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.
Promenade in Alicante
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.
The Explanada de España runs 600 meters along Alicante's waterfront, where 6.5 million marble tiles form a distinctive wave pattern. As you walk between Plaza Puerta del Mar and Parque de Canalejas, you'll pass the grand 1920s Casa Carbonell with its ornate domes and the municipal auditorium La Concha, while palm trees create shaded paths along the Mediterranean.
Walking the Wave-Patterned Promenade
Three colors of marble - Alicante red, ivory, and marquina black - create the wave pattern that runs the length of Explanada de España. Each marble piece measures four square centimeters, combining to mirror the Mediterranean's waves. The city maintains these tiles regularly to keep their pattern clear and intact. Four rows of palm trees line the walkway, creating shade that makes summer walks more comfortable.
Architecture Along the Route
Casa Carbonell dominates the promenade's skyline with its early 20th-century modernist style and distinctive domes. Architect Juan Vidal Ramos designed this residential building in the 1920s. At La Concha, the Municipal Symphony Band performs regular concerts, while summer events like Alacant Rock bring music to the outdoor stage.
Street Life
Street performers enliven the promenade throughout the day. You'll see magicians performing tricks, musicians playing instruments, and artists working on paintings. Local vendors sell jewelry, leather goods, and handicrafts from their stalls. In the evening, locals fill the promenade for their daily walks and gather at the cafes.
Food
You can find regional dishes like paella and fresh seafood at restaurants along both sides of the promenade. Stop at Horchatería Peret for traditional horchata, or try local tapas while looking out at the marina. Many restaurants place tables outside where you can eat while watching the flow of people along the walkway.
History
Before becoming a promenade, this area served as Alicante's sea wall. Civil governor Perfecto Manuel de Olalde transformed it into a public space in 1830. The space was first named Paseo de los Mártires, changing to Explanada de España in 1941. The distinctive marble mosaic pavement came in 1955, when the city expanded the area to accommodate more visitors.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
