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.
Food Market in Alicante
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.
The Mercado Central de Alicante welcomes you with its striking 1921 modernist architecture, where sunlight streams through colorful stained glass windows beneath a grand hemispheric dome. Walk among nearly 300 family-run stalls across two floors to find fresh caught red prawns from Santa Pola, locally cured jamón, and regional cheeses.
Market Layout and Floors
Two levels make up the market, connected by escalators. On the ground floor, you'll find meat vendors, delicatessens, and cheese stalls. Head to the lower level for fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, and bakery products. Look for "the Rotunda," a circular section with a dome in the southwestern corner of the building.
Local Specialties
Mediterranean products fill the stalls throughout the market. In the fish section, vendors display their morning catches on ice - from local red prawns to fresh sardines. Browse through seasonal fruits and vegetables, Spanish wines, Alicante olives, regional nuts, and local honey. Many current vendors represent the third or fourth generation of their family working these same stalls.
Best Times to Visit
Visit Monday through Friday between 7:00 AM and 2:30 PM, or until 3:00 PM on Saturdays. Note that fish vendors don't operate on Mondays. For a calmer shopping experience, come during weekday mornings. The market is most active on Saturday afternoons during "tardeo," when locals gather at the market's bars.
Getting There and Practical Information
Find the market on Avenida Alfonso el Sabio with three entry points: the main southern entrance, Plaza 25 de Mayo entrance, and southwestern corner entrance.
History and Architecture
Architects Francisco Fajardo Guardiola and Juan Vidal Ramos created this modernist building in 1921, using brick and large stained glass windows that illuminate the interior. The adjacent Plaza 25 de Mayo remembers 300 residents who died in a 1938 Civil War bombing. Look for the original market clock in the basement near the escalators - it stopped during that bombing and remains frozen in time.
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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.
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.
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.
