Alicante

Bfoto.ru, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Alicante, at the heart of the Costa Blanca, is a major tourist destination due to it's warm weather, sandy beaches, vibrant nightlife and dining scene. But before heading off to the beach, how about checking out the historic quarter and do as the locals do and go for a wander down the Explanada de España .

If you are bringing a bucket and spade, you might want to try the less busy Playa de San Juan , which can be reached by tram. There's also good range of water sports on offer if you're feeling a bit more energetic.

The Santa Barbara fortress is worth a nosey, particularly to see the influence of each of its successive occupiers (you can take a lift to the top if you have accessibility issues). From the walls you get a good view of the city, surrounding countryside and coastline and you can come back down through the Parque de la Ereta .

The Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA) contains some top notch works by Dalí, Miró and Picasso. But it's also a chance to see works by local artist Eusebio Sempere . Alternatively, the Alicante Provincial Archaeological Museum (MARQ) provides a well presented walkthrough of nearby archeological finds from both land and sea.

If you come in June leading up to the 24th you may get to see various effigies in the streets, all being got ready for the the big night - the Noche de San Juan (the Night of Saint John) festival. When they'll get burned on bonfires.

As for food, this is a rice-based city, so you may wish to try arroz a banda (rice with fish), arroz negro ("black rice", with cuttlefish) or arroz al horno (baked rice). For pud, why not try pan de higo (figgy bread) or turrón de Jijona ice cream (made with a type of almond nougat).

You can also see what gastronomic delights are for sale at the grand 1920's Mercado Centra l (central market) on Av Alfonso X El Sabio.

Highlights

Visit the Moorish Santa Barbara castle
See some excellent 20th century Spanish art at the Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA)
Go on a journey through history at the Alicante Provincial Archaeological Museum (MARQ)
Dip your toes in the Med at one of Alicante's sandy beaches (try Playa de San Juan )

Station stroll ideas

Tourist info have provided a downloadable map here with a series of walks around the sights of the town.

Guided tours

If you would rather have a guided tour, then there are details here .

Luggage

If you want to stroll without a care in the world, including your luggage, you could try using the nannybag app to find a place that will take your bags.