Day trips
Alicante and Tabarca island
A castle on a rock above the city, a palm-lined promenade of 6.6 million marble tiles and an island with a walled village, an hour’s boat ride off the coast.
City or island
Alicante, the provincial capital, is about 86 kilometres away: just over an hour’s drive. The city combines easily with an hour on Postiguet beach. Prefer the sea? Take the boat to Tabarca from the harbour.
Note: the fastest route via the AP-7 runs through the toll section between Los Montesinos and La Zenia. In January 2026 a car paid €2.88 in low season and €5.08 in high season, per direction. The N-332 coast road is toll-free but often busy.
Itinerary
What your day looks like
A sample itinerary for spring and autumn. Opening hours and prices were checked in October 2026 and may change: check the official website before you go.
- 1
09:00
Drive to Alicante
Via the N-332 and the AP-7 you reach the centre in just over an hour. Park in a public car park in the centre: private cars cannot drive up to the castle.
Open in Google Maps - 2
10:15
Mercado Central
The market hall from the early 1920s has an eclectic façade with Valencian modernist decoration. Go in the morning: the market closes in the early afternoon.
Open in Google Maps - 3
11:00
Town hall and Basílica de Santa María
On the steps of the 18th-century Baroque town hall is the Cota Cero: the point from which heights above sea level are measured in Spain. Nearby stands the Basílica de Santa María, Alicante’s oldest church, in Valencian Gothic style with a Baroque façade.
Open in Google Maps - 4
12:00
Barrio de Santa Cruz
Steep lanes full of flower pots on the slopes of Mount Benacantil, with the Ermita de Santa Cruz and a viewpoint. The quarter is reachable on foot only and difficult with a pushchair or wheelchair.
Open in Google Maps - 5
13:00
Lunch
Alicante’s tourist office recommends the old town or the marina for fresh fish, rice dishes and salt-fish salads.
- 6
15:00
Up to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara by lift
Opposite Postiguet beach, on Avenida Juan Bautista Lafora, a lift takes you up to the castle on the 166-metre Mount Benacantil. It has three walled enclosures from three periods, from the 14th to the 18th century. The MUSA city museum is inside. Castle and museum are free.
Open in Google Maps - 7
17:00
Postiguet and the Explanada
Back down below lies Postiguet, the city beach. Then stroll along the Explanada de España, the palm-lined promenade by the harbour with its wave mosaic of 6.6 million marble tiles.
Open in Google Maps - 8
18:30
Back to Pilar
In just over an hour you are back. To avoid the toll, take the N-332 along the coast.
Tabarca
Prefer the sea: Tabarca island
Several companies sail from Alicante harbour to Tabarca in about an hour. The island is 1,800 metres long and at most 400 metres wide. Charles III had it fortified in 1760 and settled by Genoese sailors from Tabarka, in today’s Tunisia. The walled village is a protected monument, and in 1986 the surrounding sea became Spain’s first marine reserve.
On the island you can snorkel in the marine reserve (with a buoy or life vest, and do not feed the fish), visit the free Museo Nueva Tabarca and eat caldero, the traditional fish dish, in one of the harbour restaurants. In October 2026 a return ticket with Cruceros Kontiki cost €24, with under-5s free.
Marítimas Torrevieja also sails to Tabarca from Torrevieja, closer to the penthouse; check the operator’s website for the current timetable. See also Torrevieja.
Calendar
Festivals and events
Hogueras de San Juan
From 20 to 24 June: huge figures in the streets, a mascletà every day at 14:00 and the burning of the hogueras on the night of 24 June. Of International Tourist Interest.
Holy Week
One of the most moving processions sets off from the Ermita de Santa Cruz.
Tabarca, 16 July
A sea procession for the Virgen del Carmen.
Frequently asked questions
Do you pay to enter Santa Bárbara castle?
Is the castle open during the Hogueras?
How long is the boat from Alicante to Tabarca?
Is there a toll on the way to Alicante?
More day trips
Another day out?
- ± 35 min
- Not on Mondays
Cartagena
Roman theatre, a castle with a panoramic lift and modernist façades. All on foot from the harbour.
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- ± 50 min
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Murcia
Market hall, cathedral, the Real Casino and tapas on Plaza de las Flores.
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- ± 50 min
- UNESCO
Elche
Thousands of palms, the Huerto del Cura and the basilica of the Misteri d’Elx.
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Your base on the Costa Blanca
After a day out, the roof terrace is waiting. See when the penthouse is available.