Alicante - Spain's Mediterranean Paradise

[@litosantama]

Thanks for being kind and súper respectfully with my City.. bienvenidos todos

[@michaeltravers6109]

I lived in Atalaya, Alicante for 4 years. Atalaya is situated between Ciudad Quesada, and Benijofar. I loved living in the Alicante region, back living in Ireland for family reasons, but I miss Spain enormously. If you are thinking of moving to Spain, just do it, Spain is a wonderful country. 🌞 🇪🇸 🏊‍♂️ 🍷 🥂 ⛱️

[@Vecilijus]

Dublin here 👋🏼 Do you speak Spanish? It’s difficult without language to find any job? Unless you work from home

[@michaeltravers6109]

@Vecilijus There are many English speaking businesses in Alicante, so there is the possibility of getting employment. I am not a fluent Spanish speaker, but I managed to communicate when dealing with the essentials such as shopping, medical care etc. On KZbin, look up "Spanish with Paul", he gives excellent tutorials. You certainly won't regret moving to Spain, it's a fabulous country, not as depressing as Ireland. Take care!. 🇪🇸 🌞 🏊‍♂️

[@oldgeek7601]

We've been living in Alicante for 7 months and love it. No, the city is not super bicycle-friendly. Everyone walks, takes the bus or tram, or rides their scooter/motorcycle. Yes, cars are common, but most people avoid them. It's super safe, reasonably priced, and international, while still being Spanish. Great food with a wide variety. As far as the city's industry. Tourism is big, so yes services, but shipping and agriculture are huge, as soon as you get out of the city center and up into the hills, it's all farming. Look just south of the marina and see the real port. Thanks for highlighting our old bario. We lived in one of the buildings you showed, right near the Basilica de Santa Maria for several weeks while scouting, and our new neighborhood is just in from the far end of the Esplanade where you were in the early part of the video.

[@denniszenanywhere]

MY favorite part of your channel is when you walk around.

[@brucefellowes4848]

I love Alicante city. Will be going again in May for the 5th time. If I was able to buy a place in Spain, it would be there. Near to airport, great marina, beach, good transport, food, market, shops and easy to get to other towns and cities. Plus the weather is good most of the time

[@edwardcastillo459]

Great content Stuart, always look forward to your city tours in Spain

[@marshac1479]

I took the train to Alicante from Valencia. Santa Barbara is amazing, the beach, weather and my favourite restaurant Pesca al Peso en la Calle Mayor.

[@mick_gonzo]

My favourite city in Spain. Easy to get around, safe, great castle, beach and central Market, good nightlife. For many people (especially Brits) it's just the gateway to Benidorm, but it's a fantastic destination in its own right.

[@tooldtoscold6687]

As a 7 year Alicante resident , there are few bikes because it's so walkable . Bikes are not necessary in the city . Also there are 5 TRAM lines in the city and `line 1 goes all the way to Benidorm from Downtown Alicante . Trams run on a strict schedule , every 30 minutes. A multi ride TRAM card works out to less than half a Euro per trip.

[@GH-ov1lj]

How long does it take for said tram to get to Benidorm. It hardly has a connection or link to the airport does it? Been a repeat visitor to playa flamenca, never been up there the other side of the city

[@tooldtoscold6687]

@@GH-ov1lj You take the C6 bus from the airport to Luceros then the TRAM to Benidorm . About 2.5 hours all in .Or you can take the BENICONNECT shuttle bus , google the pickup spots and times .

[@JoanUnterwegs]

Nice video Stu as always. I agree, it's not the most clean city, but plenty of activities. Good connection by air and land and sea. Great promenade and beaches if you go further north. Also there is the mountains, with unfortunately you didn't mention as strong point. You should've gone up the castle, the view is fantastic. Also there are plenty of daytrip activities (Denia, Elche, Benidorm, ...). Shopping is also a big plus. And maybe fir you audience important there is a big international community and Valencians are very welcoming.

[@wayne8872]

Great video content Stuart. We love the city of Alicante, we live about an hour south, and to get to Alicante by bus is around €10 return or less. Great food, great beaches and the castle is well worth a visit too but not on a hot day, there's not a lot of shade from the sun.

