Located in an exceptional
geographical postion, Alicante is a pleasant capital of the province in
which tourism is one of the main stays of its economy. It was the Renaissance
landowner Campanello who was the first to call Alicante the 'Sun City'.
Its magnificant microclimate, its excellent beaches, and its varied gastronomy
converts Alicante into an incomparable destination.
The white fortress, as Alicante
has been called by the Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans, is a city that
includes, with ample gardens and avenues, its old part of town, known as
El Barrio, between the castle of Santa Barbara, in the Benacantil hill,
the Rambla de Mendez Nunez and the Explanada, with its marine promenade.
From neo-classicism to rationalism,
the urban development of Alicante flourished in the first quarter of the
XX century. The modern layout had given way to functional blocks, which
has not obliterated the narrow and steep small streets of the Santa Cruz
quarter.
It is here where the monumental
district of Alicante is located. From the Postiguet Beach can be reached
the Castle of Santa Barbara, the oldest monument in town, and from its
location, the best view of Alicante. Built on top of mosques, the current
Church of Santa Maria, of Baroque style and the Concathedral of San Nicolas,
of Herrerian style from the XVII century, along with the City Hall, also
Baroque, are considered both historical and artistic.
On the way down to the Roman
port, also known as the old port, the "Casa de la Asegurada", on Villavieja
street, holds a museum of paintings, sculptures and engravings of the XX
Century, donated by the sculptor and painter, Eusebio Sempere.
But the real beauty of Alicante
comes from the sea. From the South, the direction of the island of Tabarca,
with a settlement from the XVIII century, there is an abundance of archeological
sites, a unique underwater world, and good communications from the port
to the capital.
From the North, with Albufereta
and San Juan beaches, after going around the Huertas cape. During the summer
these beaches are the party centers with drinks, discotheques, etc. During
the winter in a more student-like atmosphere, this is reserved for the
Postiguet Beach and the old part of town.
It is also close to the
sea, in the Explanada promenade, where the traveller who loves music can
listen to concerts every Sunday morning during the winter, and on summer
evenings. |
