Stretching from the fine dining of Denia in the north, to the pink lake of Torrevieja in its south, the province of Alicante has some of most picturesque seascapes in Spain.
Here we’ll give you our top spots to visit in this varied little province:
Cova Tallada
Just to the south of Denia you’ll find an outstanding coastal hike that leads to a sea cave that is like something out of Pirates from the Caribbean.
Despite the rocky hike that makes hard work to get to the cave it is still so popular that you have to reserve you space to visit on the central Valencian government website, it’s free to do, but do in advance as it gets booked up very quickly.
If you are driving, leave your car by Restaurante Mena (tip – if you are hiking before lunch, then book a table here for when you finish as it gets busy here during summer) and then head up Carrer de la Via Lactea to check-in for the start of the hike.
The coastal hike is great, scrabbling along a rocky pathway (trainers not flip flops for this!)
that eventually brings you down to the sea to scale along the rocks, with the sea nipping at your heels
and into a small opening that leads to the Cova.
Inside you’ll find an impressive set of galleries that have carved out the original cave by quarries over the years.
Outside the cave is a natural pool, that on a calm day (which was not on this day) is said to give some beautiful snorkeling. On our day the waves created an exciting traverse to the rocky little island opposite.
If the thought of a rocky hike does not fill you with relish then you can also Kayak here, right into the cave…check out Kayak Javea.
The Calas of Xabia
The outcrop of Xabia is a fantastic warren of winding coastal roads, clifftop houses and pretty little coves, so very different to the large expansive beaches that dominate the rest of the Spanish East coast.
There are multiple coves to visit in this stretch, but make sure you arrive early (especially in summer) as traffic, parking and beach space will be at a premium very fast.
Two of our favourite (and the most famous) coves are Granadella and Portixol.
Cala La Granadella
Touted as one of Spain’s most beautiful beaches, it is indeed a charming visit. A crescent shaped (rocky) beach that have a pretty little bay in front.
During summer you need to get here around 9am as the road in closes once things get too busy, park up on the hill and walk down to claim your spot on the rocky beach.
A nice activity to do whilst here is to pick up a guided Kayak tour with Kayak Javea to visit some of the other coves in the area
around and through the nature reserve of Isla del Descubridor
a tour inside the Cueva del Llop Marà (Cave of the Sea Wolves)
and a final stop at Cala En Caló, a tiny cove with great snorkeling and underwater caves to explore.
Cala del Portixol
Not quite as busy as its neighbour Granadella, but still if you arrive after 10am in summer you’ll be parking up in the hills and walking down to the cove on foot.
The beach has a bit more space to pitch your umbrella and then float away
and best of all is the wonderful Cala Clemence restaurant that overlooks the cove and does some great Gin & Tonic plus tasty food to provide a nice beach break.
Whilst in the Xabia area, if you have the chance to stay overnight then try El Rodat for a little bit of luxury
Along with their phenomenal restaurant that has unique and tasty food creations in their set menu.
Altea
Heading south from Xabia you will come to a very genteel town with one of the most graceful beachfronts along this coast.
Pure white pebbles against an azure sea that transports you to a tropical setting.
A nice warm sea with gentle waves to play in makes for a great half day (or more) of beach time.
The beach is fronted by a number of good restaurants, one of our favourite being 8 DE TAPES, for tapas with a unique asian fusion style.
Illa de Tabarca
If you have a hankering to get off the mainland, but don’t want to travel all the way to the Balearics (which tbh are not that far away) then an hour’s boat ride from Alicante is the pretty little island of Tabarca.
Board the Kontiki express that will get you a return trip to the island for 20 eur. In the height of summer expect it to be busy with local day trippers…during these Covid times that’ll mean a hot hour of mask wearing.
At just under 2km long a tour of the island will not take too long. Disembarking at the port you’ll come to the main beach, perhaps a bit overpopulated
So if you want fewer people, head to the west, through the fort-like town
and cross the water to get to the islet of La Cantera
Find some rocks to build your umbrella camp and settle down for a relaxing day
The waters surrounding the Island are a marine reserve, so also take your snorkel gear to have a bit of a swim with the fishes
The Pink Lake Of Torrevieja
At the southern end of the province you’ll come to the wonderful sight of the pink lake of Torrevieja.
Created by the bacteria that feast on the salt that is harvested from the lake,
to have a bit of a float, or snap those latest insta pics!
El Castell de Guadalest
Moving away from the coast, head into the hills to visit El Castell de Guadalest.
Parking just outside the walls of the old town head up the old walkway to the Bell Tower that dominates the surrounds
Heading towards the wall of rock that the Bell Tower sits on top and you’ll find a small gateway to enter into the old town
Cobbles and steps and quirky little museums will keep you occupied for a good time
At the top of the old town you’ll be rewarded with views of the prepossessing Guadalest valley and its breathtaking lake down below.
Foodie Heaven
As with all parts of Spain the food and drink is one of the highlights of the visit, and this province is no exception.
The ultimate Gourmet spot goes to Quique Dacosta and his 3 Star Michelin in Denia. Quique provides a wonderful experience, where the beautiful food, wine and setting all combine for an amazing evening of theatrical gastronomy in 6 acts.
Everything was a highlight, but to give you a little taste you can expect, Consomme of blue crab and Posidonia, Smoked nougat of corn, Yolk of black mullet, Green Mediterranean curry with sea cucumber, Frosty Sangria of red shisho leaves.
What makes Quique all the more special is all the work that goes into these dishes in advance, for instance the Red tuna belly is cured in the restaurant’s tunnel of salt for up to 6 months before it reaches your plate
And even the simple vegetable dishes are turned into an other worldly creation, a slice of dry tomato sprinkled with rice vinegar does not sound too impressive, but when you see and taste this you’ll be quickly corrected!
Moving down the coast to Javea you can enjoy some more reasonably priced but almost as tasty food at one of the many beachside restaurants of the Platja de L’Arenal.
This beach is one of our favourite sandy beaches in this province, a charming bay with beach hut-like restaurants all the way along; particulalry nice in winter when the tourist hordes have left.
Our sunday lunches are normally spent at Posidonia, for great Paella and fish.
For a unique dining experience head inland to Castalla for the rural Meson El Viscayo. There’s no menu here, rather grab your knives and head to the charcuterie that is hanging from the ceilings and cut yourself some sausage for your starter.
Next comes the local flat bread, the size of a large plate with the middle scooped out…to hold the speciality of Gazpacho Manchego. Nothing in relation to it’s Andalusian cold soup cousin, rather this is a game meat stew that originates from just over the border in La Mancha, but also found in Alicante this is the old Shepherd’s meal that used the bread as the plate and keep you warm during the winter.
Once you are fit to burst after seconds any remaining bread is covered in honey and eaten as dessert…strange yet a perfect combination of the bread, remains of savory stew and the sweet honey!
You’ll be entertained by the proprietor who visit each table to tell jokes, perform magic tricks and do the Chichiruiqui dance that you’ll also be doing from the house digestif that is quite potent.
With this last stop we finish our overview of Alicante province, hopefully you have a good taster of the province…enjoy!