Alicante see · Alicante attractions
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Alicante attractions
Alicante attractions
Castle of Santa Barbara On the top of Mount Benacantil at a height of 166 metres, there is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Spain, built in the ninth century by Muslims. An amazing view of town and harbour. If you feel fit, the walk from Plaza de Carmen is a sight in itself, through some narrow winding streets. If not, there is an elevator in the core of Mount Benacantil itself. The castle can also be reached by a car, but parking slots are scarce.
The elevator runs from the ground level near the main road of Avenue de Juan Bautista Lafora (38°20'48.17"N 0°28'36.71"W) and stops at two levels in the castle. It may not be easy to spot the entrance! The easiest route is to follow Postiguet beach to the footbridge, then cross the road and pick your way West along the pavement until you see the sign for the castle and the tunnel entrance.
Entry to the castle is free. A round-way trip by the elevator from the ground floor costs € 2.40. The ticket machine is near the end of the tunnel. Insert your money, press the large green "A" button, then "Ticket", and your ticket will be printed. Maps are provided. Traveling between the two castle levels is free.
From April to September, the castle is open from 10:00 to 22:00, while the elevator runs from 10:00 to 20:00. From October to March, the castle is open from 10:00 to 20:00, and the elevator from 10:00 to 19:30. Always note the "last elevator" times at the ticket machine, though. Currently (June 2009) there is some restoration work in progress on the castle, so some areas are inaccessible and you might have to dodge some light traffic.
Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ), Plaza del Doctor Gómez Ulla, . founded in 1932, has avant-garde design and uses modern audiovisual techniques, with more than 80,000 pieces found in local archaeological sites. Shows educational movies about the history of Alicante area from the Stone Age, through Iberian and Roman eras, to the medieval times. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00, and Sunday and holidays from 10:00 to 14:00. On Mondays it's closed. Telephone: (+34)965149000. �
Gravina Museum of Fine Arts (MUBAG), Calle Gravera 9, Old Town, . Local fine arts museum. Some excellent artworks by Spanish artists, displayed over 3 floors. Take time to watch the video presentation 'Black and White' on historic Alicante. Free. �
Asegurada Museum of Modern Art (MACA), Plaza de Santa María, 3, . Monday-Saturday, 10:00-20:00; Sunday and holidays, 10:00-14:00. On display there are a few works by world-famous artists of XX century: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Julio González, Juan Gris, Joan Miró; as well as art collections by two local artists Eusebio Sempere and Juana Francés. Free. �
Castle of San Fernando, in the north part of Alicante center, built at the beginning of the 19th century on Tossal hill.
The old town of Alicante is roughly the triangular area enclosed by the Rambla de Méndez Núnez, the Explanada de Espanya, and Mount Benacantil. Largely tourist-friendly, the old, narrow streets make for an enjoyable wander provided you don't get yourself lost. Here you'll find the town hall, cathedral, an old covent, and several art museums.
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Alicante Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
