Friday 14 August 2009

Holidays in Villajoyosa

Villajoyosa in Costa Blanca Spain is a small medieval town which will surprise you with its colorful facades. It grew from a fishermen village into an important touristic destination and a famous center of chocolate production. You can enjoy the sun and the sea visiting its central sand beach. Relax in one of the bars and restaurants along its promenade and try traditional Mediterranean food.

You can find more tips about Villajoyosa at:

Holidays in Alicante Spain - Villajoyosa

offering Costa Blanca and Alicante tourist information.


Villajoyosa photos - as a part of Alicante Postcards newsletter.

Monday 27 July 2009

Costa Blanca



Costa Blanca (White Coast) - situated on the Mediterranean coast of Spain between Denia and Torrevieja - is a region of an exceptionally good climate and wonderful sand beaches. It became a very popular summer destination among European tourists offering well developed modern infrastructure and a touch of Spanish tradition and history.

Costa Blanca

Follow the Carretera National Highway and visit interesting places which will surprise you with their beauty and charm:

Alicante

Alcoy

Altea

Benidorm

Elche

Javea

Orihuela

Villajoyosa

This large map of Costa Blanca helps you find your way during your summer vacations in Spain:

Map of Costa Blanca

Visit www.holidays-in-alicante-spain.com website and find maps of other important Spanish cities.

Thursday 16 July 2009

Hogueras de San Juan 2009 Alicante


Colorful photos from the best festival in Spain - Hogueras de San Juan !

This is the official festival of Alicante, declared as of International Tourist Interest. This year, again, we had numerous colorful figures which were all burnt at the end of the celebrations.

Hogueras de San Juan 2009 Alicante Spain

Click on the thumbnails in order to see these photos of Spain in a larger format.

Explanada Video

New video about Explanada promenade, with palm trees, small shops and a lot of restaurants and bars:

Alicante Explanada

Videos on Holidays in Alicante Spain

Friday 19 June 2009

Some more Alicante videos:

1. Alicante Harbor: Beautiful La Marina complex with yachts, boats and numerous bars and restaurants. Close to Melia Alicante hotel and Explanada promenade.

2. Alicante Old Town - El Barrio: El Barrio is a large pedestrian zone with beautiful old buildings and a lot of excellent restaurants and bars. During the night, thousands of young people have fun on the streets, enjoying in clubs with good music.

http://www.holidays-in-alicante-spain.com/alicante-video.html

Monday 15 June 2009

New Alicante Video

Take a walk along Alicante harbor and enjoy nice images of boats, blue sky and the sea. Get in touch with the Mediterranean. Alicante, the city of light, is a favourite holiday destination on Costa Blanca, Spain.


Youtube video:

Alicante Harbor - Holidays in Alicante Spain

Thursday 28 May 2009

New Article Directory - Alicante Guide

Alicante Spain Articles is a new comprehensive directory featuring numerous articles about Alicante and Costa Blanca on the Mediterranean part of Spain. It contains useful tips and interesting opinions which could help all the travelers plan better their vacations. The topics covered are: things to do, car rentals, transportation, sightseeing, accommodation etc.

You are invited to submit your original articles. Publishing on-line articles you can obtain various benefits, such as targeted traffic, new customers and better site ratings.

If accepted, your article will be published in a corresponding category. You are allowed to place one link towards your website in the signature (the section about you). Providing a reciprocal link towards our site (www.holidays-in-alicante-spain.com), you can add two more links within the body of your article.



SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE

Alicante Guide

http://www.holidays-in-alicante-spain.com/submit-article.html


Monday 25 May 2009

Top 10 Alicante - Summer 2009



Alicante – a vibrant city on the Mediterranean coast of Spain – is a favourite holiday destination of hundreds thousands of tourist each year. People from all over the world come to Alicante and Costa Blanca to relax, enjoy long sandy beaches and experience a true Spanish flavour and charm.
This summer season 2009 is going to be hot and lively. Alicante is prepared to offer you the best fun and great parties. Let’s take a look on the Top 10 things you can do in Alicante this summer to have an unforgettable holiday:
1. Go to the wonderful beaches and get in touch with the Mediterranean. The weather is excellent, the days are sunny and the endless sea compete with the bright blue sky. Alicante invites you to visit some of the best beaches in Spain. Postiguet beach, San Juan beach, Urbanova beach, ... just to name a few.