[@tomccycle60]

Valencia has the "Lungs of the City". a vast river bed miles long to the Mediteranean filled with walking and bike paths, sports fields, community planting areas, parks and museams.

[@charliet3841]

Hi Stuart. I travelled to Alicante five days before your visit, by train from Girona, via Barcelona and Valencia on the Renfe Euromed......it's a great train journey. Good video, thanks.

[@kenwarburton2578]

Another really enjoyable and interesting video Stu, although Alicante was a place which I used to visit occasionally in the past. Having lived in the Denia area, I had to travel to Alicante on official matters such as residency, motor vehicle and driving licence applications. These visits were also tied in with doing some excellent shopping in the area.

[@Chris_Carini]

Wonderful city. I have just returned from a ten day break. My second but not last visit. Easy access to Benidorm, Murcia and coastal towns too. A walk up to the castle or along the coast is recommended. Loved the vlog.

[@haych27]

Excelente. Brings back good memories, I walked many of those streets when I lived there and Elche four years ago! A walk up to the castle is worth it. One path from the city centre takes you over the rooftops of the houses and through narrow alleyways. It's gorgeous

[@trut52]

Elche is a real gem of a city too

[@AnnikenAllis]

Love Alicante. We visited regularly for 20 years when my parents had a flat down the road on the Orihuela Costa. Last year we rented an Airbnb in Alicante for 2 weeks. Easy & cheap to use the Tram. There are 4 or 5 lines, all but one goes from Plaza Luceros (think that's the right name). One goes from the seafront. Two lines go up the cast to Benidorm & El Campello. Views from the castle are spectacular. You can see the whole city & beyond.

[@janetlombardi2314]

Very enjoyable Stuart. I always enjoy your walkabout experience. Thank you 😊

[@onthebeachinsitges]

Just back from Alicante. Loved it. Quieter than Barcelona or Sevilla, more compact than Valencia. Still has a city feel. Great food. Great museums. Great bars in the evening - the bar by the Marina is called Samoa and watching the boats in the Marina bobbing around with a nice glass of wine is very nice indeed. The hotel you walk past is a bit grubby and tired - we stayed there. Slightly rough late at night. Only thing is that it is so arid that there is a lot of dust in the air.

[@fastferrari3788]

Perfect timing for your video as I was just now looking at Alicante in Google maps, planning my May 2024 vacation there.

[@andrewmeasures2312]

Great video Stuart. Bringing back many memories. I lived and worked in the Hotel Meliá Alicante for a short while.

[@andressanchezcasado4433]

Te ha faltado subir al castillo en ascensor y mostrar las vistas más bonitas de la ciudad

[@marcusjenkins]

I think the lack of bicycles in Alicante has a few of reasons behind it. The main one is infrastructure. The relatively narrow back streets don't have space to add a bike lane. When a street gets pedestrianised often the bikes aren't allowed - restaurants use the space as terraza (more €€€ for the Excelentísimo Ayuntamiento). Plenty of supervised car parking - almost no supervised bike parking. Then there's the weather - for six months a year it's too hot to cycle (unless you have an ebike - for which you definitely want supervised parking). Finally there is good public transport in & around Alicante - walk & ride & walk.

[@Pepitogrillo7126]

100% behind the "it's too hot to cycle". And we also have slopes in many places. Cycling in most Spanish cities is not quite the same as in Amsterdam or London or Hamburg due to slopes and heat. For the EU cycle-pushing politicians looking at one size fits all solutions: please cycle into the centre to do your shopping/doctor's/office work any time between 8am and 10pm any day between late May and late September, or go to a doctor's appointment mid afternoon in October or April, then cycle back up hill to your residential area away from the centre, then tell me you actually thought that was great, made sense and more people should be doing it, specially the elderly

[@marcusjenkins]

@@Pepitogrillo7126Quite, although e-bikes do make hills really, really easy, even for the very-unfit (ask me how I know). Problem is that they are very valuable and an easy target for thieves. If your destination doesn't have supervised parking then you will be anxious for the entire time your precious steed is locked up in some back alley. Thieves take seconds to steal a bike even with the best locks. I found 2 supervised bike parking options on the outskirts of Alicante - that's it. Also, Spanish bike lanes are a total pain - you need to stop at the same traffic lights as cars *plus* you need to make one or more stops at most roundabouts. I'm not anti-bike, far from it, but I am anti-politicians who spaff our money on useless infrastructure.

