Alicante (Valencian: Alacant) is the main city of the Costa Blanca, a busy port and regional capital on Spain's southeastern coast with a genuinely attractive old city behind the tourist facade. The town climbs steeply from the waterfront promenade up to the enormous Santa Bàrbara Castle on Mount Benacantil — that castle, more than anything, is what gives Alicante its distinctive skyline and explains why the city has been fought over for centuries.
The Explanada de España, with its wave-patterned marble pavement and double row of palms, is the social heart of the city. Below it, the port handles ferries to Ibiza, Formentera, and the Balearics; above it, the streets of El Barrio fill with restaurants in the evenings. The nearby areas of Upper Marina — with the towns of Jávea, Teulada, Benitachell and Calpe — and Lower Marina — including Benidorm and beautiful Altea — offer more beach options.
The MARQ archaeological museum is one of the best in Spain and well worth a morning; the Roman ruins of Lucentum on the edge of town are a worthwhile extension. The Basilica of Santa Maria and the MACA contemporary art museum occupy the same medieval neighbourhood at the foot of the castle. In late June, the city hosts the Hogueras de Alicante — one of Spain's great summer festivals, ending in the burning of elaborate papier-mâché sculptures.