Weekend break: what to see in Alicante in 3 days

More than 300 days of sunshine a year, magnificent beaches, hidden coves with crystal-clear waters, mountains, a thousand places to discover and its delicious gastronomy make the region of Alicante a true paradise. For some reason its inhabitants say that it is “the millor terreta del món” (the best land in the world)!

In addition, by being a very affordable city, Alicante is the perfect destination for a flying visit that will help you get a little better back to the routine. With this road trip we are about to suggest you will be able to see in just 3 days this beautiful Mediterranean coastal city, discover part of its natural swimming pools and visit some of its most representative towns.

You are already picturing it, aren’t you? Rent your car without a deposit at Alicante airport, play your favourite music, turn it up and hit the road! Are you joining us? Before undertaking this road trip, read all the tips for a perfect roadtrip.

Day 1: What to see in Alicante city

We start our road trip to discover some of the charms of the region of Alicante in the capital city of the same name. This city is not known for its monumental heritage but offers charm and cosiness that do not go unnoticed by its visitors. Therefore, it is very important to know what to see in Alicante. These are our 7 recommendations!

1. The Santa Bárbara Castle. Located at the top of Mount Benacantil at a height of 166 meters offers unparalleled views of the city of Alicante. Admission is free, and you can get to the castle by car, on foot or lift.

2. La Ereta Park. Located at the foot of the castle, you can also enjoy from here spectacular views of the city of Alicante.

3. Barrio de Santa Cruz. Hands down the most beautiful quarter of Alicante, located in the old town, which will automatically transport you to the typical Andalusian villages. It is a network of small streets full of white houses and full of colourful pots.

4. The promenade Explanada de España. Lined by palm trees along more than 500 meters. It extends from the Postiguet Beach to Canalejas Park and is characterized by its red, blue and white marble floor tiles. Along the promenade you can visit the Casa Carbonell, one of the most emblematic buildings of the city.

5. La Playa del Postiguet. A must in Alicante. It is an urban beach with white sand and it is definitely one of the symbols of Alicante.

6. Seafront promenade. Next to the Port of Alicante one can walk more than 1km and enjoy the smell of sand and sea while having a drink or just relaxing while sitting down on one bench.

7. Playa de San Juan. 7 kilometres of white sand mark this beach that is surely, one of the most beautiful in Alicante.

Day 2: Santa Pola, Orihuela and Torrevieja

Let’s start our road trip by heading to the south of Alicante and discover two natural parks and a very special city.

Our first stop will be Orihuela, a small city that has great gems of historic Mediterranean architecture, plenty of museums and beautiful palaces. In addition, it stands out for having numerous places and buildings declared Sites of Cultural Interest (Bienes de Interés Cultural) such as El Palmeral, the Circus Theater, the Diocesano Museum of Sacred Art or the Miguel Hernández Museum. Also, do not forget to visit the castle and the remains of the wall that are still preserved.

We continue our road trip to the Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja, a natural park of great extension from which you can see great nature habitats and exotic birds such as flamencos and black-necked grebes.

Keep driving to Santa Pola to enjoy its salt flats, a natural area of ​​2,470 hectares where you can see salt farms, ponds with fresh water, an area of ​​beaches and dunes and farmland. In addition, inside an old salt mill we find the salt museum, which explains its uses, characteristics, history and consumption.

If you still have some energy and time for it, we would also recommend going to the Tabarca Island from Santa Pola (it is only 8 kilometres away). This island is the only inhabited island of the Valencian Community and its waters are marine reserve due to its excellent quality and the great biodiversity of flora and fauna.

Day 3: Font Roja Natural Park and Canelobre Caves

The third day of the road trip is designed to enjoy the natural landscapes of Alicante. Believe it or not, it is one of the most mountainous regions in Spain. We take the car and we go to the Font Roja Park, an incomparable environment that will leave you speechless. This very-well-protected park allows that even today we can observe the traces that our ancestors left taking advantage of natural resources. This highlights the sanctuary, coal bunkers, old lime kilns or cellars or snow pits. For those nature lovers it will be difficult not to take the eyes off the forest full of oak, ash, maple and oak and enjoy the views of the viewpoints.

We return to the car to continue our road trip to head to the last point: the Canelobre caves, just 24 kilometres from Alicante and 700 meters above sea level in the Cabeço d’Or.

The impressive height of these caves, with one of the highest vaults in Spain, will scare more than one. Here you can see the different forms that the stone has adopted over time and which acoustic conditions make them perfect for musical show, that take place quite often.

We hope you liked this road trip! If you do it, please let us know your experience! If you are looking for alternatives, read also our road trip through Marina Baixa and fall in love even more with Alicante!