2. Nightlife in the Old Town. Alicante Old Town – called El Barrio – is the best place for having a good time during hot summer nights. Find your favourite bar, pub or night club! There are a lot of diverse places for parting and meeting with friends. Once the bars are closed (at 4 o’clock in the morning) don’t stop – continue parting in discos of La Marina complex.

3. Climb up Alicante castles. Alicante castles are fabulous symbols of its millennium past. Placed on M¬ount Benacantil (castle of Santa Barbara) and Tossal hill (castle of San Fernando), they offer you breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside. Take your camera with you and make hundreds of great photos!


4. Visit Archaeology Museum of Alicante – MARQ. Discover Alicante archaeological treasures and visit new fascinating exhibitions. This year, from the 2nd of April to the 13th of October 2009, you can enjoy ancient aesthetics and The Beauty of the Body (La Belleza del Cuerpo). This exhibition of masterpieces of Greek art is done in collaboration with the British Museum. The Discobolus of Myron will spend his summer holidays in Alicante.


5. Las Hogueras de San Juan - St John's Bonfires festival. This is one of the best festivals in Spain, declared as of International Tourist Interest. It is organized from 20th to 24th of June as the official festival of Alicante. Numerous colorful figures made of paper and wood are placed all over the city and hundreds of thousands visitors from the whole world gather in Alicante to enjoy this fantastic party.
People make never-ending parades and carnivals during days and night. Streets are crowded with music stages, tables and open-air restaurants. The culmination is reached the final night, at midnight, when all the figures are burnt to the ground.

6. Alicante fireworks competition. At the end of St John's Bonfires festival, you can have several unforgettable nights more. Just go to the Postiguet beach at midnight (or a bit earlier to find a place) and watch spectacular firework competition. These are the best fireworks that I have seen in my life. Your imagination will be surprised by a variety of forms and colours.

7. Alicante Jazz Festival. The 12th Alicante International Jazz Festival is organized from the 22nd to 26th of July 2009. There will be concerts of five well-known jazz ensembles: Roy Haynes Trio, The Manhattan Transfer, Al Di Meola World Sinfonia, Carla Bley Big Band and Spyro Gyra.

8. Alicante Film Festival. The 6th International Alicante Film Festival is organized from 1st to 6th of June 2009. The events and movie projections take place in the Alicante Theatre, several Alicante cinemas and in Ciudad de la Luz (the complex of the most modern film studios in Europe).

9. Visit Medieval Market. Related to the Bonfires festival, Alicante Medieval Market is organized during the last week of June in the Old Town. You can travel into the past, listen to old street music, buy traditional products, eat tasty and exotic food or visit gypsy witch with fortune telling cards.


10. La Corrida – bullfighting. During St John's Bonfires, you can also experience something typically Spanish - the bullfighting. La Feria Taurina 2009 is organized from 17th to 28th of June. There are 7 Corridas de Toros and 4 additional fights with novilleros and picadores.


Whichever type of holiday you choose, you can spend it in Alicante. This marvelous city can meet all your needs and wishes.

Top 10 Alicante - Summer 2009

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Alicante postcards e-zine

If you want to stay in touch with the summer magic of the Mediterranean and sunny Alicante or if you just want to learn more about attractive tourist destinations in Alicante Costa Blanca, please subscribe to our colorful monthly e-zine Alicante postcards.


Alicante Postcards


Download the FREE issue now !

Alicante Postcards, Vol. 1, Issue No.1

Sunday 17 May 2009

Alicante airport – the gate of the Mediterranean


Each year, several millions of travelers come to Spain and Costa Blanca through Alicante Airport. Despite its small size, it is one of the most busy airports in Spain. For many travelers, it is the starting point of their vacation on the Mediterranean. Alicante airport is well connected with many cities of Europe. Around 80% of all the visitors are from UK, Germany, France, Holland and other European countries. In addition, it is indirectly linked with the rest of the world by local flights from Madrid or Barcelona.

The airport is located quite close to Alicante – just about 10 kilometres (6 miles) away from the city center. You can find it between places of Torrellano and Urbanova, close to the city of Elche, following the roads A-79, N-338 and N-332.


The airport halls are spacious, with a lot of light, having large entrance doors. They are organized in three levels. The arrival hall is in the lowest level, with a coffee shop, offices of several travel agencies and a Police station. Around the arrival gate you can also find offices of Alicante car hire agencies. There are 6 of them on the side of the coffee shop: Solmar, Goldcar rental, Europcar, Auriga crown, Record and Avis. Another 4 are situated closer to the exit: Sixt, Hertz, National-Atesa and Centauro.

