RunCity

Alicante on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Alicante's best-known sights, including Basilica of Santa María, Postiguet Beach, Santa Bárbara Castle and more. It is about 5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Alicante leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 50 minRunning
Play Alicante in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Alicante
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0

Alicante's route stays close to the sea, about 5 km from the old quarter up to the castles and back through the centre. It starts at the Basilica of Santa María, the oldest church in the city, and Postiguet Beach right below the castle rock. Santa Bárbara Castle sits on Mount Benacantil; a lift inside the rock, entered opposite the beach, takes you up, and you can walk down through the bonus stop, the flower-pot lanes of the Santa Cruz quarter.

The blue-tiled dome of the Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas leads to the Explanada de España, the palm-lined promenade paved in a wavy mosaic. Canalejas Park, the fountain on Plaza de los Luceros and the modernist Central Market follow, and the route ends at San Fernando Castle on a second hill with the city below. Summer afternoons are hot, so the beach is a good break halfway.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Basilica of Santa María

    Basilica of Santa María

    The oldest church of the city, with its Baroque portal.

    Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. Postiguet Beach

    Postiguet Beach

    The city beach right below the castle rock.

    Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Santa Bárbara Castle

    Santa Bárbara Castle Photo

    The castle on Mount Benacantil, seen from the foot of the rock.

    Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Santa Cruz Quarter

    Santa Cruz Quarter Bonus Photo

    The colourful houses and flower pots of the Santa Cruz lanes.

    Photo: jenny downing from Geneva, Switzerland · CC BY 2.0

  5. Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas

    Co-Cathedral of St Nicholas Photo

    The cathedral's blue-tiled dome and its clean Herrerian front.

    Photo: Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Explanada de España

    Explanada de España Photo

    The wavy mosaic promenade under the palm trees.

    Photo: YaGeek · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. Canalejas Park

    Canalejas Park Photo

    The fountain of the piper boy among the palm trees of the park.

    Photo: Joanbanjo · CC BY-SA 3.0

  8. Plaza de los Luceros

    Plaza de los Luceros Photo

    The big fountain in the middle of the city's main roundabout.

    Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Central Market

    Central Market

    The modernist market hall with its stalls of fish, fruit and ham.

    Photo: Varondán · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. San Fernando Castle

    San Fernando Castle Photo

    The hilltop fortress with the city spread out below.

    Photo: Varondán · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Alicante in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Alicante on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Alicante is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Alicante?

    Open Alicante in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Alicante leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Basilica of Santa María and finishing at San Fernando Castle. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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