante is a part of the province Alicante.
The city offers a nice place to live and to visit.
It was important trough out the history. has a large history and was importance  during the Moorish occupation.

The Palm tree park.

Fist, the Palm tree park is the largest “Palmeral Park” in Europe with 200 000 trees.
As a result that  the palm groves have an international UNESCO award.

Tourist information.

In the center of city you can find the tourist information office.
Make a visit to the office for a good map and the correct list of opening times of the different things to visit.
The opening hours and the prices of the museums are changing depending on the summer or winter season.
Naturally , do not forget that in Spain the shops and museums can been closed for the siesta .
They take their siesta normally between 14.00 and 16.00 or even 17.00

The tourist information employees will surely recommend the Elche city walking route.
The walking route is a great introduction.
Or take the small tourist train.This is easy and great way to see the best sights of the city.

This is a great and easy way to see the best sights

The Palmeral Park.


Again , the Palmeral park is a park full of groves of date palms.
At the time of the Muslim occupation in the 8th century the date palms were planted.
The Palmeral park, with a great irrigation system, is an oasis. It is an example of the Arab practices on the Iberian peninsula.
After all the Palmeral of Elche is the largest of Europa. Presently on the second place  is the  Palmeral of the city of Orihuela.
In fact the palm groves has over 200 000 palm trees.

Elche Palm Park
Elche Palm Park

During your visit of Elche  for the Palmeral Park you can visits the nice town  and offers you a various choice of museums.

Archaeological  and History Museum.

Indeed this  museum is an award-winning museum. In the museum you learn more about the palm trees. Besides the museum is interactive and you can learn more about the long history of the town with Muslim, Roman and Iberian influences.

Elche Shopping

The next best of Elche is that the town  has also fancy shopping malls.
One of the shopping malls is out-of-town and is called the l’Aljub.
In the town there is “El Corte Ingles” departemenet store.
One of the famous outlets for the locals,  is the outlet of the Salvador Artesano shoe factory, a real must for the shoe adepts. The outlet is the large as a football field.

Cathedral of Elche.

Also knows as the Basilica de Santa Maria .
If you climb the steps of the roof of the Basilica of the Santa Maria, you can get a beautiful view over wonderful Elche end his Palm Tree Park.
It is built on the remains of the old mosque. When the Muslims were conquered the mosque was considered to the Christian faith and became the Santa Maria church.
It was rebuilt in the Gothic- Renaissance style. The current building, dating from 17th century, shows the influence of the Baroque.

Huerta del Cura.

More specifically ,a beautiful botanical garden full with a large range of Mediterranean plants.
I fact, the Huerta del Cura , the priest garden, has an area of 12 000 m2.
Below in the garden there is a large collection of cacti and palms trees from all over the world.
The largest and the most splendid tree to see is the Imperial Palm.
The Imperial Palm is a  date palm with seven branches of the same trunk.
As a result that the beauty and the symmetry are unique.  After all, It is named an Imperial Palm tree after the Empress of Austria  “Sissi”.

Arab Bath Museum.

Presently , these Arab baths are a remains of an Arabic bathing house. These baths date from the 12th century. Each bath consisted of three rooms.The most popular rooms was the warm bath.
Now our saunas are built the same way today.
In the past it was made of stone slabs and supported by pillars between which hot air was passed.

Museum of contemporary art.

With a large selection of Spanish artists who are the representative figures of the vanguard of Valencian arts like among others Miro, Soria and Cronica.

La Alcudia Museum.

Now the “La Alcudia Museum” is situated where the Iberian bust of the “Dame of Elche” was discovered.
in fact  the Dama de Elche is a stone bust. The bust was discovered in 1897 on the archaeological site at l’Alculdia. The dame of Elche is dating from the 4th century.
It was taken to France after is was found and shown in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
During the  Franco’s government, Spain had to negotiate with the French government to return the bust to discovery place.
As a resilt that it was placed in…….. the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Meanwhile the people of Elche have asked for its return. In spite of  the citizens have to live with a replica.

Elche Dama de Elche
Elche Dama de Elche

Palm Grove Museum.

