This once small city in Spain has converted into a large city attracting thousands of visitors and foreigners making Spain their home country. Alicante and it's region is very popular for foreign retirement and buying property, due to it's lower value compared to other major cities in Spain. There's a huge rental property market here for the busy Summer season which sees large volumes of tourists especially from the United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia and even Russia.

Coming to Alicante is a nice day out if you are staying in the area or travelling around. It has a very historic town centre with beautiful narrow streets and typical Spanish constriction styles, with the stone extracted from the area which gives the buildings it's typical beige colour. It's an important port and recreational area attracting plenty of national and international tourists. Alicante offers great food, Paella is very popular and seafood. The city size is ideal for walking along the promenade and the port, discovering the old town and having a swim at the beaches located at the front of the promenade.

As with many Spanish towns, you will find that many shops and services are limited between 14h-17h, this is for the custom Spanish sleep time "Siesta" , however everyone is eating or socialising in the many restaurants and bars around the city.

Alicante features a Mediterranean climate, with very hot summer weather and mild winters, this is one of the key reasons Alicante is an appealing tourist destination. Influenced greatly by its coastal location, Alicante's legendary sandy beaches are popular year-round, although are busiest during the hot sunny weather in June, July and August. Temperatures during the Summer rise to over 32°C and don't get much lower than 20°C at night. 

The city of Alicante offers some of the best weather on the Costa Blanca and is protected by northern hills and mountains, creating a temperate and constant micro-climate, limiting the rainfalls. Alicante usually has no more than 20 days of rainy weather each year. In the Winter temperatures are very mild and generally stay from 12°C to 22°C.

Whilst in Alicante you can plan a day visit to Torrevieja​. It's a typical Spanish town which not only has some good beaches, it also has an excellent street market every Friday morning and some good shops, bars and restaurants. The highlight of the town is it's long promenade which stretches for miles, covering the popular beaches from the town centre to La Mata area. Along the walk you will find many restaurants, bars, beach-shops and souvenirs. You can also find natural cliffs and rocks at the end of "Playa de los Locos" ("Mad Beach") named "Punta del Salaret", where some good photos can be taken. 

The town specially gets crowded during the evening as Spanish come out to dine, walk their dogs and enjoy the pleasant temperatures at this time of day.

To get there take busses from either Alicante Bus Station or direct from the Airport. They are operated by Costa Azul and take just over one hour to reach the Torrevieja Bus Station. Costs from €4.50 from Alicante and €7 from the airport. Note that the last bus leaves at 21h in each direction. 

The nightlife is best and most abundant in the part of Alicante known as “el Barrio,” located around the Cathedral and the Rambla de Méndez Núñez. All sorts of pubs, terraces and nightclubs are to be found here. Fashionable clubs with imported DJ’s are located next door to bars for customers with different ages and music preferences. Night owls will have few problems to decide where to go as there is a variety of music bars open all night.

La marcha alicantina, as Alicante’s nightlife is known, has become one of the city's main attractions in itself, as well as being a major contributor to the local economy.

There are more bars on the Muelle de Levante wharf next to the marina and also an area in Playa San Juan known as the Golf Course.

The Alicante area offers an enormous variety of shopping opportunities, ranging from the bustling local markets, full of Spanish charm, to popular indoor complexes and malls. When shopping in Alicante, you are never far from cafés, which provide the perfect place to rest your feet and bags, and enjoy the nearby scenery.

For traditional shops in Alicante, head to the Rambla de Méndez Núnez, a lively street lined with a good choice of small Spanish stores and interesting speciality outlets. Larger and more modern high-street stores are available around the Maisonnave area, with late-night opening hours often being popular.

Those looking for indoor malls should head to the enormous Gran Via Centre, which is full of fashion boutiques, or the vast Panoramis Complex, which combines shopping with entertainment and leisure.

Staying in Alicante is not as expensive as other cities in Spain and it offers a better budget offering if looking for relax, beach and good food. Hotels and Hostels are widely available. City centre Hotels can be a bit more expensive and specially by the beach/port front, but the further away you stay the better it will be priced. Average Hotel prices can start at €35 per room. 

However, it's not really hotels which are popular in this part of Spain, it's popularity for beach holidays and longer stays make private property rental a huge market in the area. If you a staying for a week or more then looking at flats and rental property is ideal as you can get a whole flat. Prices are much lower in the low season (November to March). The best booking agents for private flats can be found on Booking.com and Airbnb. 

Alicante is a small city and coming for active tourism will leave you with appetite for more after a couple of days. One or two days is enough to see the city.

However many tourists come here to relax and unwind in the calm beaches and soak up the sun which shines much of the year here. 

If you want to get a good rest, the usual time which tourists tend to spend is up to a week, including travelling to other towns nearby.