GUIDED TOUR ALICANTE HIGHLIGHTS

Our Guided tour Alicante Highlights is a private tour with an official tourist guide to the most interesting neighborhoods and monuments of the city of Alicante. Let learn about the history, culture, traditions, festivals and gastronomy of the second largest city in the Valencian Community and the capital of Costa Blanca. Alicante is a port city historically very linked to the Mediterranean Sea. Greeks, Iberians, Romans, Muslims and finally, after the Reconquest, Christians left here their marks. Let visit together the most emblematic places and monuments of Alicante: the Castle of Saint Barbara, the Carbonell House, the Esplanade of Spain and the Monastery of the Holy Face. Let speak about the main festivals of Alicante such as the Bonfires of Saint John and the Pilgrimage of the Holy Face. And of course, let taste the local cuisine with its special rice dishes, fresh seafood and fish accompanied by local red or white wines with DO Alicante.

Guided tour Alicante Highlights is an excursion to the city of sun, light, happiness, culture and Mediterranean passion. During this tour we are going to visit the following sites and monuments of Alicante:

• Saint Barbara Castle – is the most important historical monument of Alicante and its most representative image. The castle is located on the top of the Mount Benacantil which is 167 meters high arising in the middle of the city just in front of the harbor of Alicante. Several terraces and view points are offering spectacular views of the city’s neighborhoods, the Mediterranean Sea and the coastal area. The castle was built in the times of Islamic domination, although after the Christian reconquest carried out in 1248 by Alfonso X of Castile it was expanded and improved several times. We will walk through the different parts of the Castle that correspond to these different historical periods. The highest point is the oldest and was built between 11th and 12th centuries. The intermediate part of the Castle corresponds to the 16th century. The lower parts of the Castle are more modern and were added in 18th century.
• The Esplanade of Spain – is the second most representative stamp of Alicante. This seafront is one of the most famous in Spain. It acquired the current appearance in the 50s of 20th century. We will walk along the Esplanade located just few meters from the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by four rows of date palm trees. Let enjoy beautiful views with peculiar buildings and the innumerable terraces. The Esplanade is well known because of its mosaic floor formed by more than 6 million marble tiles in blue, white and red colors that imitate the waves of Mediterranean Sea.
• The Carbonell House – is the most famous modernist building in Alicante. It is located just in front of the port of Alicante and at the beginning of the Esplanade of Spain. It was built in the early 20th century on the grounds of the city’s old market. It is easily recognizable for its facade topped by several turrets and domes. In the past it was owned by the businessman from Alcoy town Enrique Carbonell whose surname given the name to the building. The Carbonell House is reflection of the commercial power reached by Alicante bourgeoisie in the 20s of 20th century.
• Alicante Town Hall – it is one of the most elegant baroque palaces in Valencian Community. The current House of the City was built throughout the 18th century. In its hallway we will find a sculpture made by Salvador Dali and several works of the local painter Gaston Castello. When possible we will visit the upper rooms where the assembly hall and the chapel are located. Curious fact is that the first step of the City Hall’s main stair is officially “ground zero” of the sea level in Spain.
• Co-Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Bari – is one of the most important Renaissance temples in Valencian Community dedicated to the saint patron of Alicante – Saint Nicholas of Bari. The interior of the temple stands out for its brightness and spaciousness, as well as for particular design of the side chapels. Let enjoy the Chapel of Communion with its rich baroque decoration. Inside of the temple we will see the copy of the image of Holy Face, as well as the image of the saint patroness of Alicante – the Virgin of Remedio.
• Maisonnave Palace – this medieval palace nowadays is the Municipal Archive of Alicante which holds historical documents that explain the history of the city from the 13th century to the present days.
• Main Theater – is an impressive neoclassical building built in the 19th century to respond the needs of leisure and culture of Alicante bourgeoisie. The building had several reforms throughout the 20th century, the main one was related to the Spanish Civil War when a bomb fell directly to the stage of the theater.
• Central Market – is one of the most unique and important buildings of Alicante designed in art nouveau architectural style. It was built in the beginning of the 20th century with iron and brick structure decorated by ceramic elements in so-called trencadis style. It is the best example of Mediterranean traditional market with wide range of fresh products from the sea and the countryside.
• Museum of the Bonfires of Saint John – this museum is dedicated to the biggest festival in Alicante – the Bonfires of Saint John. The most striking and interesting part of the museum are the so-called bonfires (or fogueres in Valencian language) which are ephemeral monuments made from different materials with the purpose to satirize and/or evoke important historical contexts or characters of Alicante society. The monuments we can see in this museum have been saved from the fire of the night of Saint John by popular vote.
• Basilica of Saint Mary is the oldest temple in Alicante. The church was built in the place occupied before by the great mosque and stands out for its mix of Gothic architecture and Baroque decoration of the main facade.
• Monastery of the Holy Face which is located about 7 kilometers from the center of Alicante and guards one of the most important Christian relics – The Image of the Holy Face of Alicante. According to the Christian tradition, it is the cloth that Saint Veronica used to clean the face of Jesus Christ on his way to the Calvary. The impression of Jesus face would have remained on the canvas. This important relic has been in Alicante since the 15th century. Many different miracles have been attributed to it since then. Inside the Monastery we will visit the dedicated chapel, where the revered canvas is exposed inside a reliquary.
• MARQ or Archaeological Museum of Alicante which is located inside of the building of the old hospital San Juan de Dios. The museum was inaugurated in the year 2000 and in 2004 it was recognized as the European Museum of the Year. It stands out for its innovative and modern approach to the history of Alicante through audiovisuals, light and sound effects. It exhibits different pieces from the Prehistoric Age, Iberian culture, Roman times, the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. It also has themed rooms dedicated to underwater archeology, urban and field archeology.
• The Bullring of Alicante – is one of the oldest and largest bullrings in Valencian Community. It was built in the 19th century and still continues offering bullfight spectacles, as well as different cultural, social and sporting events.

