10 day trips from Alicante – places to visit within an hour
We live approximately 40 minutes from Alicante and have spent the last 18 months (and many before that on holidays) exploring some amazing destinations and attractions along this beautiful part of Spain. In our time here we’ve had some fantastic day trips from Alicante, including a few that we’ve done more than once.
There are so many things to do in Alicante itself, both with kids and without, but if you’re looking for some ideas of places to visit outside of the city for a day trip then you´ll have plenty to choose from as there are so many interesting places near Alicante within an hour’s drive.
So, whether you’re new to the Costa Blanca, or are looking for an area with lots to do, the areas surrounding Alicante are definitely places to add to your bucket list of Spanish destinations. You definitely won’t be short of places to go for day trips from Alicante city.
All the major airlines fly into Alicante-Elche airport so it’s easily accessible, and only a 2.5 hour flight from the UK.
Read on to find out 10 of our favourite places within an hour of Alicante that we recommend you visit…
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Here’s a list of 10 day trips within an hour of Alicante city center…
Guadalest
This is definitely one of the best places for a day trip within an hour of Alicante and the one place that everyone will recommend you check out… Guadalest Valley. We’ve visited Guadalest a few times and it never disappoints. Guadalest is a traditional Spanish village in the mountains about an hour away from Alicante. There are always plenty of bus trips to Guadalest, which is a good idea if you’re not too confident driving in Spain as the journey does involve driving up some very windy mountain roads, or you can book a private group tour to Guadalest.
There’s enough things to do in Guadalest to spend the whole day there. The main attractions in Guadalest is the reservoir, which is an absolutely amazing colour, you have to see it to believe it! From the town you’ll have a fantastic view over the lake, and can even sit in a restaurant nearby to take in the view.
A must visit is El Castell de Guadalest, the castle which is accessed via a really interesting little museum called Casa Orduna, an old Spanish house complete with original furniture, paintings etc. From the top of the castle you have amazing views over Guadalest and the surrounding mountains.
The narrow streets here are full of gift shops so you can buy some souvenirs, as well as plenty of bars and restaurants to find something to eat and rest your legs.
Fonts d’Algar
Somewhere we loved visiting is one of the most popular places for a day trip from Alicante – Les Fonts d’Algar, or Algar Waterfalls. If you’re short on time this can be done in the same trip as Guadalest as they are close to each other.
The Algar Waterfalls is a nature reserve found in the Callosa d’en Sarria mountain range and is home to beautiful waterfalls and natural pools. This is where the famous Timotei advert was filmed!
The Algar Waterfalls are open all year round, though of course it’s only warm enough to go in the water in the summer months, and even then it’s absolutely freezing! For just €4 for adults and €2 for children you can spend the day swimming in the waterfalls and taking in the views – it’s a good idea to buy your tickets in advance in the busy summer months.
The water is very chilly, even in the very hottest months of the year, but it’s a great place to cool down and a lot of fun. You can follow the walk ways to the very top where you can swim, sit, and admire the views. There are platforms to safely jump into the natural pools, as well as shallow pools perfect for kids to paddle. Make sure you take some water shoes as it is very rocky in places.
You can’t take picnics in but there is a restaurant on site, though as you’d imagine it is quite pricey. Outside the gates there are lots of better value restaurants, some even have their own swimming pools for customers.
Elche
Elche is definitely one of our favourite towns in this area, we often go for a wander round of a weekend as it’s such a beautiful and peaceful place. The historical town of Elche is around 25 minutes from Alicante by car or 30 minutes by bus. The town is home to more than 200,000 palm trees and many of them are found in Palmeral de Elche, the biggest palm grove in Europe.
One of the best free things to do in Elche with kids is to visit the municipal park where you’ll find lots of palm trees, children’s play parks, fountains, and picnic areas. Despite being in the middle of the town it’s a really quiet park and ideal for an afternoon stroll.
If you’d like more information from a local expert you can also join this Free Tour of Elche where you’ll get to explore the most important parts of the city and find out all about its history.
The town itself has lots of shops, cafes, and restaurants, you can spend a whole day just wandering around (though not on Sundays as all shops are closed!).
If you’re after some culture, the Museo Arqueológico y de Historia in the center is a great place to visit, and is free on Sundays. You can also walk up to the bell tower of the Santa María Basilica, which has great views across the park. There are plenty of other museums dotted around including Roman Baths, the fiesta museum, and paleontology museum.
Santa Pola
Santa Pola is a coastal town with some lovely beaches and a large port with a wide variety of restaurants and bars looking over the water. The port is a lovely place to visit of an evening if you want a nice seafood restaurant with a view. You can book a bus ticket to Santa Pola from Alicante for just €3 which takes around 40 minutes.
Things to do in Santa Pola include going on a boat trip over to Tabarca Island, and for children visiting the Pola Park amusement park or the aquarium. There is also a castle in the center of town where you can find different fiestas and events throughout the year, plus plenty of streets to wander through. In the summer the castle holds a great medieval market with stalls full of spices, food, sweets, gifts, and lots more.
You can also visit the Faro de Santa Pola lighthouse just outside of the town, with a skywalk that will give you incredible views out to sea and along the coast.
Torrevieja
Another place that we enjoy going for a walk is Torrevieja, a typical Spanish tourist coastal resort with nice sandy beaches alongside a busy promenade full of restaurants and bars. A bus from Alicante to Torrevieja takes and hour and tickets start from €5.
If you walk a few minutes from the center youll find some much quieter beaches perfect for sunbathing and for the kids to play´and paddle.
If you want to see the coastline around Torrevieja you can take a lovely boat tour around the bay or maybe treat yourself to a sunset boat cruise.