[@marcusjenkins]

​​@@Pepitogrillo7126 I'm definitely into ebikes, though since they're good for almost all levels of fitness and are also shown to be good exercise. They get you up hills and you arrive at your destination without breaking too much of a sweat if you don't want to. But. But, they are very expensive & therefore tasty prey for thieves. I found only 2 supervised bike parks in Alicante - neither remotely close to the city centre. Also, Spanish bike lanes are not pleasant to use - not only do you have the standard traffic lights but they also make roundabouts a lengthy process to negotiate. All that time in the blazing sun with diesel fumes - ebike or not, it's no joke.

[@owenriddle1572]

I live in Valencia but the roads in Alicante look like bike lanes anyway 😂

[@marcusjenkins]

@@owenriddle1572 Quite. Valencia city looks like a great place to get around by bicycle. What about secure bike parking? By way of illustration, I was in a waiting room in Murcia yesterday morning & my partner asked "why has the doctor brought his bicycle seat in with him?". Yeah, that. You really can't leave your bike anywhere these days without the risk that the whole thing or parts of it will be missing when you get back.

[@TheDirkdams]

The tram you saw is the best and cheapest way to travel the coast up till Denia passing by Villajoyosa Benidorm Calpe and up to Denia

[@Sean-h4l]

Thanks!

[@maryland510]

Does it stop in Altea?

[@Manchesteru999]

​Yes, there are two stops in altea

[@madplanet3351]

Excellent video Stuart. Enjoyed that. May even watch it again tonight.

[@_juan.joao_]

Ι visited Alicante last summer and I loved it! Postiguet beach is probably the best urban beach I've ever been, the views up from the castle are stunning and the marina with the Explanada is a perfect place to have a walk. Thank you for the video, I will visit again sometime! Regards from Corfu, Greece

[@Black-Circle]

thanks for the info

[@N1CH0LAS007]

Go to San Juan beach you’ll be blown away it’s incredible 6km long with incredible views of mountains the best beach I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting

[@_juan.joao_]

Ι've been there too! Nice beach but for some reason I liked more the Postiguet one

[@catherinelarman1995]

We love Alicante for years now. Thank you for the tour. Great theatre venue in the city centre. A fab mix of old and new. Museum, beautiful view from the amazing castle. Ferry across the med.... not just the beaches and great food 😂

[@b.k.4954]

Hi Stu, long time watcher, first time commenting, but always enjoying the videos and appreciate your efforts. We are visiting Valencia from Australia in a couple of weeks to check it out as a city to retire to in a couple of years if there are any Aussies out there watching we would love to get in touch to learn from your retirement experiences. Gracias!

[@saltaireorangebicyclechopp8555]

In the historic area many buildings have been turned into apart hotels, the gentrification is spreading north into Carolinas, l've watched this happen over the past 6/7 years and it's accelerating. It's troubling after what l saw in BCN & Malaga, locals forced out of areas and the local small stores & bars closing. The city is great though, easily accessible, compact and beach focused. 👍

[@gwenwilson6743]

Great video Stu, really enjoyed watching it. We have never visited it, but its now on my to do list. Keep up the good work 😊

[@imanolsenderos9427]

Great video Stuart, I loved the laid back vibe of the city! 🌆

[@johnsmith-gk4ry]

Going there in early May. First time going to Spain. Can't wait.. Madrid, Valencia and Alicante.

[@baycast]

Great video Stu, a very informative and interesting video. I also love your walking videos and especially this one as Alicante is very close to my home town. I never tire of visiting or hearing of this beautiful city. thank you.

[@shepthedog4099]

There can be some great exhibitions on in Alicante so you can check these out too. We got to see the Terracotta warriors and a Salvador Dali exhibition when we were there in December 2023. The food is usually very good too.