We recommend to complete our Guided tour Alicante Highlights with lunch in one of the local restaurants. Alicante cuisine is famous for its wide variety of rice dishes, fresh seafood and fish, as well as for local DO Alicante red and white wines.

Our Guided tour Alicante Highlights is a private tour which is perfect for individual tourists, families, friends, cruise passengers, organized groups and MICE.

Languages: English, Español, Русский, Italiano, Polski, Deutsch, Français, Nederlands, Português.

Availability: 365 days a year, any day from Monday to Sunday. However, you should keep in mind that on certain dates (national and local holidays, manifestations, restrictions, etc.) some or even all sights or monuments may be closed to visitors. Therefore, it is always better to check with us the availability of this guided tour before booking it for a specific date.

Duration: 2, 4, 6, 8 or more hours.

Starting time: Suggested starting time in the morning is 09:00 or 10:00. This is private tour, so we can arrange the meeting time at any moment of the day, evening or even in the night.

For our private Guided tour Alicante Highlights we need the transportation to be able to move to Alicante starting from Valencia, Benidorm, Calpe, Gandia or any other place located at Costa Blanca or Costa de Valencia. Also we need the transport to move between different parts of the city of Alicante.

On the other hand it is possible to do only walking tour of Alicante. But this option is available only if you are allocated in the hotel inside of Alicante historical center. In this case Alicante walking tour will be focused only in historical city center.

If you have your own transport we can use it for the tour. If not, we can organize a private transport for you: car, minivan, coach, accessible vehicle, limousine or even a classic car. For the groups and MICE clients we can organize a private VIP coach service for the whole duration of the tour. Please check below our Transport Section for the different available options. If you need adapted transport please check our section of Accessible Vehicles for several available options.

The itinerary of our Guided tour Alicante Highlights depends on the booked duration, your personal preferences and starting place. This is private tour, so we can completely readjust the itinerary to any available possibility.

