Tabarca
Located off Costa Blanca, Spain's smallest inhabited island has an 18th-century walled town, clear waters with 45m visibility, and a marine reserve home to sea bass and dolphins.
Museum in Alicante
Archaeological Museum of Alicante
Located in a former hospital, this award-winning museum uses holograms and digital displays to present 100,000 years of history, including Roman streets and underwater excavations.
At the Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ), you can walk through a reconstructed Roman street, examine 2,000-year-old gold jewelry, and explore an underwater shipwreck excavation site. Set in a former hospital building, this museum uses holographic projections and interactive digital displays to bring 100,000 years of human history to life. The museum's innovative approach earned it the European Museum of the Year Award in 2004.
Exploring the Main Galleries
Start your journey through five chronological periods with stone tools and early pottery from 100,000 years ago. In the Iberian gallery, you'll find locally-made ceramics decorated with geometric patterns and bronze weapons. The Roman gallery puts you in the middle of a 2nd-century street, complete with a merchant's shop and typical household items. More than 300 objects fill the medieval section, from green-glazed Islamic pottery to Christian crosses and farming equipment. Digital consoles in each room let you dive deeper into the stories behind each artifact.
Interactive Archaeological Experiences
Three immersive galleries put you in an archaeologist's shoes. Look down through a glass floor to watch researchers work in a simulated cave excavation, complete with actual archaeological tools. Walk through layers of city history in a reconstructed Gothic building dig site. In the underwater archaeology room, watch actual footage from Roman shipwreck excavations off the Spanish coast and examine preserved anchors, amphoras, and navigation equipment.
Artifacts
The Tresor de la Marina Alta includes four gold torques (neck rings) and a pendant discovered inside Pic De L'aguila's walls. These pieces, dating from either the Iberian or Roman period, show intricate spiral patterns and granulation work. The Roman gallery contains everyday objects like clay oil lamps with relief decorations, bronze coins showing emperor portraits, and iron farming tools with wooden handles still intact.
Location
The museum spans 9,000 square meters across eight wings of the former Hospital of San Juan de Dios. 18th-century stone balustrades line the staircases, while classical arches frame the courtyard. From the museum grounds, you can see Santa Barbara Castle perched on Mount Benacantil.
Practical Information
Visit between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM daily. Adult tickets cost €3, with free entry for children under 8. Take the Alicante Tram to MARQ Station, which stops directly outside. Your ticket includes access to all main galleries and temporary exhibitions. The nearby Roman city of Lucentum and coastal site of La Illeta dels Banyets require separate visits and tickets.
What people say about Archaeological Museum of Alicante
Be the first to review Archaeological Museum of Alicante
Tell us about it! Is it place worth visiting, are you coming back?
What else to see in Alicante?
Santa Bárbara Castle
Rising 166 meters above Alicante on Mount Benacantil, this 11th-century fortress spans 400,000 square meters across three levels, with views stretching to Tabarca island.
Hogueras de Alicante
This six-day June festival fills Alicante's streets with 30-foot satirical monuments, daily firework displays, and street parties before all 80 sculptures burn on June 24th.
Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art
This restored 17th-century granary houses 800+ artworks, including pieces by Picasso, Dalí and Miró. Three floors display Spanish modern art in a baroque building from 1685.
Explanada de España
A 600-meter marble promenade along Alicante's waterfront, with 6.5 million tiles forming wave patterns. Palm trees shade paths near Casa Carbonell's ornate domes and La Concha auditorium.
Mercado Central de Alicante
Built in 1921, this modernist market has 300 family-run stalls across two floors, with fresh Mediterranean produce, local red prawns, and tapas bars under a grand stained-glass dome.
Parque El Palmeral
This 72,000-square-meter Mediterranean garden has 2,000 palm trees, artificial lakes for rowing, multiple playgrounds, and a BMX track. A tunnel connects to calm beaches nearby.
Playa de San Juan
This 7-kilometer Mediterranean beach near Alicante has calm waters and golden sand. Visitors can join volleyball games, cycle along palm-lined promenades, or explore rocky coves at Cabo de las Huertas.
