Guest Post: Hiking in Spain
Take a Walking Holiday in Alicante
A sparkling jewel on the Costa Blanca coast of Spain, the city and region of Alicante is full of a range of bewitching treats that are far from the maddening crowds of nearby exuberant Benidorm. Ideal for a walking holiday.
It’s the ideal place where overworked and under-sunned couples can come and find respite and sample the rich ancient history of the area. It requires some comfy footwear, a keen sense of adventure and a willingness to explore crumbling cathedrals and sunny coves.
The remnants of Lucentum
One of the best places to lay down the luggage is at the Hospes Amerigo. This is a lush and modernist hotel that’s been shaped from a 17th-century Franciscan monastery. From the balcony, spy a beautiful vista of the sleepy Barrio (old town).
The Greeks and Phoneticians first gave birth to this area a few millennia ago. Back then, it was known as Lucentum, or City of Light, and these old world origins are still visible today in modern Alicante.
Tea rooms and relaxing walks
What better way to start a walking holiday than to take some tea and recharge in a tearoom along the Plaza Miro. It’s a pleasant and easy walk from there to Mount Benacantil. Encircled around this like a warm embrace is the Parque de la Ereta. A spectacular view awaits you from the 16th-century Castillo de Santa Barbara, that peers over the Barrio, and the labyrinthine alleyways of the Rambla de Mendez Nunez and Avenida Federico Soto.
For less energetic walkers, there is a lift to take visitors up the mountain, although the reward of the view is better enjoyed by working up a sweat.
Tabarca day trips
Intrepid and curious walkers should venture out for a day trip to Tabarca. A small island eight miles into the Mediterranean, it takes about an hour from the marina and is worth the trip. The islanders descend from the 15th-century Genoese settlers and live in a sleepy place where time has stood still for many centuries. A crumbling archway greets visitors, there’s a scattering of houses, and tall grasses that wave gently in the sea breeze.
Alicante is a lovely place to go for hikes and walks for all levels of difficulty. Expect to feel thoroughly refreshed and revived by this cosy little hamlet that is made for pounding the pavement in hiking boots.