[@brownekevable]

Hi Stu, good tour thanks, I plan on moving to Torrevieja this year but Alicante is a nice place too

[@michaeljones3774]

I'm in Torrevieja

[@N1CH0LAS007]

My first adventure in Spain was amazing in sunny Alicante the city has plenty of incredible restaurants and places to explore like art museums and what not. San Juan beach just up the road is another must visit such a beautiful coastline. I can’t wait to go back 😎

[@paulinematchwick7875]

I live in Sucina and love going to Alicante for a day. For a city it feels very relaxed not the stress you get from other places. Almeria city is also nice. Glad you enjoyed your time there. Thanks for the walk about

[@lesleycarney8868]

That town hall square hold's the worlds largest / tallest Nativity scene at Christmas , a sight to see. I go to Alicante shopping about once a week and the underground parking along the harbour is so easy and cheap at about a euro an hour.

[@gloxton]

You got so close to Santa Creu. You missed out by not continuing up to it. The castle is also well worth a visit.

[@rhianhead6744]

Really enjoyed this video - we have a holiday home in the province and so have visited Alicante city a few times and love it. They do fiestas particularly well. For those visiting the city, there are some really good free walking tours ( just give a tip) which are very informative. Fun fact: in the harbour area there is a marker to explain that Alicante is the place used to note sea level which is the basis for measuring the heights of all mountains / elevations in Spain. Alicante was chosen for this as Mediterranean is relatively calm and tidal variation limited.

[@PIGGY789]

Great video Stu,we have never been to Alicante it looks lovely,it is on our long list of places to visit in Spain there is so many lovely towns and Cities kind regards from North Yorks.

[@mogsya3367]

we visited in January for the Terracotta Army exhibition which was well worth it. Stayed just outside the city. Very quiet as you can expect in January but very clean and easy to get to the city centre via tram. That was probably where most of the cyclists were as there were plenty around when we went. Near the museum is probably the hilly part as there was quite steep hills to get to it from the tram station. All in all loved your video as we just visited the shopping area other than the museum which was nice and compact too. Would recommend a visit to this city. We live in Almeria province which we also love.

[@Vexation4632]

Looking between Alicante and Almeria. We'll add two more bicycles to the area for you. Great vid, as always!

[@Upsticks]

Great video! Let us know when you are coming to Málaga and we will show you around 😊

[@Haderva]

The Melia hotel is a great location but take the tram or bus to San Juan Playa for the best beach experience’s.

[@kennielsen3896]

Still planning on relocating to Spain. I'm now thinking Tarragona might be perfect. Passed by it a few times, so I'll be going visit in a month or so. The nearby beach cities also look good. I like that I can get to Barcelona quickly and transfer to Valencia or Madrid. Was set on Perello, Valencia, but I think it might be a ghost town out of season, just like when I was in Alcossebre. I've been to Alicante, not a place for me. Have you been to Tarragona?

[@brianperry]

If your thinking of relocating to España It pays to look at the climate...Spain has a very diverse climate. Generally speaking the coast, especially the Mediterranean, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sole have very nice climates...below freezing temperatures are practically unheard of. Inland Spain is very different. very hot in the summer months but freezing winters....Ask me how l know. l lived near a town called Almansa in Castilla la Mancha for 7-8 years. It snowed to some degree every year, recorded temperatures of -10 to -12c for days on end..-17c once!...If it's a retirement home you're looking for aim towards/closer to the coast.... Spain has a very good railway system....high speed in some cases

[@PolarisMidnightSoldierLux]

I actually got to visit Tarragona last fall! It's a beautiful city with long sandy beaches and packed full of history. Plenty of walkable areas and an overall laid-back atmosphere as well. I took a 4 hour long-distance bus from my host family's place in Valencia to get there. Out of all the places I got to visit during my study abroad, Tarragona gave me the greatest feeling of awe ❤🇪🇸

[@soggymoggytravels]

I like Alicante. It has a dated, dusty 80s vibe to it. Not a huge amount for tourists to see in the city itself, but that's a positive, in that Alicante hasn't succumbed to the excessive gentrification and pretentiousness of other cities. I like the San Juan Beach area the .most.

