This region of Spain borders the cooling blue waters of the Med, but the mercury here can exceed 32°C in the height of summer. Thankfully, more tolerable temps of 21°C can be found in April/May. This, coupled with an almost guarantee of blue skies, makes Easter the perfect time to visit Alicante and the surrounding areas.
From fiestas and forts to caves and coastal routes, let’s take a look at some of the ways to make the most out of your time in Alicante this Easter.
Enjoy a Day Trip
There are a wide number of exciting coach trips you can take directly from Alicante, but if you really want to break free and get a feel of this sun-soaked Costa at Easter, there’s always the option of all-inclusive car hire from Alicante airport.
Jump in, turn up the A/C, and head out exploring to places such as the Canelobre Caves – just half an hour’s drive from Alicante – where you can discover cathedral-like structures hidden beneath the earth. The hilltop town of Guadalest is a little further out, but only a short drive from Benidorm, and offers breath-taking views as you spiral higher and higher on mountain roads.
A quality hire car also gives you the ability to take in the sights on a scenic drive along the N-332, the major coastal road between Alicante and Calpe, stopping off for tapas or something more substantial in traditional Spanish towns such as La Vila Joiosa, Finestrat and Altea. You will also undoubtedly see the Puig Campana which towers over Benidorm, and is a pleasant walking experience in Easter climes.
If you’d prefer to take to the waters, the Isle of Tabarca is reached by a short boat ride from the port.
Take in a Fiesta
Easter in Spain, or Santa Semana, is a vibrant time where traditions of the past are brought to life in colourful parades and festivals throughout the country. These fiestas centring around the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ take place during the daytime and evenings too, often involving huge processions which bring whole areas of the town to a mesmerizing standstill.
What’s great about Spain is that no two towns have the same exact traditions when it comes to holding fiesta celebrations. Depending on the dates you visit – the 2018 Semana Santa falls between March 25th and April 1st – there are various options available to you:
- There’s the jubilant Palm Sunday procession in Elche on the first day of celebrations, or you can see the amazing flotilla of floats on Holy Wednesday in Santa Cruz – click here for the full Alicante schedule.
- For the truly repentant, Orihuela is the place to be on Easter Thursday for the ‘El SIlencio’ procession, where you walk the streets with thousands of others in reflective silence guided only by candlelight.
- Costa Blanca’s tourist capital Benidorm is also famed for holding special celebrations throughout the week, with the largest and best-attended being Easter Friday and Easter Sunday. The English Church in Benidorm will also be having special Easter services for visiting tourists on these dates.
Explore Alicante
Alicante itself is perfectly positioned and offers tourists all the buzz of city life married with white sand beaches. With an all-inclusive car hire from Alicante airport with Drivalia you can park up in town and access the sights of the city easily on foot. The weather at this time of year is perfect for a walk up to the Santa Barbara Castle, visiting a museum for a history lesson, or you can just stroll the palm-lined Explanada de España shopping for souvenirs before grabbing some churros and coffee beside the waterfront marina.
The region has so much to offer, and if you hire a car at Alicante airport with Drivalia to create your own asphalt adventures, you’re sure to have a fabulous time! And don’t forget to try a slice of the delicious Coca de Pascua, a famous Valencian cake only made at Easter.
