Alicante is a bustling, thriving city, being one of the fastest-growing of all Spanish cities. It is popular with tourists and is a gateway for air travel (the airport is about 10 km from the city, and is in fact El Altet airport). Alicante Airport serves major cities within Spain, and many destinations outside of the country, particularly in the UK. There is also a good rail service taking trains across Spain to many other parts of the country, including Madrid. Although the sea port once went into decline it is used by cruise ships from around the world and is a popular stopping off place for cruise liner passengers.
Alicante on the Costa Blanca is renowned for its beautiful boulevard and pleasant shopping street.
It has a castle which is right on the coast overlooking the port. It was built in 3 stages about which there is quite a lot of information supplied inside the walls, and after a slow walk up there is a small café at the top, with a lovely view over the Mediterranean.
View from Alicante Castle
Thousands of students live in and around the city, as there is a very large university located close to its centre, appropriately named The University of Alicante