[@Pepitogrillo7126]

Those of us who live here could do with some gentrification. Away from the tourist streets, where 97% of tourists walk, too many streets have shops that have been closed for years, amongst crumbling facades of soviet style budget 70s buildings, with a proliferation of neverending roadworks that should take 3 days but take 6 months. Virtually all parks within city limits away from La Explanada are abandoned by the authorities: overgrown with dead vegetation, dead and dying trees, garbage, vandalized benches, fountains and pavements, etc. Somehow, a neighbourhood full of second residences like San Juan Playa (part of Alicante city) looks like a completely different city, with frequent garbage removal, well publicized events, few if any busted parks, maintained landscaping, practical and functioning street lighting, etc., whilst regular neighbourhoods full of locals (Benalua, Babel, Carolinas, Vistahermosa, Villafranqueza) struggle with garbage collection and sport busted parks, failing street lighting, squatted plots of land, etc. Alicante is close to paradise (great people, food, climate, beautiful province, sea), but to compensate, away from tourist areas there is an almost complete lack of care and ownership/responsibility by the city's authorities towards its citizens, bordering on the unethical and worthy of a medieval them (peasants living in classic neighbourhoods) vs us (authorities living la vida loca in San Juan Playa) attitude

[@soggymoggytravels]

@@Pepitogrillo7126 I can understand what you mean. The suburbs north of the center ARE crumbling in places (I spent a few months living in an old apartment block in Quatre Viviendas). I also didn't like that there was often dog crap smeared all over many sidewalks (you simply can't see it when walking in the dark, meaning you could step in anything). Although if the existing blocks got replaced by something newer (i.e., glitzy airbnbs), I imagine the cost of living would skyrocket to unaffordable levels for many local residents. I still like Alicante over many other cities in Spain, though. Being able to easily escape to other parts of the coast on the tram is a gem.

[@barbaralavender6997]

Alicante is a great city, just over an hour from where I live in Playa Flamenca, in fact I was only there yesterday on a day trip.

[@paulnipper]

Really glad you liked the city and had so many Pro's. With a bit of luck our permanent move will take place at the end of 2024 and will be enjoying the area also. Couldn't believe the Menu Del Dia you found at 11 Euro 😮

[@jonathangat4765]

Nice video-and it's a place I was curious about!

[@andressanchezcasado4433]

Existe un refrán que dice en Alicante tú pa lante cómo significando qué es una ciudad pequeña en la que puedes caminar sin perderte

[@hildelouisevrijs774]

De distance between Alicante and Valencia ia about 180 km…..❤️Hil, living more or less between the two cities.

[@robertmilner4394]

Lovely city. Great beach and plenty of food.

[@naomipretorius8250]

Thanks for a great introduction to this special city, it feels as if I’ve been walking with you.😅

[@andressanchezcasado4433]

El Museo de las aguas también es interesante porque allí se reunían tradicionalmente los viejos del lugar para resolver los problemas entre los agricultores sin necesidad de ir a juicio

[@subcitizen2012]

Thanks Stu, good stuff!

[@Tec2Nut]

Question , why habmvw most of the residents home got bars on all windows and door , and what's with the Graffiti everywhere.

[@michaeljones3774]

Because it's Spain culture

[@atois408]

Great looking town. Little more graffiti than I like, but very nice town overall.

[@coffermartin77]

I'm very surprised that it took you so long to visit Alicante for the very first time. The Costa Del Sol is heaven for tourists and maybe hell for locals......well, there are some complaining about the amount of tourists in the area. It can get fairly hot in summer.

