One Day in Alicante (Part 2): Alicante’s Waterfront & Benidorm
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In this post:
Travelling from Valencia to Alicante
Parking in Alicante City Centre
Santa Bárbara Castle – The Best Panoramic View in Alicante
Although we spent four nights in Valencia, we dedicated one day to exploring Alicante. From the very beginning of planning our trip, we knew we wanted to experience a little more of the beautiful Costa Blanca, and looking back, we can confidently say it was one of the best decisions we made. On our way back, we even made a short stop in Benidorm, where we enjoyed a stroll along the seafront, had dinner, and then continued our journey back to Valencia. In just one day, we managed to discover two Costa Blanca cities, each with its own unique atmosphere.
Tip: If you are still planning your trip to the region, it’s worth using Esky to compare flights and find the best deals for your journey to Valencia or Alicante.
Since we wanted to explore not only Valencia itself but also the surrounding region, renting a car was an obvious choice for us. We booked ours through QEEQ, but it’s definitely worth comparing prices on EconomyBookings and Booking.com’s car rental platform as well, as the price differences for exactly the same dates can sometimes be surprisingly large.
If you’re planning a trip to the sunny Costa Blanca, Alicante is a destination well worth adding to your itinerary. More than just a city with palm-lined beaches, Alicante has a fascinating history stretching back over 2,000 years. The Carthaginians, Romans, and Moors all left their mark here, creating a destination that beautifully combines Mediterranean coastal charm with impressive historical landmarks.
We left our accommodation in Valencia at 7:30 a.m. and, after a drive of just under two hours, arrived in Alicante before 10 o’clock. This gave us a full day to explore the city’s highlights at a relaxed pace.
Tip: We chose Valencia as our main base for this trip. If you are looking for family-friendly apartments or hotels in the area, we highly recommend checking options on Booking.com, Hotels.com or Vrbo for great local rentals.
I had already researched our parking options in advance, as the most convenient car parks in the city centre tend to fill up quickly. Arriving early definitely paid off. We chose the Muelle de Levante parking garage by the marina, which turned out to be an excellent choice. Not only was it safe and easy to find, but it was also just a pleasant 10-minute walk from the lift that takes visitors up to Santa Bárbara Castle, our first stop of the day.
As we were travelling with a young child, I planned our itinerary so we wouldn’t have to walk uphill to the castle. Instead, we took the lift built directly into the rock, which made getting to the top quick and effortless.
Our walk to the lift followed Alicante’s beautiful seafront promenade. At that early hour, the waterfront was still wonderfully peaceful, and the morning sunshine reflected beautifully on the sea. It was the perfect, relaxing way to begin our day of sightseeing.
Helpful tip: Finding the Santa Bárbara Castle lift
The lift entrance is located at the foot of Mount Benacantil on Avenida Juan Bautista Lafora. If you’re standing roughly in the middle of Playa del Postiguet, Alicante’s main beach, look for the pedestrian underpass. It leads directly into the rock, where you’ll find the castle lifts. On Google Maps, simply search for „Ascensor al Castillo de Santa Bárbara”.
Tickets:
Perched on top of the 166-metre-high Mount Benacantil, Santa Bárbara Castle stands watch over Alicante like a guardian of the city. This impressive medieval fortress is not only one of Alicante’s most iconic landmarks but also one of the city’s best viewpoints. From the castle walls, you’ll enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over the Old Town, the harbour, the Mediterranean Sea, and the surrounding mountains.
A little history: The strategic importance of this hill was already recognised by the Romans, but the foundations of today’s castle were laid by the Moors in the 9th century. The fortress takes its name from a significant historical event: on 4 December 1248, Saint Barbara’s Day, Prince Alfonso of Castile captured the castle from the Moors.
Santa Bárbara Castle also has its own legend. It tells the story of Captain Nicolás Peris, who defended the fortress so courageously that, according to local tradition, he died still clutching the castle keys in his hand. Locals say his spirit continues to guard the walls to this day.
The castle walls themselves are like an open history book. You can still spot traces of 17th-century French attacks and explosions, and during the Spanish Civil War the fortress was even used as a prison. In some places, prisoners’ inscriptions carved into the stone walls can still be seen.
Visiting Santa Bárbara Castle with kids
The „magic lift”
As I mentioned earlier, the lift built inside the rock reaches the top in just 30 seconds. Our little daughter absolutely loved this little „space journey,” while we happily avoided climbing all the way uphill.
The castle grounds are surprisingly spacious, with wide, modern walkways throughout most of the site. It’s largely accessible with a stroller, although a baby carrier can be useful if you want to visit the upper bastions, where you’ll find more stairs.
The ancient castle walls, towers and cannons instantly spark children’s imagination. Our daughter loved exploring every corner, and so did we.
There are cafés and several shaded seating areas inside the castle, making it the perfect place to pause for a coffee, a cold drink or an ice cream while soaking up the incredible views.
If possible, plan your visit for opening time (10:00 am). When we arrived, it was still pleasantly quiet, and the open courtyards hadn’t yet become too hot under the Mediterranean sun
Although the lift is free on the way down, we decided to walk instead. The route takes you through the charming Santa Cruz neighbourhood and Alicante’s beautiful Old Town, making it a lovely way to continue exploring the city.
Without a doubt, Barrio de Santa Cruz is the most charming part of Alicante. Its maze of narrow, winding streets is lined with whitewashed houses, brightly painted facades, colourful flower pots, and hand-painted ceramic decorations. Every corner feels like a postcard waiting to be photographed.
The neighbourhood dates back to the 8th century, when the Moors first settled here. After the Christian Reconquest, it gradually evolved into the Santa Cruz district we see today. In later centuries, silk merchants made their homes here, and during the 20th century, artists and writers were drawn to its peaceful streets. Their influence helped preserve the neighbourhood’s romantic and creative atmosphere, which can still be felt today.
Ermita de Santa Cruz
At the highest point of the hillside stands the small Ermita de Santa Cruz chapel. Originally built in the 13th century on the site of a former mosque, it was rebuilt into its current form during the 1830s.
The walk up is well worth the effort. From the little square in front of the chapel, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views over Alicante’s harbour and the Mediterranean Sea.
Visiting with kids: Unfortunately, this is the point where you’ll want to leave the stroller behind. The neighbourhood is full of steep staircases, narrow alleyways, and uneven paths, so a baby carrier is by far the more practical option.
Our daughter was already old enough to walk on her own, and she absolutely loved exploring the tiny streets and spotting the many cats that seemed to appear around every corner. Santa Cruz is one of those places where you feel as if you’re wandering through a traditional Spanish village, while the vibrant city centre and the sea stretch out just below you.
Leaving the maze of colourful streets behind, we slowly made our way back towards Alicante’s Old Town, where another landmark was waiting for us.
As we made our way back into Alicante’s Old Town, we passed the Concatedral de San Nicolás. At first glance, its exterior is much more understated than many of Spain’s famous cathedrals. The narrow streets surrounding it also make it surprisingly difficult to fully appreciate—or photograph—the building.
We decided not to go inside this time, as we still had plenty of places we wanted to explore that day. However, if you’re visiting Alicante at a more relaxed pace, it’s definitely worth adding this stop to your itinerary.
We still had plenty left to discover. Join us in Part 2 as we continue wandering through Alicante before ending the day with a relaxing stop in Benidorm.
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