The check-in area is situated on the middle level (the first floor). It has two parts. In the first hall (above the arrival gate), there are 38 regular check-in posts of terminal T-1 (numbered from 1 to 38) and one post for bulky luggage (number 39). Passing by the last post and walking further through a corridor you enter the hall of terminal T-2. There are additional check-in posts, numbered from 51 to 64. The departure area is situated on the second floor (upper level), with a standard shopping and restaurant zone.

Close to the stairs and the elevator, connecting all three levels, you can find the Information desk, as well as offices of several airline companies: Iberia, Flybe, Monarch, Air Europa, Spanair, Jet2, Air Algerie and Airberlin. You can also have a snack in a self-service coffee bar La Marina. The offices of other agencies (such as Alicante air service, Thomas Cook, Air Finland, ServisAir, Thomson Tui, Travelplan, Aga airlines, Easy Jet and Menzines Aviation) are situated near the corridor connecting halls of two terminals.


In front of the airport building, you can find a large car park. Currently, new additions are also under construction. Once the new Terminal 2 is finished, the airport will provide a large parking area for more than 6000 vehicles. The new terminal, which should be finished during 2009/2010, is added as a solution to an increasing number of flights. Some of the airlines (such as Ryanair and EasyJet) are already operating from the new terminal.

The staff of the airport is highly professional, friendly and always ready to help. Most of them do speak English. The airport is organized well – I personally never had any bad experience. My luggage always arrived; it was never lost nor damaged. However, if it happens that your luggage is missing, just follow the standard procedure. Fill in the form and let the airport staff help you. In the worst case, you will get a survival package for your basic daily needs. In the most cases, the lost luggage is found within 24 hours.


When planing your flights to Alicante, check them on time and book them early. Visit the websites of travel agencies in order to find possible bargains. One of them is AENA - Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea . It offers the complete information about scheduled flights from and to Alicante, available in both Spanish and English languages.

Alicante Beaches – the Summer Paradise of the Mediterranean


Fascinating beaches and blue sky


With many kilometers of fascinating beaches and blue sky all year round, Alicante is the perfect place for getting in touch with the Mediterranean. Each year, several hundreds thousands tourists visit our city of light, attracted by its true Spanish flavour and numerous vacation opportunities. Its beaches are simply stunning. Whether you prefer sand or rocks, Alicante does have interesting places to offer.

Staying in one of the hotels in the city center, you are on a walking distance both from the Old Town and the beach. Just pick up your towel and quickly walk downstairs – the central Postiguet Alicante beach is in front of your doorstep. One minute of walk from the City Hall and just few meters from Hotel Meliá, it is found at the base of Benacantil hill guarded by the impressive Castle of Saint Barbara. Here you can enjoy the sun, taking a coffee or an ice-cream in a relaxed atmosphere. There are also a lot of playgrounds for children, terrains for beach-volleyball and even open-air fitness facilities for seniors. From time to time, there are open-air happenings, such as music concerts. The most impressive one, of course, is four-nights long fireworks competition. It takes place at the end of Hogueras de San Juan - a colorful summer festival.


Another beach is one of the finest and most beautiful beaches of Costa Blanca and the whole Spain. Its name is la Playa de San Juan. Year after year, it is awarded the Blue Flag, confirming its high status. It is more than 7 kilometers long and 80 meters wide, attracting a lot of sun seekers. You should definitely take a walk along this summer paradise. While the waves are gently touching your feet, you can feel its immense dimensions. Arriving to San Juan beach is easy. Just take a bus (numbers 21 and 22) or a tram that goes from the Postiguet beach to Campello.

On the way towards the long beach of San Juan, you can find a small beach of Albufereta. It is a bit hidden and surrounded by residential areas. For that reason, this Alicante beach is usually more quiet. Nevertheless, during the summer season it offers all necessary services. Previously, Albufereta served as the harbor of the Roman place Lucentum. In the western end of the beach you can see the remains of the old docks. Behind the beach, at the top of the hill, you can discover the ruins of the ancient town.

In the south part of Alicante coast, several kilometers away from the city and close to the Alicante airport, you can find an extraordinary sand beach of Urbanova. This one is my favorite! It is perhaps even longer than the beach of San Juan. From this beach you can enjoy impressive views towards Alicante harbor and the castle of Santa Barbara. Situated between two residential areas (the suburbs of Urbanova and Arenales del Sol), this beach does not attract large crowds. You can really relax there, far away from the noisy city center. A large part of the beach between the suburbs is a nudist one, offering you a lot of free space and the true hot atmosphere of Costa Blanca.