Again the Palm Grove Museum shows the Moorish origin and the culture of the  Palm Trees

Visitors house.

In brief , the visitors house is a presentation on the city  , its history, culture , festivals…..

Municipal Park.

In particular , a  beautiful park where you can enjoy the flora. Many locals come to walk , to talk and to relax.

Town Hall.

In fact , the Town Hall building is the oldest municipal house on this part of the Valencian province . So it is  worth a visit.

Beaches .

At last , he town is located in the south of the Costa Blanca nearby the Mediterranean sea .
As a result, that it  has around 10 km of shoreline with white sandy beaches.
Now, the beaches are surrounded by restaurants, ice cream kiosks, tapas bars and in the summer season  a street market.
Presently the farmers offer directly their excellent products .
Part of the beaches is occupied with style 1950 villa’s . In this villa’s are mostly restaurants and accommodation .

At the most beaches there is life guard vigilance, a large parking possibility and wooden gangways.Because this wooden gangways connect the access to the road with the beaches.
In fact , there is also a regular bus service between the several beaches of Elche.

During the summer season , this beaches are loved by the Alicante people.
Not only for the superb quality of the azulblue  water but also for it richness of the water fauna  and Flora.
Nearby  there  is a Nature Reserve a natural wetland nearby Gran Alicant.-/ Santa Pola.

South of the municipal , there are also impressive strip of dunes. This dunes has a  pine forest.

Elche Beaches
Elche Beaches

Access.

The best , the town  is just 20 km from Alicante and El Altet , the airport of Alicante.
Indeed it  is within the reach of major motorways like the AP-7.
As a result that it makes the access to and from the other cities like Murcia, Alicante, Benidorm, Santa Pola, Torrievieja, Orihuela …very easy.

 

 

Alicante Airport

Alicante Airport
View of Alicante Airport

Alicante Airport (airport code ALC) is also called El Altet. Now it is one of the biggest airports in Spain.

A busy airport.

Presently Alicante airport is in the top 50 of Europe busiest airports.
More than 80 % of the passenger flights are international.
In the past , , Alicante Airport handled 10.000.000 passengers.
Now , Alicante Airport it is classified as the second busiest of the group of airports in Europe, with between 10 and 25 millions passengers per year.
Only Cologne Bonn grew more  over this period. Malaga airport in Spain and  Palma de Mallorca followed.
In the present, security concerns means that part of the leisure demand to external markets  will continue to shift towards the EU destinations and in sum their airports.
More specifically  the North African destinations  have suffered from the continuing instability. As a result  the holiday takers  choose Spain and the Costa Blanca.
Furthermore, the airport has recently been improved by a new terminal that replaced the old one.

Location Alicante Airport

In the first place, the airport of Alicante is 10 km southwest of Alicante city.
In addition, the airport is the gate way to Costa Blanca, Costa Azahar and Costa Almeria.
Besides, there are a great number of international passenger flights from all over Europe.
Most of the flights are tourism and come from West and North Europe.
But the airport is also attractive for national flights. For instance, the flights to Madrid, to Barcelona and to Palma the Mallorca are popular destinations.

Of course Alicante airport handled a passengers flight . But also 2500 tonnes of cargo a year.

At the present time, Alicante airport has three terminals. The new terminal is in a L shape.
Now, the airport offers several floors.
Below there are bars, shops and restaurants. Also a pharmacy, post office, car park and tourist information.
Beside this there are also duty-free shops which offer an large selection of items. Like there are : music and electronics, library , fashion. But also wines, watches or perfumes.

Airlines Flying into Alicante.

In the present Ryanair flies into Alicante from over 26 routes. Operating 166 flights a week.

Flying from Belgium to Alicante.
At the present , there are different options to fly into Alicante from Belgium.
First of all over 5 Cities have direct flying routes into Alicante.
In Particular, these cities are Ostend, Brussels, Charleroi , Luik and Antwerp.

Flying from Ostend (Oostende) to Spain El Altet.
Jetairfly offers flights  3 days a week. Jetair even increase the capacity in the summer.

