Have you seen this trend for Extreme Day Trips? It’s where you take an early flight out to a destination and take a late night flight home on the same day! It sounds crazy but it’s so much fun and you’d be amazed by how much you can see and do in a day.
Alicante is a great place for an Extreme Day Trip, especially during the cooler winter months as Alicante has great weather all year round.
I recently visited at the end of March for a 1 day trip to Alicante and it was perfect. I went with my friends Mel and Meg, along with Mel’s baby boy, Monty.
The weather was scorching hot (while I was cold and wet at home!) and we had such a gorgeous, relaxing, foodie day in the sunshine.
Video from our 1 day trip to Alicante
You can see the quick video I made from the trip here…
Getting to Alicante for 1 day
- We flew from Manchester Airport with Ryanair at 8am and returned at 10pm.
- We parked at the Regus Business Park at Manchester Airport as a cheaper alternative to airport parking. Driving yourself to the airport makes it so much cheaper and easier but one day of airport parking is very expensive.
- The flights cost £166 (with reserved seats both ways) which is much more than I normally pay for an Extreme Day Trip but it was a group trip and we were limited by dates.
Getting from Alicante Airport
Bus C6 – £4 each way
A cheap and easy way to get from Alicante Airport into the city is to take the C6 bus from outside the airport. When you come out of departures, go to the far right and you’ll see the bus stop.
The bus comes regularly (around every 15 minutes I believe) and cost £4 per person each way. You can pay by card directly to the driver or conductor.
Travel Hack Tip: I use a Monzo card when I travel because there are no transaction fees abroad and the app makes it very simple to track your spending. If you’re new to Monzo, you can use this link to sign up and you’ll get £10 if you make a transaction within 30 days. It’s quick and easy to sign up, you’ll just need some photo ID, and you’ll get your new card in a few days or a digital card for your phone straight away. (This isn’t an advert or anything, it’s just the normal Monzo referral and I’m a big fan so I recommend it to everyone.)
Lunch in the marina
If your flights were similar to ours then you’ll be arriving into Alicante around lunch time so I highly recommend getting off the bus in the marina for a bite to eat.
The bus will make a couple of stops and then the majority of people will get off in the marina so it’ll be an obvious place to get off.
There are a few restaurants around the marina.
We chose Santi thanks to the gorgeous views across the marina.
It was lovely to sit in the sunshine with a glass of rose, watching the boats bobbing about on the water. We clinked our glasses together and cheers’d ourselves for making such a good decision. This was an impeccable way to spend a Saturday.
At this point, the 5am start and the airport/plane/bus journey had felt like a quick and easy experience and we all agreed it was worth every second.
Santi was a lovely spot for lunch and our food was good but I will admit it was a little expensive and the service wasn’t great. But, honestly, we were paying for the convenience of stepping straight off the bus and straight into a perfect seat to drink wine in the sunshine so we were very happy.
Walk along the Alicante’s beach
Alicante’s beach is one of the main attractions to the city. With soft, golden sand and gorgeous water, it’s a lovely place to soak up the sun and relax. Playa del Postiguet is right by the city and Santa Bárbara Castle towers above for a dramatic setting. A little further out, San Juan Beach stretches for miles and is ideal for long walks and peaceful swims.
In March it wasn’t really warm enough for sunbathing and swimming (although the beach was packed!) but it’s still nice to find a nice cafe and enjoy the views and people watching.
Santa Bárbara Castle
A 1 day trip to Alicante isn’t complete without a trip to the castle.
If you’re feeling energetic you can walk up to Santa Bárbara Castle but for the less energetic you can easily take the lift up for about £2.30.
Santa Bárbara Castle perched high above the city and is one of Spain’s largest and most impressive medieval fortresses. Sitting atop Mount Benacantil, it offers sweeping, panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea, the harbour, and the sprawling city below. The castle’s origins date back to the 9th century during the Muslim control of the Iberian Peninsula, though much of what remains today was expanded under Christian rule in later centuries. Wandering through its ancient stone walls, you’ll find remnants of dungeons, towers, and courtyards. There’s a courtyard in the middle where a food truck serves drinks and snacks so we stopped here to refuel.
Alicante’s Old Town
We got back in the lift and returned to sea level where our next stop was Alicante’s Old Town, or El Barrio. This area is a charming maze of narrow, winding streets, colorful buildings, and vibrant squares with lots of lovely places to eat and drink.
Plaza de los Luceros is a popular starting point where you’ll find lovely views and the iconic fountain. The heart of Old Town is the picturesque Plaza Mayor, lined with cafes where locals sip coffee and soak up the sun. La Explanada de España is a palm-lined promenade with pretty mosaics leading you back to the harbor. The area is also home to San Nicolás Cathedral, a beautiful baroque building that dates back to the 17th century, and the bustling Mercado Central, where you can sample fresh, local produce and traditional Spanish delicacies.
Our final spot was Mushroom Street, Calle de las Setas, which is a quirky, colourful stretch in the heart of the Old Town. Alicante’s Mushroom Street is famous for its vibrant street art and whimsical mushroom-themed decorations. The playful atmosphere and unique art make it a favorite spot for photographers and families.
Whilst on Mushroom Street we found a lovely little tapas restaurant called Vinomas where we had some delicious food and wine.
Heading back to the airport
At about 7.30pm we headed back to the airport for our 10pm flight home. We used Google Maps to find a bus stop that would take us back to the airport and we were there for 8pm.
We’d had such a wonderful day and it was really only at this point that the tiredness and the reality of what a long day it was set in. It felt like a long wait for our flight home, which was delayed by 30 minutes, and then the flight home felt long and uncomfortable.
But, all in all, it was a brilliant day trip to Alicante and I highly recommend it for anyone wanting a short adventure!
Planning your Day Trip to Alicante
Alicante is a very easy place for a day trip thanks to the frequent flights. Easy public transport from the airport to the city centre also makes it simple and you can see a lot in one day without feeling too rushed.
Here are 10 places you should visit during your day trip to Alicante. I recommend plotting these into a Google Map so you can easily find them when you arrive!
10 things to plot into Google Maps
- Alicante Marina
- Playa del Postiguet
- Santa Bárbara Castle
- Plaza de los Luceros
- Plaza Mayor
- La Explanada de España
- San Nicolás Cathedral
- Mercado Central
- Calle de las Setas
- Museo Arqueológico de Alicante