We can start this tour from Valencia, Alicante, Benidorm, Calpe, Javea, Denia and any other place located at the Costa Blanca or Costa de Valencia. Depending on the starting place, we suggest the following itineraries and durations:

• Guided tour from Valencia: 10 hours (with lunch). Transfer to Alicante = 2 hours. Visiting Alicante: Esplanade of Spain, Carbonell House, Town Hall, Co-cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Central Market, Main Theater, Saint Barbara Castle, Holy Face Monastery = 4 hours. Lunch = 2 hours. Transfer back to Valencia = 2 hours. Total 10 hours.
  Note: starting this tour from Valencia we suggest to extend it to 12 hours. In this case we can dedicate more time to historical part of Alicante.
• Guided tour from Benidorm: 8 hours (with lunch). Transfer to Alicante = 1 hour. Visiting Alicante: Esplanade of Spain, Carbonell House, Town Hall, Co-cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Central Market, Main Theater, Saint Barbara Castle, Holy Face Monastery = 4 hours. Lunch = 2 hours. Transfer back to Benidorm = 1 hour. Total 8 hours.
• Guided walking tour starting from Alicante: 2 hours (without lunch). Visiting Alicante: Esplanade of Spain, Carbonell House, Town Hall, Co-cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Central Market, Main Theater = 2 hours. Total 2 hours.
• Guided tour from Alicante: 4 hours (without lunch). Visiting Alicante: Esplanade of Spain, Carbonell House, Town Hall, Co-cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Central Market, Main Theater, Saint Barbara Castle = 4 hours. Total 4 hours.
• Guided tour from Alicante: 6 hours (without lunch). Visiting Alicante: Esplanade of Spain, Carbonell House, Town Hall, Saint Nicholas Co-cathedral, Saint Mary Basilica, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Central Market, Main Theater, Saint Barbara Castle, Holy Face Monastery = 6 hours. Total 6 hours.
• Guided tour from Alicante: 8 hours (with lunch). Visiting Alicante: Esplanade of Spain, Carbonell House, Town Hall, Saint Nicholas Co-cathedral, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Central Market, Main Theater, Saint Barbara Castle, Holy Face Monastery, MARQ = 6 hours. Lunch = 2 hours. Total 8 hours.

Paid entrance tickets: Depending on the day and time of the tour, the following monuments can be accessed for free or for a fee: Saint Barbara Castle, Town Hall, Saint Nicholas Co-cathedral, Bonfires of Saint John Museum, Saint Mary Basilica, MARQ (Archaeological Museum ) and Holy Face Monastery.

Important note: The order of the monuments we are going to visit may vary depending on factors such as: meeting point, opening hours, day of the week, holidays or special events that may take place in the city.

During our private Guided tour Alicante Highlights we can organize your lunch or dinner in one of the local restaurants. The cuisine of Alicante is famous for special rice dishes, fresh seafood and fish, as well for the local DO Alicante red and white wines. Also we can organize gastronomic tasting of local products: wines, craft beers, cheese, ham, sausages and sweets.

All restaurants we are working with were carefully selected by our Discovering Valencia team. So, if the lunch or dinner is an important part of the tour for you, please indicate us your requirements and wishes and we will provide you the most advisable options for your particular needs. Foodie lovers – please check our specific section of Gastronomic Tours and Experiences in Valencia, Alicante and Castellon.

Price: Our Guided tour Alicante Highlights is private, so the price depends on many different factors as: duration of the tour, date, language, amount of people in the group, number of necessary guides, day or night hours, entrance tickets, transportation, gastronomic stops, lunch etc. To receive our quotation, please Contact Us indicating clearly your requirements and we will send you our detailed quotation as soon as possible.

Paid entrance tickets: This tour can be done visiting all monuments just from outside or visiting some of them inside. Recommended places to visit inside are: Co-cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Saint Mary Basilica, Holy Face Monastery, Bonfires of Saint John Museum and Archeological Museum. For individual tourists you can decide it directly at the moment of doing the tour. For the groups of 6 people or more is necessary to arrange entrance tickets in advance.

Booking: this is private tour, so booking is necessary in advance. You can do it preferably by email info@discovering-valencia.com or by WhatsApp +34 687 025 082 / +34 607 360 343 / +34 663 419 931. Once you booked the tour, please recheck our confirmation and conditions of payment.

Please don’t forget to bring your surgical or hygienic face mask and antibacterial-antiseptic hand gel. Our guides are always using their own masks and gel. Please keep in mind we are not providing masks or gel to our customers. Our company Discovering Valencia Guided Tours and Activities is certified by the all Spain State Secretariat of Tourism as Responsible Tourism Company. This certification means we are strictly following the Guidelines on Measures to Reduce the Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus in the Tourism Sector.

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