[@Pepitogrillo7126]

Why no bikes? Multiple reasons, but some: #1 way too hot for six months of the year, try cycling for a reason (rather than leisurely) an afternoon in late September (or the wrong afternoon in March!): a very sweaty affair. Too often not very practical to show up at work or at a restaurant or doctor's absolutely covered in sweat. There are long slopes away from the centre (and in the centre by the castle), nowhere to park a bike in the centre. And, as another commenter mentioned already, no room for bike lanes (please don't take away lanes by Explanada or Alfonso X, there are only two meaningful streets in the city that allow easy movement from east to west) , and many pedestrian roads are too narrow and/or busy with pedestrians and/or terrazas to be cycling there. Local language: valenciano hardly spoken along the coast from Benidorm to the south, not at all past Alicante. Locals have no issues between Spanish and Valenciano, puzzingly some politicians have tried shoehorning in valenciano into areas where it's never been spoken (e.g. Orihuela) or where it's spoken less than Russian (e.g. Alicante city). Biking conclusion: Alicante is not flat like Amsterdam, London or Malmö, and it's not a temperate/cool climate conducive to cycling most of the year (it's a VERY sunny and often very hot location in front of Africa). If I'm going to work or to a date in a restaurant, i'd rather cycle at 5° in the rain than at 30°+ in 80%+ humidity. I know because I have done both.

[@myirishmurder]

I live in Alicante central, and when I first came here, the no bikes thing puzzled me too. But 2 years in and I completely get why very few cycle here. But you explained it perfectly 👍

[@michaeljones3774]

Have you seen the traffic here Alicante? Most of us prefer our BMW & Mercs to the dangers of cycling.

[@Pepitogrillo7126]

@@michaeljones3774 I am surprised we don't have daily casualties with the nutters on electric scooters. More often than not, skipping traffic lights and/or no helmet and/or wearing headphones and/or massive risk-taking. I thought mopeds were nuts in the 80s and 90s, the guys on the electric scooters are actually more of a danger

[@michaeljones3774]

@@Pepitogrillo7126 Exactly. Torrevieja makes up for the lack of scooters & bikes in Alicante Ciudad

[@dannyesse3043]

In the area of San Juan there are plenty of bike lanes and bicycles. I think it’s nice to cycle in the heat. You create wind while you cycle. I think it is an ideal place because rain is the last thing you want riding bikes.

[@itsecman]

Thanks!

[@exploringwithjenn5314]

Yes Stu, in the larger cities and towns in the Valencian Community the main language is Castellano, you don't hear much Valenciano spoken in Valencia, Alicante or Benidorm for example, in the smaller towns and villages also rural areas you can hear it often as the dominant language but once you communicate with the locals in Castellano, they speak of course in Castellano with you. By the way, the name of Alicante in Valenciano is Alacant, not "Alicant" like you called it in the video 😉🙂. Greetings from my home city of Valencia 😃. Nice video Stu 👍🏻🙂

[@jeffh7285]

I see many people in the comments are from Alicante. It is high up on our list. Can you speak to the school options/recommendation?

[@RodMace-c1o]

We lived in playa San Juan & loved it.

[@jonniesantos]

I love the green spaces but it’s probably at odds with the drought. Thanks for today’s video (as always)…

[@martinrichardhorrocks9869]

It rains very little in Alicante, but the province is very green once you get to the interior. I assume that there's a lot of water underground, maybe why Alixante province is also a textile area ( industry requiring good water supply)

[@owenriddle1572]

I really want to work in Alicante for tourism jobs in Alicante airport or Benidorm. I live in Valencia where the job market is just not the same. 1.5 to 2 hours commute to Alicante from Valencia is too far

[@Tec2Nut]

Looking to move to Malaga area in 2025 , can't wait.

[@digger360]

A nice video and it did look quite empty and a distinct lack of bikes

[@denniszenanywhere]

What type of tree is that at 3:59?

[@joseantoniodavila2752]

3:37 Ficus macrophilla. It's very common in cities and towns in the coast of Alicante and Valencia. It's name in Spanish translates to "Australian fig"

[@denniszenanywhere]

@@joseantoniodavila2752 Thanks. Only other place I've seen that is in the Philippines which makes sense since it's a former colony.

[@martinrichardhorrocks9869]

Alicante is a lovely city and offers remarkably good value. It is less of a slave to tourism than you might think. Even better for me is the interior of the province- out behind the mountains. Very green, beautiful and less dominated by sun worshippers, offering good communications and excellent property values to either rent or buy.

