Alicante Factfile -
Location: Marina Baixa district (Comarca), Alicante province, Comunidad de Valencia, Spain.
Population: 322,431 (2006 census).
Municipal Area: 201.27 km2
Alicante History: Alicante has a long and distinguished history stretching back some 7,000 years to when the first hunter gatherers arrived there from Central Europe between 5000BC and 3000BC. Some of the first settlements in the region were established on the slopes of Mount Benacantil which overlooks the modern city today. Greek and Phoenician traders has arrived by 1000BC and trade began with the native Iberians (early Spanish peoples). Both Alicante and Cartagena became the source of much conflict between the Carthaginians and the Romans as they fought for control of the region, in around 237BC the Carthaginian General Hamilcar Barca built a fortification on the same spot as the city stands today - he called it Akra Leuka (White Mountain). The Carthaginians were eventually defeated by the Romans in the Punic Wars and retained control of the entire Iberian Peninsular until the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century AD, the Romans called the city Lucentum. after being briefly under the control of the Visigoths, the city was taken by the Moors iduring the 8th Century and they remained until the Christian re-conquest during the 13th century. The Arabs gave the city its modern name which means "City of Lights" in Arabic. Alicante became a major trading port but fell into decline after the expulsion of remaining "moriscos" (Moors converted to Christianity) during the 17th Century, further decline occurred after the War of Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714) and the city did not fully recover until the end of the 19th Century. Alicante suffered again during and after the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) but recovered due to the increase in the tourism industry during the 1950's and 1960's. Alicante today is one of the fastest growing cities in Spain with an extremely profitable tourism industry.
Alicante Fiestas and Festivals: San Juan Bonfires (Las Hogueras de San Juan) in June, Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) in April, Semana Santa (Easter), Feast of San Pedro (June/July), Alicante International Contemporary Music Festival in September, International Puppet Festival (November/December), Christmas celebrations (December and January).
Economy: Tourism, light industry, agriculture.
Places of Interest: Santa Barbara Castle on Mount Benacantil, the largest fortified castle in Europe, the Paseo Maritimo promenade, the Iglesia de Santa Maria, which is the oldest church in Alicante and was built between the 14th and 16th centuries, The Cathedral de San Nicolas which was constructed between 1616 and 1662, The Monastery de la Santa Faz which is 5 kilometres from Alicante city centre and is now used as a convent for the order of St Clare, built in 1752, but with remains dating from 1582 in the form of a defence tower. There are also numerous museums one of the best being the Archaeology Museum which has many interesting artefacts from Alicante's past. Also worth a look is the bullring, originally built in 1849 it is one of the oldest in Spain.
Location: Marina Baixa district (Comarca), Alicante province, Comunidad de Valencia, Spain.
Population: 322,431 (2006 census).
Municipal Area: 201.27 km2
Alicante History: Alicante has a long and distinguished history stretching back some 7,000 years to when the first hunter gatherers arrived there from Central Europe between 5000BC and 3000BC. Some of the first settlements in the region were established on the slopes of Mount Benacantil which overlooks the modern city today. Greek and Phoenician traders has arrived by 1000BC and trade began with the native Iberians (early Spanish peoples). Both Alicante and Cartagena became the source of much conflict between the Carthaginians and the Romans as they fought for control of the region, in around 237BC the Carthaginian General Hamilcar Barca built a fortification on the same spot as the city stands today - he called it Akra Leuka (White Mountain). The Carthaginians were eventually defeated by the Romans in the Punic Wars and retained control of the entire Iberian Peninsular until the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century AD, the Romans called the city Lucentum. after being briefly under the control of the Visigoths, the city was taken by the Moors iduring the 8th Century and they remained until the Christian re-conquest during the 13th century. The Arabs gave the city its modern name which means "City of Lights" in Arabic. Alicante became a major trading port but fell into decline after the expulsion of remaining "moriscos" (Moors converted to Christianity) during the 17th Century, further decline occurred after the War of Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714) and the city did not fully recover until the end of the 19th Century. Alicante suffered again during and after the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) but recovered due to the increase in the tourism industry during the 1950's and 1960's. Alicante today is one of the fastest growing cities in Spain with an extremely profitable tourism industry.