Flying From Brussel to Alicante Elche AIrport.
Four flying companies are flying directly to the Airport.
In fact, this companies are Vueling, Ryanair , Jetairfly, Transavia  and Brussels Airlines.
Vueling is the low coast company of Iberia.

Next, Brussels Airlines flies  2 days a week to the Airport of Alicante. They uses an Airbus 319.

Getting to and from Alicante Airport.

In spite of that the Alicante airport is so import .The only way to get to the airport is by road.
We hope that in the next years they will be a train. But till now, there is no train.
At this moment the road to the airport is the N 338.
This road connects the airport with the different motorways. The N 332 is the old highway from Cartagena to Valencia.
The N 340 leads to Murcia.
The largest motorway nearby the airport is the A 7 is the “Autopista del Mediterraneo”  or the Mediterranean motorway.

Now you can get to Alicante city with a taxi. So a taxi takes you to center in about a 15 minutes and cost about 25€.
Next, from the airport of Alicante,  buses are leaving in several directions. Benidorm, Alicante ans indeed also , Torrevieja schedule.
In brief , the mayor international companies of car rental have offices in the airport. Like Avis, Europcar, Hertz and others.
In fact you can hire at the airport but you can also  pre-book a car online.
But in the first place compare the different prices.

Check out our page on Car Rental

Alicante Airport Supermarket.

Presently a  supermarket is open in Alicante-Elche airport.
So you can buy some quick groceries when you have an early or late night flight.
It is in front of  the car rental services.
So, it is accessible by travelers and non travelers.
The size of the supermarket is around 80 square meters.
In fact  the supermarket offer a little range of products. From food and drinks, to mobile phone and some basic medication.

Kiss and FLY Parking.

Recently a new car parking opened  . Because it  makes it able to drop off the passengers without the risk of a fee.
At the front you can park for free at the new parking for 15 minutes.
Now in the new parking there are 80 parking spots.  Even though after the 15 minutes the fee is immediately 1.90 euros.

Tip Fly parking

If yo stay over this free allowance you will be charged 12 cents from the first minute.
So for instance we did pay nearly 4 euro for a half hour.:-(.
So, the next time we parked the car in the short term park.
The charges are much more cheaper.
For instance for the same half hour we did pay 1, 30 euro.
So if you think you may longer than the 15 minutes go straight the  short term car park.

Airport Parking Alicante Airport.

The airport offers several parking options.
Indeed you have the choice between  ” First class “car parking, “long-stay” parking or” general “parking.
In fact  for long-term parking, garages in the area offer a cheaper option. Usually these garages offer a free shuttle service to the airport.
To conclude choose the parking or in Spanish “aparcamiento “,  which suits you best and save time and/or money.

Longterm parking
There is a option to park your car for two years for 400 € at the ParkandGo.
There are more than over 1000 outdoor spaces and more than hundred covered parking places.
Minibuses do the shuttle service  between the parking and the airport.
Seven days a week , 24 hours a day. For customers there is also a free carwash , a waiting room with drink and eat facilities.
The booking can be done by smartphone.

Hotels.

In spite of all this possible guests, there are no hotels at the airport or nearby.
In fact the closest solutions is “Holiday Inn” in  Alicante .

Shopping and restaurants, bars.

Finally “Costa Blanca Plaza” is the shopping and restaurant area of the airport.
But first you have to pass the douane .
On this floor there are many  bars side by side . Such as Starbucks, Valor, Saboramar, Burger King…

For the shops see below 🙂

Furthermore also nice  shops, restaurants, press and indeed also a pharmacy.
But also the nice gift shops offer a large selection of items: music and electronics, Spanish fashion, wines, watches, perfumes.
The last point to buy some souvenirs.

Personal shopper

You can discover a new shopping experience  at the airport with the  help of a Personal Shopper. This service is free.
So it is a great opportunity to go shopping at a selection of top brand stores.
For instance : Boss, Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, Superdry, Guess,Lacoste , Samsonite or Kipling.
Furthermore there are shops from Desigual, Swaroski, Victoria Secret, Wekkend Max Mara , Trucco or Natures.
But also a large choice of accessoires like ” Parfois’ or Sunglass hut.
So get a personal assistance with Duty Free and Tax refund.