Finally, if you are looking for something really unique, the rocky beach of Cabo de las Huertas is your choice. Situated between Albufereta and San Juan, it forms a part of very peaceful residential area with beautiful holiday villas and the lighthouse. Here you can feel the wildness of untouched nature. But be careful when walking or jumping into the water! There are a lot of rocks! No sand here! What could you do on this fascinating rocky beach? Here you have almost the absolute freedom. Large part of this beach is a nudist one. You can swim, take a walk, enjoy the sun and find a quiet isolated place just for you and your partner. Or, perhaps, you simply want to explore the nature or ride a mountain-bike.

Have a good time during your holidays in Alicante.

Alicante parks - relax under the palm trees


Looking for a shade in a dry landscape

Most of tourist that come to Alicante go straight to the beach. No wonder! Long sandy beaches around Alicante are the best places to enjoy the sunshine and the Mediterranean.

However, if sometimes you want to escape from the hot sand in the midday, you can find your shade in numerous Alicante parks. Despite its warm climate and a dry landscape, there are large green areas in the city. They are favourite places for local people to gather, play with their children, walk with their dogs or simply read newspapers or enjoy the conversation. You will notice such an atmosphere while walking along our fantastic Explanada de España promenade. It is situated close to the Alicante harbor, having several rows of palm trees separating its pathways and forming a good shade. In the continuation of Explanada, you will find Canalejas Park - the oldest one in the city. At its entrances, you will see two pairs of interesting sculptures guarding the park. One is of dogs and another of lions. Inside this old park you can find several pretty sculptures and fountains and relax in the shade of giant old trees. However, you can have the greatest fun in Canalejas Park at the end of February. A lot of young people gather to celebrate the end of the Carnival and make a colorful party during the night.

At the southern exit of Alicante, you can find El Palmeral. This amazing park is situated between Alicante harbor and Urbanova beach; usually reached by car (well, I go there by bike). It has hundreds of palm trees and other exotic plants, impressive waterfalls, boating ponds and wooden bridges. El Palmeral is a favorite picnic area where a lot of families enjoy a delightful atmosphere and numerous playground facilities for children. During the summer, there are regular family events like marionettes performances, presented in its auditorium.

Other sightseeing highlights are Alicante castles, which you simply can not avoid. These fabulous cultural monuments are the Castle of Saint Barbara (Santa Barbara) and the Castle of San Fernando. Both of them are surrounded by wonderful parks, which stand in a harmonic relation with the surrounding nature. Climbing up the Castle of Santa Barbara, you will pass a a picturesque suburb Barrio de Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) and enter a beautiful Ereta Park. The park gradually climbs up to the fort, offering you stunning views over the city and its harbor. Here you can make a lot of great photos for your collection!

Have a good time and enjoy your holidays in Alicante।

Discover Alicante



Alicante - the charm of Spain

Alicante is an ancient port on the Spanish coast. In the past, it was city of Iberians and Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Later on, it became an important strategic point, facing Arab conquest and the Spanish Reconquista.

Today, Alicante is one of the most vibrant touristic places in Spain. Situated between kilometres long sandy beaches and rocky hills, Alicante attracts several hundreds thousands tourists each year. It offers a true Spanish flavour, modern lifestyle combined with rich historical heritage and friendly atmosphere. Here, you can enjoy excellent weather all year round, stunning beaches, wonderful seafront promenades and a lot cultural events. You can visit rich museums, impressive castles, theatres and medieval churches.

However, the first thing you will notice is that Alicante is full of diverse bars, pubs and restaurants. In almost every street, there is a place to have a snack or take a coffee. Most of Alicante restaurants offer you delicious Mediterranean dishes in a typical Spanish atmosphere. There is a variety of traditional seafood, the famous Spanish jam, tasty potato tortillas or celebrated paella alicantina. And, of course, the excellent Spanish wine! Very often, I prefer to go to Chinese restaurants, that are relatively cheap and offer tasty menus. Other people from Alicante agree with my choice - sometimes there is a queue on the street in front of favourite Chinese restaurants; so many people wait to get a table in the evening. Other recommended international restaurant chains are Subway (there is one in Explanada promenade) and Fresh&Co (offering good vegetarian menus).

Whenever you decide to visit our city - in summer or in winter - you will always have a great time in Alicante !