Introduction |  |
Once the provincial landing pad for the nearby resort of Benidorm, Alicante is working hard to assert itself as the cultural capital of the Costa Blanca – and succeeding. In less than a decade the city has transformed itself from a rundown port into an elegant city with wide boulevards, clean beaches, a sparkling new harbour complex and some world-class museums. All this reinvention makes for a startlingly ugly ride from the airport, but the cranes and cement mixers eventually fall away to reveal an old quarter buzzing year round with shops, bars and restaurants.
Start a stroll through Alicante at the Explanada de España, one of the most beautiful waterfront promenades in Spain, with shady palms and plenty of cafés. Towards the Plaza Puerta del Mar, the Explanada skirts the edge of the old quarter, known as ‘el barrio’. This atmospheric district centres around the town hall on the arcaded Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Spreading uphill, the tiny neighbourhood of Santa Cruz is a charming pocket of whitewashed houses and geraniums seemingly transported from Seville.
At the end of the Explanada there’s a spit of four-star hotels, smart restaurants and late-night bars and, beyond that, the Playa del Postiguet, a long beach of fine white sand. Looking directly up the cliffs at Mount Benacantil, you’ll see the city’s landmark perched on top: the fairytale Castillo de Santa Bárbara (965 263 131). Built by the Moors and destroyed many times over, the castle walls, dungeons and turrets are a grab bag of architectural styles from Gothic to Renaissance, with a thoroughly modern lift to beam passengers up to the castle from the beach. The Capa collection of 700 contemporary Spanish sculptures (closed Mon) is spread between the castle museum and gardens.
Other cultural riches include the renovated Museo de la Asegurada (Plaza de Santa María 3, 965 140 768, closed Mon), with one of Spain’s key modern art collections, including works by Kandinsky, Picasso and Bacon. Directly opposite and also freshly revamped is the baroque Santa María church (Plaza de Santa María, 965 216 260), with its jaw-dropping high altar in high rococo style. A few streets away, the Gravina Fine Arts Museum (C/Gravina 13-15, 965 146 780, closed Mon), known as MUBAG, is devoted to regional artists from the 16th to the mid 20th centuries, along with a collection of religious objects and escritoires.
Best of all, though, is the MARQ archaeology museum (Plaza del Doctor Gómez Ulla s/n, 965 149 000, www.marqalicante.com, closed Mon). The high-tech interactive exhibits and displays of artefacts from prehistoric times through to the 15th century clinched it the title ‘European Museum of 2004’.
• Tourist information: Rambla Méndez Nuñez 23 (965 200 000, www.comunitatvalenciana.com).
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