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© Data Spain Maps
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| Alicante |
Alicante City, the capital
of the Alicante province, is at the heart of
the region of Alicante. This thriving cosmopolitan
city has three thousand years of history behind
it but has entered the 21st century as a leading
centre of commerce, culture and tourism. The
port of Alicante straddles the coast with the
magnificent backdrop of the Benacantil
mountains. Alicante has a very mild climate
with winter temperatures averaging 16-17°
C. It boasts a wealth of beaches including an
open beach of 7 kilometres, a secluded beach
protected by a headland, an urban beach that
is located next to the port and one south of
the city in Agua Amarga. Alicante’s
impressive seafront promenade is the palm-fringed
Paseo de la Explanada, lined with street cafes
and inlaid with red, cream and black marble.
Alicante’s night life is concentrated
around the old city centre known as El
Barrio.
Daily markets are held at Paseo Gadia which
are especially good for jewellery, leather goods
and cheap watches. The market comes to life
in the evening.
On Thursdays and Saturdays, a street market
selling goods ranging from fruit and vegetables
to clothes is held.
Alicante has numerous shops and shopping centres.
Al Altet airport is 10km south of the city centre.
There are 4 golf courses within easy reach of
Alicante, Alicante Golf Club and El Plantio
Golf Club are less than 10km from the city centre. |
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Los Arenales del Sol
8km South of Alicante city, the resort of Los
Arenales boasts gorgeous sandy beaches,
clear water and is an ideal place to relax in
the sun.
There are numerous bars, restaurants, shops, gift
stores and apartments to rent.
Los Arenales is ideally located just a couple
of kilometres from the airport.
El Plantio golf club is 5km away. Just north
of Alicante is Albufereta,
a developed area on the coast with numerous
shops and cafes and, of course, plenty of sand.
Albufereta Playa is a concealed
beach and watersports are popular in the area. |
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Beyond Albufereta, San
Juan de Alicante boasts a 7km beach that
is often described as one of the best in Spain.
Accordingly, the tourist industry here is thriving,
bars, hotels and restaurants dominate the seafront
and a there is a golf course nearby, should anyone
need a break from relaxing on the sand. There
are three small coves that aren’t easy to
get to and have therefore been designated as naturists
beaches. The town itself is worthy of interest.
It has a seventeenth century parish church and
three hermitages. Nearby is the Santa Faz monastery.
A street market is held at San Juan on Saturdays.
It is 15km to Al Altet airport.
Alicante Golf Club is adjacent to San Juan. Further
up the coast, the resort of El Campello
is the main resort at the northern edge of Alicante
city. The centre of the old town is located
2km from the coast on a small hill whilst the
main tourist area is built around the former
fishing district. El Campello is a large tourist
area with plenty of amenities, including El
Campello yacht club.
The town has a supermarket, shops, bars, restaurants,
estate agents, banks and childrens play area.
A street market is held on Wednesdays in the
town.
El Campello is 13km from Alicante city, easily
accessible via main roads.
Bonalba Golf Club is a couple of minutes away. |
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| Inland: San
Vicente del Raspeig is a large industrial
town where the University of Alicante is situated.
Approximately 30 000 students attend the college
and consequently the town is home to a number
of foreign residents although the majority of
the population is Spanish. San Vicente
is a modern city, much of the residential development
has occurred over the last fifty years in tandem
with industrial expansion.
San Vicente’s street market is held on
Saturdays.
San Vicente is on the outskirts of Alicante
city, part of the same conurbation.
Alicante Golf Club, Bonalba Golf Club and El
Plantio Golf Club are all in the vicinity. |
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A couple of kilometres from
San Vicente is the village of Mutxmatel
with a population 12000. It used to be a summer
resort for the residents of Alicante and is an
interesting village, surrounded by canals and
irrigation tunnels. The parish church has a 14th
century gothic tower.
There is an aerodrome at Mutxmatel, a private
airfield open to all general aviation.
Alicante city is 7km away
Alicante and Bonalba Golf Club are less than 10
minutes away. Further up the coast, inland,
lies Buscot, a village nestled
on a hill that is crowned by the ruins of a
twelth century Moorish castle. Three kilometers
from Buscot are the Cuevas del Canalobre,
the highest domed caves in Spain. The massive
chamber is a popular tourist attraction, the
acoustics are so good that a stage has been
erected within the caves for concerts and folk
festivals. The caves are situated on the slopes
of the Cabezo d’Or –
the golden hill. There are several hiking routes
that can be taken from Buscot, where walkers
can enjoy unique views of the dry and jagged
landscape.
Buscot is a medium sized village with a population
of 1300
Buscot’s street market is held on Sundays.
Buscot is 5km from the coast and 10km from Alicante.
It is situated just off the main coastal roads.
Bonalba and Alicante Golf Clubs are a 10 minute
drive away.
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| 2km from Buscot
is the village of Aigües.
The name means “water” in Valencian
and there is a thermal spa in the district which
contains minerals with medicinal qualities where
children with tuberculosis used to be treated.
The council plans to turn Aigües into a thermal
resort complete with thermal baths. At the moment,
Aigües is a small village with a population
of 500. |
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Xixona (Jijona) is
the birthplace of Turron, a famous Spanish sweet
made with almonds and honey. There are numerous
roadside stalls where it is sold with pots of
honey and even a Turron museum where you can see
how it is produced. The mountains of the Fout
Roja national park can be seen from the town,
where there are beehives that were originally
used by the Moors to collect honey to make Turron.
7700 people live in Xixona.
Xixona is 25km from Alicante on the road that
leads to Alcoy.
The nearest golf course is at Bonalba, 18km away. |
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| Towns and villages |
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| Alicante City |
| Albufereta |
| Alcoy |
| El Campello |
| Elche |
| San Vicente |
| Los Arenales |
| Agost |
| Aigües |
| Biar |
| Busot |
| Mutxamel |
| San Vicente del Raspeig |
| San Juan de Alicante |
| Torremanzanas |
| Jijona |
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