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.
Festival in Alicante
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.
During six days each June, Alicante transforms for the Hogueras de San Juan festival. You'll see 30-foot-tall satirical monuments depicting local politicians on Avenida Alfonso X El Sabio, hear the ground-shaking fireworks at Plaza de los Luceros at 2 PM, and join locals dancing until sunrise at street parties. On June 24th, over 80 monuments across the city go up in flames while firefighters spray water on the celebrating crowds.
Daily MascletĂ s at Plaza de los Luceros
From June 19 to 24, Plaza de los Luceros fills with crowds at 2 PM sharp for the daily MascletĂ s. These aren't typical firework shows - they're coordinated explosions creating rhythmic patterns of sound and vibration that echo through the city center. You can join locals on nearby rooftops and balconies to watch these powerful displays, which last about five minutes each day.
The Artistic Monuments
More than 80 wooden and cardboard monuments called hogueras stand on street corners and plazas during the festival. The sculptures include ninots - satirical figures that often poke fun at current political figures or local issues. Artists spend months crafting these detailed installations, with some reaching three stories high. Each neighborhood funds and designs their own monument, creating friendly rivalry between districts.
Street Life and Barracas
Pop-up social clubs called barracas and racĂłs line the streets of Alicante. These temporary spaces become centers for dancing, eating traditional coca amb tonyina (tuna pastry), and drinking local beverages. Music plays until early morning, with spontaneous dance parties happening throughout the night. Local groups run these spaces for the entire festival week.
La CremĂ and Noche de San Juan
The festival peaks on June 24 at midnight during La Cremà . A palm-shaped firework display launches from Santa Bárbara Castle, visible across Alicante. After this signal, all hogueras monuments burn at once, filling the city with controlled fires. Firefighters turn their hoses on the crowds to keep them cool, creating la banyà - an impromptu water festival.
Festival Traditions
Each neighborhood selects a candidate for the Belleza del Fuego (Beauty of Fire), who becomes the festival's queen. These representatives wear traditional Valencian dress for ceremonies and parades. Daily parades include international folk groups, marching bands, and musicians playing the dolçaina (wind instrument) and tabales (drums).
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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.
Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art
This restored 17th-century granary houses 800+ artworks, including pieces by Picasso, DalĂ and MirĂł. 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.