You find her in front of the alicante Duty free store. Nearby the Starbucks.

Apersonal shopper

personal shopper

Luggage. 

In brief you can not store baggage at the airport due security reasons.

Information.

First, on the check-in floor and in the arrivals Hall in the center there is an information desk about the airport .
On the ground floor close to the arrival gate a Tourist Information is available.

Wheelchair.

Naturally there is special parking spaces are near the entrance. So disable passengers can be easily dropped off nearby the entrance of the terminal.
While wheelchairs are available nearby the entrance. Additionally, the  airport has large wheelchairs ramps and adapted elevators and toilets.

Pharmacy.

Low down, in the ground floor of the terminal is located a pharmacy. And the next important , its is open from 7 to 23.
Nearby is a 24 hours first’s aid post.

Address.

03195 EL Altet , Alicante , Alicante, Spain

Telephone. 
902 404 704

News about Alicante Airport.

Now Alicante airport hit the 12 million passenger mark. Thanks to this the airport now becomes Spain 5th busiest airport.
In the first place: , Madrid. In the second place Barcelona El Prat. Then Gran Canaria, followed by Malaga.
Of course British tourist are leading. Followed by the Spanish tourists, on 3 the place the Dutch people, then the German tourist, the Belgians and the Norwegians.
All over across Spain the rise in tourist sector is noticeable.

Train  airport Alicante .

In spite off it all , there is a lack of a rail access to El Altet.
Besides, it is very strange that an airport with more than  12 million  travelers  has not a train or tram to reach the airport.

Till now, you have first need to Alicante city. From there you can go to different places.
But , there is a bus line , the C 6 bus service.
So, this bus service runs between the airport terminal and Alicante city center. Also, the bus runs every 20 minutes. Every day of the year.
The bus stops at the RENFE train station , but also at the other locations around Alicante.

In the past, the national government for Spain local trains overlooked the Alicante project.
For many travelers is a big disappointment that there is no rail link between the city and the airport.
Above all this is a discussion, who started already  in 2010 !
The bizarre thing is that the Alicante Murcia train line us only one kilometer away.
On the million cost would be offset by a potential seven million passengers each year.

Bus Alicante airport Torrevieja, a success.

Bus Alicante airport Torrevieja is a huge success among travelers and people who rent houses in Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa.

Torrevieja bus
Torrevieja bus

In the present , there is a daily service.
It takes about 55 Minutes between the airport of Alicante and Torrevieja. Meanwhile the bus is fully capable of taking a lot baggage. So you don’t need to worry about your big bags filled with scuba equipment.

During  the summer season a bus drives every hour but we posted the bus schedule down this page.
In brief the bus is the really the cheapest way of transport  to get Torrevieja.

Costa Azul bus.

The Company of the bus is  called “Costa Azul”. Indeed keep an eye on the buses with Airport Shuttle Costa Azul on it.
Because you can book the bus ticket directly from the bus driver, it is for most people very attractive.
Meanwhile in the summer season there is also a ticket sailing office in the airport. In front of the arriving zone.

bus alicante airport torrevieja
bus alicante airport torrevieja

Indeed the residents or the tourists who go to spend their holidays in Torrevieja or Orihuela Costa can use the bus service.
If you want to read more about Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa find more  on our page : Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa  .

Never the less a direct bus service bus Alicante Torrevieja Alicante El Altet Airport is not a luxury. It is even very popular.
About 18 percent of all travelers arriving at the airport, have the region of Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa  as destination.

In the past, many of them had to take a taxi for 50 €.
In fact,  it was sometimes more expensive than the price they had paid for their flight with their low coast fly.
As you can read, the new bus Alicante Torrevieja  will even contribute to the growth of tourism in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa.

In brief, the bus Alicante airport Torrevieja is a very cheap and easy way to get to your holiday destination .

Bus stop at Alicante airport.