[@vincentmurphy4757]

Where exactly is the green area?

[@martinrichardhorrocks9869]

@@vincentmurphy4757 Anywhere the other side of the mountains basically. From Alicante take A7 towards Alcoy. Once you are at the top of the mountain pass it's almond and fruit trees on both sides all the way to Valencia. The Sierra de Mariola is particularly beautiful. Also explore the mountains around El Castell de Guadalest, inland from Calpe and Gandia etc.

[@joebloggs339]

Spent a month there - loved it

[@jothysell912]

Is it any surprise that Costa Blanca is called Miami of Europe!!

[@craphead9842]

San Juan is the nicest beach IMO.... Tony cuenca

[@craphead9842]

Alicante is a very busy city IMO, which is why I prefer santa pola.. ... Tony cuenca

[@Lorraine-p4r]

Good no bikes . Scary nearly being run over, by people on bikes!

[@KayJay01]

Better bikes than cars.

[@awanderingmelody]

We were in Alicante in February and liked the castle, Santa Cruz neighborhood, the Central Mercado and the marina area, but that's about it. We were there on a weekend and it was party central with lots of rowdy party goers in the streets and evidence of their shenanigans on the streets the next morning. Kind of disgusting. Why should city workers have to clean up that crap....literally? To us, Alicante seemed passed its prime, especially after coming from Cartagena, which we loved.

[@JoanUnterwegs]

Thanks for your comment. I agree, Cartagena is more beautiful, no doubts. Unfortunately the construction boom didn't care so much about architectural beauty back in the day. However, I feel there are more job opportunities in Alicante, and it,s much better connected.

[@awanderingmelody]

@@JoanUnterwegs Yes, the architecture is definitely lacking in Alicante, which is a shame because some of the buildings by the marina are absolutely stunning.

[@craphead9842]

Stu... We English call it Mushroom Alley or at least I do for that reason.... Tony cuenca

[@craphead9842]

The sea front etc has had a makeover recently... Tony cuenca

[@ArgentechImmigration]

Please do a food taste and enjoy! Thanks

[@Black-Circle]

cant wait to go in 2 weeks.

[@yanassi]

Hi stu. Thanks for this. I often wondered about alicante. Also, it didn’t make sense for there not to be a coastal train route along the med coastline. Instead everything seems to feed into madrid which seems so bottlenecked. From barcelona down to valencia, alicante, and further south.

[@brianperry]

There are trains that follow the coast. One runs south from Alicante turns inland near Ubanova. The other, possible more interesting runs north to Denia...its a small narrow gauge very pleasant for a day out from Alicante to Denia...takes in various villages along the way...Lunch in Denia return on later train. Let the train take the strain..

[@yanassi]

@@brianperry it was the long distance, faster trains that i wondered about that would cover north and south parallel with the med coastline. Like those that service madrid. It seems like important folks living in madrid that make decisions on routing made sure “they” were accommodated.

[@martinrichardhorrocks9869]

​@@yanassiNo different to any other country in that it's often difficult to build railways on the coast. The AVE is a growing network which now reaches each corner of Spain, with its central hub in Madrid. Maybe fill in lines (BCN to Malaga for example) will be added to the network in the future.

[@solveigsolveig2249]

Ha, you touched a very thorny topic here. The Mediterranean Corridor, as it is called, is actually the only high-speed train route that would make sense in Spain. It would connect areas along the coast where 40% of Spaniards and 3/4 of Spanish industrial exports are located. From Catalonia to Andalusia, all the coast is very populated. But it was vetoed for political reasons by the conservatives (president Aznar) since those areas are not usually... how would I put it... fascist-friendly. He wanted all lines centralised, departing from Madrid, and feared those pesky lefty Mediterraneans getting too powerful and demanding more self-rule, as they had until 18th century. That's why we have a radial high-speed system full of trains that run empty through the central wasteland at a deficit, and we lack the only route that the country really needs. It is a very politicised issue. I could go on about all this, explaining why there's that graffiti with dictators (Alicante was the last republican stronghold in Spain during the civil war in the 1930s, and a prominent fascist died there, so Franco bombed the city 300 times), why before the war everyone in the city spoke Valencian and now only 1/4 do (cue those bombs, and the massive post-war immigration from poor Spanish-speaking regions) or why this Madrid-settled youtuber speaks against "different levels of government" (he must have absorbed the right-wing views of his hometown). All in all, the Mediterranean Corridor will arrive one day, baby steps and all that, but not earlier than it arrives from Madrid to the farthest Castillian hamlet where some politicians's parents live. With our taxes subsidizing all those useless routes, of course.

