ALICANTE, ONE HUNDRED PER CENT MEDITERRANEAN

The second leading city in Valencia region in terms of the number of inhabitants reveals an attractive food and leisure offer on the shores of the Mediterranean that is growing to meet the demand of business tourism. This year, the quality of its beaches and the modern services and facilities that define its role as an ideal setting for meeting tourism will be rounded off with the addition of almost one million hotel beds.

The offer of services beside the beach around its marina, a privileged climate and local cuisine make up the attractions of this city of 310,000 inhabitants which is constantly changing and stands out as one of the most frequented destinations on the Spanish Mediterranean. Its interest for meeting and incentive tourism has been promoted in recent years in the form of on-going improvements to facilities, especially its communications network that now connects the city with El Altet international airport using ultramodern trains and makes it highly accessible by road and motorway. This year, when the city is preparing to receive big events, such as the 26th World Medical and Health Games, Alicante is stepping up its accommodation offer with three hotels opening shortly.

Their inauguration clearly confirms the renovation of Alicante’s hotel offer that began in 2004 with the opening of Hotel Amérigo of the Hospes chain, a five star establishment set in a refurbished old Dominican convent.

Among the planned inaugurations is a new three star hotel of the NH chain with 200 beds that will be situated in the district of Babel; another of the AC Hoteles chain located in Avenida de Elche, four star and with 400 beds, and the Hotel Hesperia Center that will be opening its doors in Avenida de Alfonso El Sabio, in the city centre, four star and with 360 beds. The latter will also possess 4 large rooms for meetings, conferences and conventions, besides ancillary services such as catering, Internet connections and an à la carte restaurant.

El Hesperia Center will also deal with the needs of the family tourist who may visit Alicante at the weekends and look for accommodation in the city’s administrative and shopping nucleus, since its facilities are joined by the golf and beach offer of another of its establishments, the Hesperia Golf de Playa de San Juan.

The new urban image given by these business tourism hotels no doubt boosts this destination of monumental sights, with an excellent cuisine marked by the rice grown in the region, no to mention a buzzing nightlife.

Coastal structure

From the top of Santa Bárbara Castle, 166 metres up, Alicante extends along the coastline, with pedestrian areas and shops to visit during a walk. The sea front running from Postiguet beach to Canalejas park offers the most common image of the city: Paseo de la Explanada, paved with marble mosaic in three colours, on which stands a dock that has been converted into a sports and entertainment venue. In this port area, both at the East Quay and at the West Quay, two modern leisure complexes can be found with many restaurants, pubs, bars, shops and cinemas.

For more information: Alicante Convention Bureau 965 147 052 www.alicanteturismo.com

El Barrio, the name given to the old town, houses traditional restaurants and bars open to all members of the public and to suit all tastes, plus a large number of pubs and bars packed with atmosphere, some with live music, around San Nicolás cathedral. This area of tapas bars and popular drinking establishments leads into the approach roads of a modern city, defined by avenues of busy traffic, such as rambla de Méndez Núñez, portal de Elche, Plaza de Gabriel Miró and Plaza de Correos, with a fountain and modernist buildings.