The bus stop is just outside the departure hall at level 2 .
Take the elevator to the departure hall.
The bus stop Alicante airport is at the end of the departure hall.
The bus company “Costa Azul “ is running several times a day the distance  of 63 kilometers and also the trip back.

The service that offers the bus line  Alicante Torrevieja is “direct “with 3 bus stops and its rides 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The bus runs through the A-7 and stops in Santa Pola, La Marina, Guardamar and Torrevieja.
Equal important : the bus is accessible for wheelchairs.
And at least the bus has a large luggage space.

A new look for the Shuttle bus Alicante airport Torrevieja . 

In particular Torrevieja has a  new bright and breezy airport shuttle. Presently it is colorful designed by the graphics artists of the town hall’s tourism service.
In fact, they hope that the attractive bus will encourage more tourists to use the bus and visit the region.
Immediately,  it will allow people to identify very quick their bus in the airport.

Departures:
Bus Alicante airport to Torrevieja

Daily starting from 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00  12:00  13:00  14:00 16:00 17:00  18:00 19:00  20:00 22:00
In blue from 1st April  to 31th October .

Departure and arrival in the bus station of Torrevieja , Calle del Mar 50

Arrival and departure in the Alicante airport in the second floor.

Bus Torrevieja to Alicante airport

Daily starting from 7:00 9:00 10:00   11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00  18:00 19:00  21:00
In blue from the 1st April till 31th October
Departure and arrival in the bus station of Torrevieja , Calle del Mar 50

Arrival and departure in the Alicante airport .

Bus Alicante Torrevieja
Bus Alicante Torrevieja

It take you to your destination in one hour to get there. The bus run inland via the A7 highway.
Not on the N 332 ( old route ) . In fact, so the bus avoid traffic delays in the summerseason on the N 332.

Departure and arrival point:bus Alicante airport Torrevieja

The most important,departure and arrival point is the Torrevieja bus station. Calle del Mar, 50.

Ticket Price: € 8 from kinds older than 4 year and adults . The little ones are free. Some drivers ask for the ID.
Pensioners get 30% discount when there are living in the Valencian region.

The tickets are for sale in Torrevieja bus station and in the airport. You can also pay the driver.
Furthermore , you can buy the tickets online.

Also important , the buses are handicap accessible. Furthermore there is free WiFi and enough space for the luggage.

On the one hand the bus is an cheap way to get to the airport or Torrevieja.
On the other hand, when you have a low cost flight it is possible that your plane land after 22:00.
Equally important is that the bus is popular. So sometimes the bus fills up very quickly in the summer season.In fact, then you have to wait for the next bus.

This page on the web is not update daily with the information on the bus Alicante airport Torrevieja.
See for daily details  Costa Azul :  965 710 146

Prices of a Taxi Alicante Torrevieja.

In fact the Price of a taxi from Alicante El Altet will cost you about  65 euros. While the biggest advantage of the taxis are that they can be pre-booked. And will take you quick to your final destination.
Naturally  this might be a good option to consider when you are with 4 or more people and share the price.

Also  Interesting:

For instance visit our webpage  Alicante Airport Car Rental Comparison

On this page we do a Torrevieja Airport Car Rental  Airport Pick up Comparison

Important note : Yourspain is not responsible for the change in the timetables.

Alicante, Costa Blanca

Alicante is the provincial capital of the Alicante region.

Boulevard
Boulevard

First, the town is situated in the middle of the Costa Blanca coast.
At the North of Alicante is “Northern Costa Blanca”.
With  popular tourist city’s as Benidorm, Calpe, Denia, Valencia, ….

At the south of  Alicante is situated “Southern Costa Blanca” .
With lovely towns like Santa Pola with fortress and castell , Torrevieja and his salt lakes  and Orihuela Costa .

Connecting the coast in the Orihuela
Connecting the coast in the Orihuela

Weather

Of course, Alicante has a Mediterranean Sea climate.
Because of  the influence of the azul Blue sea.
As a result hot summers and mild winters. So,  it rains only  about 20 days each year.
So, there are more than 300 sunny days or 3 000 hours of sunshine per year.
For instance, the average day temperature from march till October is around  25 degrees.
Even in winter the temperatures are good.
Instead in winter,  if you want to stroll for the evening , it is better to bring a jacket .

