Alicante - Something for everyone

By Charlotte Baker

The beautiful coastal city of Alicante, on the South East of Spain, is fast becoming one of the most popular areas to have a holiday or second home. Situated on the Costa Blanca – meaning ‘the white coast’ due to its large salt lakes – Alicante is the second largest city in the Land of Valencia. Gaining most of its income from tourism and the export of fruit and vegetables, the city is popular with expats and holidaymakers alike, making it the perfect place to live, work and holiday.

With plenty of stunning beaches, including three that have been awarded Blue Flag status, Alicante is the perfect place to relax. One of the Blue Flag beaches, Saladar also offers three golf courses, a tennis club and a riding club for those who prefer to spend their time being more active!

The Port of Alicante is the busiest leisure area in the city and here you can enjoy a evening out at the port’s numerous restaurants and bars, but if it’s nightlife you’re after, head down to ‘la zona’ in the south of the city where you will find many cafes, pubs, bars and nightclubs.
During the day you can catch a boat from the port and head to Isla de Tabarca, which boasts a small, clean pebble beach and a seabed carpeted in underwater plants, the perfect place to go to escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

One of the main reasons why people go to Alicante is for its golf courses and with eight of them in the city; there are plenty to choose from. One of the most popular is Alicante Golf, which is open all year round and offers classes for adults and children.

Alicante is also well known in Europe for its annual carnival which takes place on the weekend and days leading up to Ash Wednesday, it includes a parade with extravagant costumes and fireworks. The famous Alicante theatre hosts two performing arts festivals, the Open Air Theatre Festival in September and the Contemporary Spanish Theatre Festival in November.
In the last 30 years, property investments in Spain have performed better than any other country in the world, proving that buying a home in Alicante would certainly be a worthwhile investment. Research shows that there will be strong increase in house prices within the next 20 years, this is supported by the fact that the average home price in Spain has increased by nearly 175% over the past nine years.

A combination of the wonderful weather all year round, glorious beaches, cheap flights to the city’s airport and excellent investment opportunities make Alicante a brilliant choice when it comes to buying a home abroad.