Alicante's Mercado Central is a covered market in a handsome early twentieth-century building near the city centre. Inside, stallholders sell the produce of the Valencian hinterland: red peppers and artichokes from the Vega Baja, almonds from the mountains, fish landed each morning from the local fleet. The fish section in particular is worth a look — the range of Mediterranean species on display is striking, and the stallholders know exactly what to do with each one.
The market is busiest on weekday mornings, when local cooks come to shop. It also has strong historical significance: it was completed in 1921 and occupied a site that had been a market for centuries. Come early and then have breakfast at one of the bars along the surrounding streets.