What to see in Alicante.

First, the town is  best known for its Mediterranean Sea harbor and his airport  El Altet ( El altet Airport ).
Also known as Miguel Hernandez airport.
But the city  is not only the place, where most of the flights in El Altet airport are landing.
Besides the important airport, the  city is self is full of attractions, museums, parks, bars, restaurants. All of them are suitable for every one.
Indeed,the town is beautiful and attractive , and not only a place to start your sunny holiday.

Boulevard with palm trees

First off all the town is famous for its wonderful boulevard with palm trees and the beaches.
During a scroll, it’s very nice to drink something in one of the many little bars and nice restaurants.
The best of it is that most of  them are nearby the old harbor and in the city.
The place to be for a real Spanish “tapa”.

As  you take your time to visit the town, you will  discover a town plenty of huge plaza, parks and the many shops in the shopping streets.

In Alicante there are eight kilometers of sun-baked beaches at the  Mediterranean sea .

The next best the night life in “El Barrio“, a district of Alicante.
Equally important, the town provides a nightlife until the late ( or early) hours for locals and  tourists.
At the past the original name of Alicante was ” Lucentum” . This is translated as ” City of Lights”.

Alicante Cultural.

Castillo de Santa Barbara.

Highest attraction is the “Castillo de Santa Barbara” or the Castle of Santa Barbara.
On top of the hill is the location of the beautiful castle.
As a result the Mount Benacantil gives an astonishing view on the city.

Castillo de santa barbara Allicante
Castillo de santa barbara Allicante

So, “El Castillo de Barbara”  is one of the largest medieval fortress of the Costa  Blanca.

Furthermore , it is also an important land mark on this Spanish coast.
On the top , inside the castle there is a museum of the city of Alicante.
Of course the museum introduce you to different historical Spanish quests throughout the centuries.

From below at the beach, you can even  the view and see a see a part of the castle.
Because, the part is in the shape of a head it is  known as the ” Moors head”.
At the past, on the slopes of the Mount Benacantil have been found remains of the Bronze Age, Iberian and Roman influence.
But the origin of the “Castillo de Santa Barbara” is in the late 9th century with the Muslim occupation.

Now, if you want make a visit to the castle, the easy way is with an elevator.
Or the more beautiful way, walking a path with amazing sea view and panorama over the city and the port . We did enjoyed very much.
As a result, taking the path you also can admire the old barrio of Santa Cruz. This is the old quarter of Alicante.

Opening hours Castle

First  : open daily from 10.00 till 19.00.
But on bank holidays: from 10.00 till 14.00.
Closed on Monday.
While last lift up is at 18.30
Last lift down  at 18.45
Presently  the entry is five euro.

At last the adress : Avenida de Juan Bautista Lafora 6 03002 Alicante

MARQ

Now, the MARQ is the archaeological Museum from Alicante .
In fact , it is one of the best museum in Spain.
In brief, if you like archaeology read more about on our page : MARQ, in Alicante city.

MARQ Alicante

The old quarter of  El barrio de Santa Cruz

Below the castle,  you can discover the oldest en the most authentic quarter of the city.
With little streets and  flowers everywhere. After all, there are some very old houses with authentic charm. Because, the streets are narrow and lovely white houses.
As a result that they are  very attractive for photographers with their  nice white houses .

Furthermore in the old quarter, there is an old chapel dating from the 18th century.

To conclude, the old area is popular for tourist . So you can find also many nice  ( tapa) bars and little restaurants.

Alicante Old Quarter
Alicante Old Quarter

Castillo de Fernando 

In addition a part of the Castillo de Barbara, is the Castillo de Fernando.
It was built against the foreigner advances.
In brief, it is not so impressive.
But the ornate doorway and the parts of the Castillo de San Fernando are still worth to see.

Basilica de Santa Maria .