Alicante Fiestas and Festivals: San Juan Bonfires (Las Hogueras de San Juan) in June, Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) in April, Semana Santa (Easter), Feast of San Pedro (June/July), Alicante International Contemporary Music Festival in September, International Puppet Festival (November/December), Christmas celebrations (December and January).
Economy: Tourism, light industry, agriculture.
Places of Interest: Santa Barbara Castle on Mount Benacantil, the largest fortified castle in Europe, the Paseo Maritimo promenade, the Iglesia de Santa Maria, which is the oldest church in Alicante and was built between the 14th and 16th centuries, The Cathedral de San Nicolas which was constructed between 1616 and 1662, The Monastery de la Santa Faz which is 5 kilometres from Alicante city centre and is now used as a convent for the order of St Clare, built in 1752, but with remains dating from 1582 in the form of a defence tower. There are also numerous museums one of the best being the Archaeology Museum which has many interesting artefacts from Alicante's past. Also worth a look is the bullring, originally built in 1849 it is one of the oldest in Spain.
© My Costa Blanca 2008 - Alicante
Alicante
Cities in Spain - Alicante
Alicante Spain - Information - History - Map - Fiestas - Weather - Hotels
Alicante Map:
Alicante lies on the coast of south-eastern Spain on the N-332 coast road.
The map to the right has 'zoom' and 'pan' features which enable you to use the buttons on the top left to zoom in and get a detailed street map of Alicante, or pan around to view any number of the surrounding towns and villages which include Santa Pola, Elche, Villajoyosa, El Campello, Novelda, Aspe and Benidorm.
Alicante can be easily accessed from the N-332 coast road or from the AP-7 (E-15) motorway (take junctions 67-71B) the airport at El Altet is about 10 minutes drive from the city centre.
Alicante Weather: Alicante enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters, making it an ideal place to visit all year round. Alicante enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year and experiences very little rainfall. There is a good selection of accommodation in Alicante with plenty of hotels and privately owned apartments and rental accommodation.
Alicante lies on the coast of south-eastern Spain on the N-332 coast road.
The map to the right has 'zoom' and 'pan' features which enable you to use the buttons on the top left to zoom in and get a detailed street map of Alicante, or pan around to view any number of the surrounding towns and villages which include Santa Pola, Elche, Villajoyosa, El Campello, Novelda, Aspe and Benidorm.
Alicante can be easily accessed from the N-332 coast road or from the AP-7 (E-15) motorway (take junctions 67-71B) the airport at El Altet is about 10 minutes drive from the city centre.
Alicante Weather: Alicante enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters, making it an ideal place to visit all year round. Alicante enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year and experiences very little rainfall. There is a good selection of accommodation in Alicante with plenty of hotels and privately owned apartments and rental accommodation.
Alicante Beaches: Alicante has some fantastic beaches, one of the best being Playa de San Juan a wide 5 kilometre long beach, other beaches include Albufereta beach, Almadraba beach, Playa del Coco and Saladar beach.
Alicante Markets: Outdoor street markets are held in Alicante on Thursdays and Saturdays. There is a daily craft market held at Explanada d'Espanya, and a collectors market held every Sunday morning in the square in front of the Town Hall.
Alicante Hotels: There are a large range of hotels of all standards available for your stay in Alicante. The best advice is to search the internet for the best deals and prices, dont forget to book your Alicante Airport Transfer while you are online.
Alicante Markets: Outdoor street markets are held in Alicante on Thursdays and Saturdays. There is a daily craft market held at Explanada d'Espanya, and a collectors market held every Sunday morning in the square in front of the Town Hall.
Alicante Hotels: There are a large range of hotels of all standards available for your stay in Alicante. The best advice is to search the internet for the best deals and prices, dont forget to book your Alicante Airport Transfer while you are online.
