Alicante in a Day: Heritage, Art, Beach, and Fine Dining in the Spanish Gastronomy Capital 2025

Upon stretching my legs after the pleasant journey to the city of Alicante, I forget how stiff my body feels because of the sights around me. The salty air transports me to summer despite wearing a jacket and scarf, and the soft, warm winter sun couldn't be more pleasant. The streets, picturesque and lively, are filled with people strolling to and fro. And in the background, the sea. What envy! Having the sea just steps away from home, every day, not just during summer holidays.

Jorge and I have come to spend the day. And if we like it, we might book a room in any hotel and stay overnight. We come from Madrid, of course, wrapped in two good down coats. Here, such heavy clothing isn't necessary, so we swap them for slightly lighter jackets and set off. We've decided to come for several reasons: one of them is that Alicante has been chosen as the Spanish Gastronomy Capital 2025. We are eager to discover its typical dishes, but all in good time, as it's still nine in the morning.

We start the day with breakfast on a lovely terrace located right in front of the mosaics of the Explanada de España. A warm café con leche and one of those butter-laden croissants. A delight. As we savour it, I notice how beautiful the promenade is, with its undulating pavement mimicking the Mediterranean waves. We finish our coffees and stroll along the esplanade. Around seven million marble tiles form it. It reminds me of the famous Rossio square in Lisbon.

We let ourselves be enveloped by the morning calm and the views of the harbour, a marvel. It's still early. Seagulls fly over the complex and the beach. We begin the ascent to the Santa Bárbara Castle. It's a pleasant and not too tiring walk. I admit I'm quite impressionable, but I'm not lying when I say my skin tingles at the sight from the top. They are simply spectacular. Jorge loves them too: the Mediterranean stretches out to the horizon, and Alicante seems to tell us its story from above. A history of over twelve centuries.

We stroll leisurely along the defensive walls dating from the 9th to the 18th centuries. We admire the towers, bastions, and moat, and read the explanatory panels carefully. We ascend to the highest point, the Torre del Homenaje, and observe the Postiguet beach from above. We enter the castle and visit an exhibition about its long history. Some spaces are set with old furniture and decoration, so we are transported back in time, surrounded by armour, paintings, and historical pieces of the building.

We descend from the castle and head to the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, with its colourful and picturesque houses, its balconies full of flowers. We ask for several photos to be taken, as the light illuminating this neighbourhood is among the most flattering I've had the privilege to see. It's already noon, so we sit on a terrace in the sun (what a pleasure, the sun!) and order two ice-cold beers that we drink eagerly.

After the well-deserved rest, we stroll through the historic centre to the MACA, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Alicante. The building seems beautiful to me. It was built in the 17th century as a grain depot, and today it hosts a lot of interesting exhibitions.

We visit the one by Juana Francés, an artist Jorge loves. In fact, one of the reasons we've come to Alicante is that. Jorge found out that the MACA houses an exhibition that delves into the artist's origins, from her symbolist stage to her transition to abstract art. I highly recommend you visit it. It's wonderful!

We also contemplate its permanent exhibition, consisting of nearly two hundred works including paintings, sculptures, and drawings by some of the most important artists of the last century. Once the spirit is fed, it's time to feed the body. Our stomachs growl, and we can't stop thinking about the authentic and varied gastronomy that the city of Alicante offers.

We've anticipated events and booked a table at Racó del Pla, one of those lifelong restaurants, with a traditional menu composed of purely Alicante dishes. Just what we were craving. We order a good Alicante wine with Denomination of Origin to drink and, for food, a traditional Alicante rice with beef shank, a rustic and hearty dish composed of beef shank, chickpeas, black pudding, chorizo, and garlic. A delight!

After the feast, we feel like taking a leisurely stroll along the beach, so we head down to the Playa del Postiguet, take off our shoes, and walk along the shore under a sun that still warms. You can't imagine how wonderful it is to contrast being in the hustle and bustle of the city and, just a minute later, with bare feet on the peaceful Alicante beach. We watch the sunset painted in orange and pink hues. We're still full from the rice with beef shank (we've eaten for three days), but our desire to delve deeper into Alicante's gastronomy leads us to head to the Barrio area as night falls. Beautiful houses with blue colours stamped everywhere pile up uphill, side by side, giving the place an incomparable charm.

We venture into the Tasca del Barrio, a charming tapas and wine bar where you can enjoy good raw materials and Mediterranean cuisine. A few tapas later and a bottle of Alicante wine in between, we leave there (almost rolling) and decide that our visit to Alicante shouldn't end yet. Excited at the prospect of staying another day, we book a hotel in the area with the joy of knowing that tomorrow we will also enjoy the wonderful city of Alicante.