Alicante

Alicante is a beautiful city in the Valencian Community in Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante.

The city has a rich history as a Mediterranean port. It is known for its sunny weather, stunning beaches, and historic buildings. Many people visit and live there because of these attractions.

Together with nearby Elche and other towns, Alicante is part of a large area where almost one million people live.

Etymology

The name Alicante comes from an old Arabic word, Laqant. This word comes from the Latin word Lucentum. The ancient Greek words Leuké or Leuka mean "white," and this is the root of the city's name.

History

Main articles: History of Alicante and Timeline of Alicante

People have lived around Alicante for thousands of years. Early tribes came from Central Europe a long time ago. By 1000 BC, traders from Greece and Phoenicia visited the coast, sharing new ideas.

Later, the Romans ruled the area. After them, many groups controlled the region, like the Visigoths and Arabs. Alicante became a busy trading city, selling things like rice, wine, and oranges.

In the 20th century, Alicante became a popular place for tourists. New buildings and hotels were built to welcome visitors. The city's port changed to focus more on cruises and tourism.

Geography

Alicante is in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula, right next to the Mediterranean Sea. The land around the city is mostly flat, but there are some hills, like the Benacantil hills.

The city doesn’t have many rivers, but there are dry stream beds called ramblas. In the past, there was a swamp called l'Albufereta, but it was dried up long ago in 1928. Alicante also has a small island named Tabarca, which is about 8 nautical miles south of the city.

Climate

Alicante has warm winters and very hot summers. It doesn’t rain much, and most rain comes in September and October. Because it’s near the sea, temperatures stay about the same during the day. The city gets lots of sunshine, with more than 3,000 sunny hours each year. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 42.0 °C (107.6 °F) in August 2022.

Demographics

The city of Alicante has about 358,608 people. In the area around Alicante, including the nearby city of Elche, there are about 768,194 people. Many of these people were born in other countries and moved to Alicante in the last 20 years. There are also thousands more people from Africa who are not officially counted.

Administration

See also: List of mayors of Alicante

Luis Barcala of the People's Party has been the mayor of Alicante since April 19, 2018. He took over after another leader left office.

Before him, Gabriel Echávarri of the Socialist Party (PSOE) was mayor from June 13, 2015, until April 2018. He stepped down because of some problems, and someone else took over for a short time.

Economy

Alicante grew quickly until Spain had a big economic problem. Many people visit the beautiful beaches of the Costa Blanca, which helps the city's economy. Building homes also grew a lot from the 1960s to the 1990s. Important jobs come from services and government work.

The city is where important European workers live, and it has a big university with many students. There was also a large movie studio that made films before it closed in 2012.

Transport

Alicante Airport is a very busy airport in the Valencian Community. It has many flights to Madrid and Barcelona with airlines like Iberia and Vueling. You can also fly to many cities in Western Europe with airlines such as Ryanair, EasyJet, and Jet2. There are also flights to Algeria.

You can take trains from Alicante railway station to nearby areas and cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. Fast trains started running from Alicante to Madrid in 2013.

The Alicante Metropolitan-Tram helps people travel around the city and nearby places like Benidorm and Dénia. There are also regular ferry trips to Algeria. The city has a big, safe harbour.

Main sights

Alicante has many interesting places to see. One of the most famous is the Castle of Santa Bárbara, which sits on Mount Benacantil and looks over the city. The oldest part of the castle is a tower called La Torreta.

Another popular spot is the port of Alicante. The Explanada de España promenade is a lovely place to walk, with palm trees and marble tiles. It stretches from the port to the Gran Vía and ends with a famous statue.

The Barrio de la Santa Cruz area is full of colour, with small houses and narrow streets. L'Ereta Park offers beautiful views of the city. El Palmeral Park is a favourite for families, with walking paths and playgrounds.

Just a short distance from Alicante is Tabarca island, which is now a popular tourist spot. Other sights include the Basilica of Santa María, built in Gothic style, and the Co-cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari, the main church of the city. There are also many museums, such as the Archaeological Museum of Alicante, which shows artifacts from long ago, and the Gravina Museum of Fine Arts, with paintings and sculptures from past centuries.

Festivals

Alicante has many colorful festivals. The biggest is the Bonfires of Saint John, which happens during the summer solstice. A week later, there are fireworks and contests on Playa del Postiguet beach. Another popular festival is Moors and Christians in the Altozano or San Blas district.

The city has lively nightlife all year, especially for students from the University of Alicante. In summer, many events move to Playa de San Juan. Every summer, there is a two-month program of music, theatre, and dance along the Paseo del Puerto.

Sport

Alicante has two football clubs, Hércules CF and CF Intercity, that play in top levels of Spanish football. Hércules CF is special because they played in the top league, called La Liga (the Spanish Premier Division), in 1996/1997 and again in 2010/2011. Their home games are at the José Rico Pérez Stadium.

Another football club, Alicante CF, stopped playing in 2014 and was replaced by a new club called CFI Alicante the same year.

There is also a basketball team, Lucentum Alicante, that plays in the Spanish basketball league at the Centro de Tecnificación de Alicante.

Alicante is also where the Volvo Ocean Race, a big yacht race around the world, starts. The latest race happened in January 2023.

Notable people

Alicante has been home to many interesting people over the years. Some of them are Francisca Aguirre, a poet, and Rafael Altamira y Crevea, who helped create an important world court. There is also Arkano, a rapper, and Carlos Arniches, a novelist.

Other notable individuals include Francisco Javier de Balmis, a doctor who helped protect people from a serious illness, and Miriam Blasco, an Olympic judo champion. Famous athletes like tennis players Alex de Minaur and David Ferrer, as well as Ilia Topuria, a champion in a fighting sport, all come from Alicante. The city has also produced well-known artists, writers, and public figures.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain

Alicante has friendly partnerships with cities around the world. Some of these partners are:

• Alexandria, Egypt
• Brighton and Hove, England, UK
• Carloforte, Italy
• Herzliya, Israel
• León, Nicaragua
• Matanzas, Cuba
• Nice, France
• Oran, Algeria
• Toyooka, Japan (since 1996)
• Wenzhou, China