Next the “Basilica de Santa Maria” or the St Mary basilica.
In the past, this building  was built between the XIV and the XVI centuries.
So now s a result that the basilica is an example of the Gothic style in Alicante. Because of this , it is one of the most important attraction of the town.
In particular it is nice to known is that it has been constructed over the ruins of a Moorish Mosque.

Reminder
Most of the museums are closed on Mondays and for the famous Spanish Siesta which is mostly from 14.00 till 17.00.

The town Hall of the Ayuntamiento.

All  the Spanish town have an important building in their center, the town hall or “Ayuntamiento”.
In alicante is is a very nice building to admire.
Behind the Santa Maria  and nearby  the La Explanada park.

Next  at the  “Ayuntamiento” there is an interesting instrument to discover . Indeed a standard for measuring ,  a small disc to measure the correct  height above the sea level in all other parts of the Spanish Region.

Isla de Tabarca.

One example of a nice family trip is a boat trip .
In brief : one of the to do attractions with good weather is a trip to the island of Tabarca.
The island is located  on the front off  the coast of Alicante.
Nearby  the harbor there are several companies who are sailing to the island Tabarca.
As you can see on other webpage : a nice trip for the lovers of scuba diving and snorkeling.

Beaches.

The most important the  beaches in Alicante  has been awarded  with the Blue Flag.  The beaches are long and open, ideal for swimming and sunbathing even with children.
In front of the beaches, there are a good selection of water sports, shops, bars and restaurants.
As a result that in summers season it become crowdy.

The Marina.

In short, the Marina is the meeting place of tourists. The place to be .
Naturally  you can enjoy the  luxury and admire the beautiful yachts and  boats. Side by side the Marina,  there are shopping centers, fine restaurants and excellent bars.
In brief, the Marina offers a luxury ambiance which reflects in the higher prices for the food and drink facilities.
So go for a nice walk, and enjoy the Spanish life style.
The Marina is located close to the ” Zone de Levante”.

The daily central marketplace or Mercado central.

Every market is the place to be  for fresh food and good quality. So also the Mercado central of Alicante.
The market is very famous with the the locals.
There are nearly 300 stalls  selling fruit, bread, fish , meats , pastries, flowers and typical  food of the region.
Some stalls have a family tradition from nearly more than 100 years.
You will love the many colors and tastes of the market.
There are two floors . The ground floor is the place to be  for meat cheese, ham. The underground is  the selling place for  fish, fruit, vegetables, pastries, bread .
Of course, nearby there are bars and  little restaurants.
Nearby is also the floral market.
The market is open from 7:00 till 14:30 from Monday till Saturday.

We think that the Mercado central is well worth a visit because it is a nice way to learn the real Spanish way of life.

Like Spanish markets ? read more about on our page Markets in the South Costa Blanca  

Markets-Costa-Orihuela-Costa-Blanca
Markets-Costa-Orihuela-Costa-Blanca

Parks.

If you take you time, there are also a lot of parks in Alicante to discover.
The nice things about the parks is, that most of the time they offer all sort off activities.
For instants some times there is  music, often dance. Furthermore an open air exhibition.

Palmeral Alicante
Palmeral Alicante

While the oldest park in the town,  is the Canalejas Park.


In the park you can find sculptures  of lions and dogs, children’s play zone , fountains and a map of Spain in stone.

canalejas park Alicante
canalejas park Alicante

Like wise another nice park in Alicante  is ‘El Palmeral’.
On the edge of the city you can find the ” Palmera”  what  means the  palm trees.
At sum, El Palmeral park has hundred of palm trees, beautiful waterfalls and “zen” lakes.
The Palmeral park is open the all day, from 9 to midnight.

Connection.

First of all, Alicante is well-connected by train, bus and trams (also at night).

In fact, the coaches are managed by Alsa, the company  which rides all over Spain.

Alicante is connected to High Speed rail network which should decrease the travel time between popular destinations like Madrid (normally 4 hours).

Tip for sailors :  The iconic Volvo Ocean Race.

Since 2008 Alicante is the home of the Volvo Ocean Race, the world toughest race for sailors.

