Spain’s Best Kept Travel Secrets
Tourist destinationsMillions of visitors come to Spain annually because of its vibrant culture, fascinating past, and amazing scenery. Still, the real spirit of Spain is found…
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Alicante is a prominent city located on the southeastern coast of Spain, serving as the capital of the Alicante province and the second-largest city within the Valencian Community. With a population of 337,482 as of 2020, this ancient Mediterranean port city has become a major metropolitan center combining modern development with a rich cultural legacy. On the Costa Blanca, Alicante boasts a strategic location on the Iberian Peninsula that has historically defined its growth and now affects its importance as an economic and cultural hub in the area.
The city’s topography is mostly flat but with notable orographic characteristics mixed in. The geography of Alicante gains natural beauty and historical value from the elevation of the Cabo de la Huerta, Serra Grossa, Tosal, and Benacantil hills, therefore enhancing the urban environment. The Castle of Santa Bárbara, a fortification that has traditionally watched over the city and best illustrates Alicante’s strategic importance, distinguishes Mount Benacantil.
Alicante’s moderate winters and warm, dry summers define the Mediterranean kind of climate. The city’s rise as a well-known travel destination can be mostly attributed to the good weather. The territory’s dry features provide difficulties, particularly with relation to water supplies. Historically, the lack of permanent water sources inside the city limits affected urban design and growth. Drained in 1928, the swamp area known as l’Albufereta—which lies northeast of the municipality—markedly changed the local ecosystem and terrain.
Two mainland exclaves in Alicante municipality help to explain its geographical variety outside the city center. Together with the Cabeçó d’Or exclave, which spans a section of the mountain rising to 1,209 meters above sea level, the Monnegre exclave—which falls among the municipalities of San Vicente del Raspeig, Mutxamel, Busot, and Jijona—showcases the varied topography within Alicante’s territory. Included under the municipality’s authority, the little island of Tabarca—which is 8 nautical miles south of the city in the Mediterranean Sea—increases Alicante’s territorial extent.
As seen by its contribution to national geodesy, Alicante’s significance goes beyond municipal boundaries. The reference point (cota cero) for figuring elevations relative to sea level across Spain is the foundation of the main stairway of the City Hall Building. The minimum tidal fluctuations of the Mediterranean Sea in Alicante define the designation as the ideal reference point for topographical studies in the nation.
Alicante’s business scene has changed somewhat over time. Driven mostly by tourism and a booming building industry, the city experienced a spell of notable expansion before the Great Recession. Millions of people visit the Costa Blanca every year attracted by its untouched beaches and mild temperature. Initiated in the 1960s and revived in the late 1990s, the building boom on second homes fundamentally changed urban and coastal areas. This period of expansion was controversial since it raised major environmental issues and made national and European Union authorities examine the way the city developed.
Alicante has diversified its economy in recent years and given public administration and services increasing importance. Especially as the headquarters for the European Union Intellectual Property Office, the city has been known as a center for global industry and government. Many European public employees have been drawn by this classification, therefore strengthening the cosmopolitan character of the city and extending its economic base internationally.
Alicante’s character is in great part shaped by research and education. Comprising San Vicente del Raspeig, the University of Alicante has grown to serve around 25,000 students. Attracting students and researchers from Spain and beyond, this institution supports the local economy and helps the city to be known as a hub of creativity and learning.
Alicante’s infrastructure is changing to suit its growing population’s needs as well as those of its businesses. With more passenger traffic than Valencia Airport, Alicante Airport has become among Spain’s busiest airports. Alicante is now a major transportation center for the area due to its links to big European cities and regular flights to domestic destinations including Madrid and Barcelona.
The city’s varied and historically rich cultural scene highlights many different influences. Rising on Mount Benacantil, the Castle of Santa Bárbara is clear evidence of Alicante’s historical value. The oldest part of the castle, La Torreta, offers broad views of the Mediterranean and the city. The lower parts and walls’ expansions from the 18th century show the fortitude’s ongoing importance across ages.
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