Torrevieja is also home to the famous pink salt lake. You can take a trip around the lakes on the land train which goes from the centre of town, and learn more about why the lakes are pink, and what they do with all of the salt. You might even spot some flamingos there!
Things to do in Torrevieja with kids include visiting the many parks and gardens, going to the Habaneras shopping mall which has a leisure complex next door with cinema, bowling alley, and restaurants.
Guardamar del Segura
Our favourite, and closest to us, beaches are in the beautiful Guardamar del Segura. This is where you’ll find us most of the time during the summer months!
If you’re looking for a beach day away from the busy beaches of the center of Alicante then you should definitely head to Guardamar. Bus tickets from Alicante to Guardmar start at €4 and the journey takes around an hour.
Here you’ll find 11km of golden sandy beaches, sand dunes, and pine forests, such a different setting to the more touristy beaches of Alicante.
The main beach has a short promenade with bars and restaurants, and the beach stretches for miles in both directions. Even in the middle of summer you can find plenty of space on the beach if you walk away from the main promenade. Either side of the town you’ll come across some beautiful natural beaches with wooden walkways and surrounded by sand dunes.
There’s a large weekly market on a Wednesday as well as a night market during the summer. If you’re visiting Guardamar with kids there’s a fantastic play park called Parque Reina Sofia with ducks, turtles, peacocks and red squirrels, as well as a peaceful walk through the pine forest. There is also a new pedestrianised area in the town centre with bars, restaurants, and play parks.
Benidorm
Amittedly not our favourite location, but if you want somewhere a bit more lively, Benidorm is only a 30 minute drive from Alicante or 45 minutes by bus. You can also get the tram to Benidorm from Alicante city centre.
Weve visited to Benidorm twice, and we stayed away from the main touristy part as we’re not really keen on crowded places. The old town is actually really pretty with some great little bars and restaurants. There are also some lovely and quieter beaches away from the city centre and the high rise buildings.
Though of course if it’s entertainment and beaches close to the action, then you can’t go wrong with Playa Levante, the city’s main beach.
For families, there are various attractions for days out in Benidorm with kids such as the waterpark Aqualandia, the zoological park MundoMar, and the theme park Terra Mitica.
If you’re looking for some entertainment, the Benidorm Palace is a popular venue with tourists, putting on a wide range of shows and concerts.
Villajoyosa
You’ll no doubt have seen plenty of Pueblos Blancos in Spain, but there aren’t many colourful villages!
One of our favourite day trips from Alicante is Villajoyosa (or La Vila Joiosa in Valenciano), a coastal town approximately 30 mins from Alicante. The main attractions here are the brightly coloured houses which you can find throughout the town. You can take a nice walk from the very top of the town, through the colourful streets, and end up down at the beach front. If it’s too for walking hot, there are plenty of carparks along the seafront and you can still see the main row of coloured townhouses that line the promenade.
A great way to see the sights of this amazing town is by joining a Free Walking Tour of Villajoyosa.
The seafront has a lovely promenade lined with some great bars and restaurants looking over the beautiful sandy beaches. You can walk in both directions to find some quieter areas as well as some great viewpoints.
The town is full of history and you can visit the well preserved ancient spa and the Iglesia-fortaleza de la Asunción church. There is even a Valor chocolate factory in the town – we’re saving this for a visit in the colder months!
Altea
If you are looking for a traditional white-washed Spanish village then you can also find one of those nearby! Head to the town of Altea which is around 40 minutes north of Alicante by car or just over an hour by bus. It is definitely one of the prettiest towns on the Costa Blanca, and one of the few Pueblos Blancos in this area.
The main attraction in Altea is the old town which is set high up on the hillside over looking the sea. The old town is made up of windy cobbled streets with white buildings, and the blue domed church Parròquia de Nostra Senyora del Consol.
The narrow streets are full of unique gift and clothes shops as well as plenty of fantastic seafood restaurants and tapas bars. You also have some amazing views from Altea’s old town out to sea. We enjoy sitting in the church square with a drink and some tapas just taking in the views and the old town atmosphere.
Down in the newer part of Altea town you have a pebbled beach with a long promenade and lots more restaurants and bars, as well as shops in the streets behind.
If you want a different view of Altea you can book onto a catamaran cruise to sail along the coast and see this beautiful town from out in the bay.
For Instagram lovers, you can book onto this great Altea Instagram Tour where you’ll be shown the most picturesque and ‘Instaworthy’ locations.
Calpe
Smaller than Benidorm, but still a beach town popular with tourists is Calpe, the traditional Spanish fishing village turned tourist town. Calpe is just a 45 minute drive to the north of Alicante and is known for its sandy beaches and traditional old town. You can also get a bus from Alicante to Calpe for around €8.
From the beach, and any high viewpoints in the town, you can see the Rock of Ifach rising from the sea. You can actually climb to the summit of the rock if you’re feeling adventurous but be warned that it’s supposed to be a very tough and dangerous climb! If you don’t fancy the climb, there’s a lovely marina next to an old fishing port where you can go on a boat ride around the rock instead.
There are also plenty of bars, restaurants, gift shops, and museums to spend your day out in Calpe, plus a beautiful old town with narrow streets, white buildings, and the famous “Spanish Steps” painted in the colours of the Spanish flag.
As you can see, if you decide to visit the Costa Blanca there are so many great choices for a day trip from Alicante that are only within an hour’s drive of the city! We’re sure you’ll find plenty to do and discover some new favourite places.
If you fancy a bit of a longer drive, we also have a blog post with places to visit within 3 hours of Alicante.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram if you want to see more of the Costa Blanca.
For more ideas of activities to book and places to visit on the Costa Blanca, check out Get Your Guide:
Do you have a favourite day trip from Alicante?
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Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.