Before Christmas we flew to Alicante. December, off season, and you could still swim in the sea. There were no crowds, and the temperature was ideal for long walks around the town and by the water.
Getting there and the hotel
Ryanair flies direct from Poland to Alicante, so the journey was easy. Our hotel was right by the beach, with a sea view, and there was a marina next door. Walking along the pontoons and looking at what interesting boats are moored there is an attraction in itself for us.
A fun fact for sailors: since 2008 Alicante has been the start port of The Ocean Race, the round-the-world regatta, and there is a museum of the race in the port.
A centre for long walks
The centre is ideal for long walks. Along the port runs the Explanada de España, a promenade under palm trees. Its paving is a mosaic of about 7.5 million marble tiles in three colours, red, cream and black, laid out in waves. The pattern was borrowed from Rossio Square in Lisbon. There is also a big pier, where we went for walks too.
We also looked in at the Mercado Central, a market hall built in 1917-1921 with Valencian Modernist decoration. The stalls are full of fish, seafood, fruit and vegetables.
Santa Bárbara Castle
Above the town, on Mount Benacantil (167 m), stands Santa Bárbara Castle. It owes its name to a date: on 4 December 1248, Saint Barbara's day, it was taken by the Castilian troops of the Infante Alfonso, later King Alfonso X the Wise.
You can ride up in a lift cut into the rock, with the entrance opposite Postiguet beach. We walked: the climb to the castle is a pleasant walk, and the views from the walls over the port, the beaches and the town are wonderful.
From the beach, look at the side of the mountain: the rocks form a face that locals call the Cara del Moro, the Moor's Face.
December by the sea
Off season, Alicante is calm. On Postiguet beach below the castle there were a few people, it was warm in the sun, and some, as you can see, went into the sea.