[@antonylane2837]

Excellent Stuart... But l would say that, it's our go to place for all the reasons you highlighted. We live 30 km inland in the mountains, but spending a couple of days in Alicante is always a pleasure.

[@KayJay01]

Be careful of Paella in Alicante - it's a tourist trap and highly unlikely to be very authentic :) Paella is more of a Valencian term, Alicante just calls it Arroz.

[@katemaryelis]

I'm going there in sunner

[@MDCDiGiPiCs]

What a bummer, you walked past my place, if I'd known that you were here I'd have hooked up with you Stewart.

[@finnstadel]

Yeah great video, though only scratching the surface of the city/area. Glad to see you thrilled by the environment. You were a bit lucky with the warm weather that day, but there is usually no lack of sunshine (only lack of rain this year). Though big, the city has the design traits of other cities in the province. Lots of history and rare type of nature down the coast. 45 min north of the city you got spectacular views and nature. If only it would rain a bit more this year. PS. Here is another way to present the city 🙂 Olé ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJPdfntqg51spLs

[@janiebell5574]

Shame about the amount of graffiti. Very informative video thanks Stewart.

[@phillipsdrew]

If you are looking to fly from Alicante on Holiday then you are very limited to where you can go. Which is a great pity.

[@kelzer1]

The city itself is disappointing in my opinion. I liked the area of San Juan and it's surrounds. Malaga which would be similar in size, is nicer as is Valencia. I believe there is an AVE train to Barcelona via Valencia.

[@stevo728822]

Spanish resorts like this are very samey. There's little difference in the experience. Nerja is a little different.

[@Mike_Ripper]

Resort? I thought Alicante was the provincial capital of the area? 350,000 population compared to 20,000 in Nerja. Not convinced there is a comparison to be honest . . . as nice as Nerja may be

[@seanflewin9803]

I'm in a T shirt too and have been every day in march until thanks to brexit back to the depressing gloom of the nasty uk and it's zero freedom government I mean zero carbon government

[@nvn__]

🇪🇸❤️

[@JamesSmith-ui2hv]

Pinochet wasn't a Fascist . !!Pinochet did nothing wrong!! regards from a Chilean in Australia , nice city although the streets are too narrow ,but in the other hand , good no bikes

[@erickwillum2979]

Interesting but I've seen nothing special. I'd like to cycle through the place just once.

[@Tec2Nut]

Nxt year

[@Irishrover1]

Very very disappointing a bit of research would be good before you arrived in Alicante. Being there on a Sunday does not give a good representation of the actual buzz of Alicante. Just walking around stating what you see in front of you is not an informative review.

[@jopp3786]

I don't mind the "stroll around to explore and be surprised" approach. However, it would be nice to have that followed up with research-driven info. For example, "ah, it turns out that mushroom sculpture was tourist attraction #1 as it's a whole pedestrian street filled with those sculptures along with many bars, restaurants, and shops for locals and tourists alike."

[@Irishrover1]

@@jopp3786 I’m going to track down the elusive cyclists and do a video, I thought the video did not show Alicante in a very good light.

[@lezgoddess6031]

Concrete jungle, over crowded

[@Mike_Ripper]

I think that Mr Stalin may be offended to be grouped with Fascists!

[@andrewdavies8954]

Nice weather or not,Alicante is not my idea pleasant place to be,just saying

[@awanderingmelody]

Totally agree. We weren't impressed with it at all.

[@Tec2Nut]

Tormalinous is full of bycicle,s

[@Lorraine-p4r]

He must be a climate fear nut? He keeps yearning for bikes!