Volvo Ocean Race Alicante
Volvo Ocean Race Alicante

Indeed, the  race is the example of months mental and physical roller coaster.
Because the race is days and nights of speed, storms and adventures.

During eight months the sailors Race over the oceans around the world.
Now, it will be the fourth time the town is the opener of the action since the Ocean Race set up his permanent headquarter in the harbor of Alicante.

Read more about it on our page  Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante  

Volvo Ocean Race Museum.

Additionally , there is also an exhibition which explains why the Volvo Ocean Race is so special .

While, a team of 25 photographers  capture superb shots. As a result a report of every drop of blood , sweat and tears on board.
So, the Museum offers a family friendly tours trough the history of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Naturally they use multimedia  with games, video and a simulator of the race.
So,  the Museum give you a view of the legends  of the race,  the technology, the equipment.

More sports news in Alicante : the return of the Vuelta.

Once again, the town of Alicante will be on the route of the famous ” Vuelta” .
With this Vuelta attracting the top of the cyclist of the world, Alicante hoops that the residents and the tourist will have the change to see the famous cyclists  .

Alicante Vuelta
Alicante Vuelta

As a result, an audience of 5 million people will watch the race. And this promotion will be seen in more than 50 countries.
So, welcome Vuelta to Alicante !

Life as a fisherman in Alicante

Today, fishing tourism is one project in Alicante.
So, professional fleets of older or traditional crafts to carry out activity’s.
More specifically, this means that they can have small groups of tourists on board of their ship.
In fact, small groups of interested people who want to known nearby the experience of professional fishing.
Now, the tourist can spend a day of the life of a fisherman.
Even help participate in bringing in the fish to the  harbor and auction.
Everything is on board. So you can enjoy a wonderful day fishing at the Costa Blanca.
Some offer a half day , others a full day fishing trips. Everyone is welcome.From novice to experienced fishers.
In brief : enjoy a great day fishing in Alicante.

TRAM of Alicante

Presently, 30 years of transporting passengers with 100 million passengers.
This landmark figure is celebrating his 30 birthday.
Currently, the TRAM operates 5 lines with 69 stations ans stops.
Now, it is  modernizing its line with Benidorm.
So, the old Tram have now a greater comfort and a higher speed .
In addition, a reduction of breakdowns and delays.

TRAM
TRAM

Guide covering Alicante.

A series of 7 themed guides  about the Alicante  are find online.
The guides covers  the landscape, the sea, the wetland, the forest…
This easy reading guides give you  details for walking, scuba diving, cycling, climbing and of course  tours of the  salt history.
Important to known : they are  available in English.

Tips for trips Alicante

If you are staying in Alicante you can easy go to the popular  Benidorm with his many family attractions parks.
In fact, you can read more about it on our page Benidorm. While it is a hour drive.

Benidorm
Benidorm

Besides, nice to see are also the waterfalls of Algar and Guadalest.
In brief, it is a countryside trip. But worth the trip to the ancient villages and the refreshing waterfalls.

Guadalest Algar waterfalls
Guadalest Algar waterfalls

Or  the Orihuela Costa is also nice to visit.
This part of the Costa Blanca is  the favorite place for the golf players.

Orihuela Costa Cabo Roig
Orihuela Costa Cabo Roig

Casino Gourmet Alicante

First, there is a new meeting place for the lovers of gastronomy : Casino Gourmet Alicante.
Now, in the old Casino there are several bars and restaurants .
So you have a large  choice between the Spanish and the International Gastronomy.

Casino Gourmet Alicante
Casino Gourmet Alicante

In fact, if you want , you can chose for “pintxos” the tapas from San Sebastian in North Spain.
Or the “jamon of Trevelez” of South Spain.
But also taste the sweet temptations of the Spanish kitchen.
Or the kitchen from Italy or Mexico.
While the hamburgers are made on the grill.
So after renovation the casino has a new destination .

Casino Gourmet Alicante
Casino Gourmet Alicante

To conclude

As you can see, there are lots of possibilities in the city.
Nearby the crystal blue sea, a lively center, a beautiful beach promenade and many shops.

So, Alicante is  a good holiday destination worth coming to.