Spain’s City of Light: Alicante’s History and Highlights

(98 reviews)

Alicante audio tour: Spain’s City of Light: Alicante’s History and Highlights

This is a 2.4mi walking tour

It takes an average of 120 mins to complete.

Alicante

Spain

$11.99

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About the Tour

What do a large catch of sardines, a princess, and a brave Welsh sailor have in common? You’ll soon find out on this walking tour of Alicante, where the history and culture of this enchanting Mediterranean city come alive.

Our adventure begins at the striking El Adivinador sculpture, something of an icon in the city, symbolising Alicante’s hopeful spirit. From there, you’ll walk through the picturesque Explanada de España, a promenade adorned with majestic palm trees and colourful mosaic tiles.

I’ll show you key sites from the medieval era, like Alicante City Hall and Plaza Santa Faz. On the way, you’ll bear witness to the dramatic aftermath of the 1691 French Navy attack that literally left Alicante in ruins. We’ll pass the historic Basilica Santa Maria and you’ll have a chance to dive into the Central Market’s noise and array of sights and smells.

At the Bonfire Museum, you’ll find out about the exciting Hogueras Festival and learn about Alicante’s unique Tardeo tradition, which gave rise to its nickname, ‘the City of Light’.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Discover the heroic tale of the HMS Stanbrook’s Welsh captain during the Spanish Civil War
Admire Casa Carbonell, an architectural gem with a story of revenge behind its beauty
Learn about the dramatic 1938 bombing of the Central Market, where over 300 people lost their lives at the Plaza 25 de Mayo
Walk down Calle Jorge Juan, named after Alicante’s very own Indiana Jones, and hear about some of his exploits
See traces of the city’s nearly millennium-long Islamic history, and hear the tragic story about the Caliph behind the “Face of the Moor” in the mountain
Find out how Alicante’s cuisine has been transformed by unique fruits and spices from its Islamic past
Peek behind the curtain of Alicante’s history and discover the roots of its tourist industry

This tour offers an engaging blend of history, culture, and local allure, making Alicante an unforgettable destination for any traveller. Join us and experience the essence of Alicante and its people through its rich stories and lively traditions.

The Hogueras Celebration in Alicante

Tour Producer

Iain & Anabel Wicks

2 tours

Iain and Anabel are the creators of This is Alicante, an independent platform dedicated to documenting the history, culture and contemporary life of Alicante City. As full-time residents living in the centre of Alicante, they research and publish detailed articles on the city’s neighbourhoods, architecture, Civil War shelters, maritime heritage and evolving food scene.

Their self-guided audio tours are based on original research and extensive on-the-ground exploration. Each route is carefully structured to provide historical context and narrative depth, allowing visitors to understand how Alicante developed from its medieval foundations beneath Santa Bárbara Castle into the modern Mediterranean city it is today.

Anabel, originally from Gijón (Asturias), provides the Spanish narration, ensuring linguistic accuracy and cultural nuance. Iain narrates the English version, offering clear and engaging storytelling for international visitors.

Before moving into the IT sector, Iain trained and worked as a chef, developing a strong appreciation for Spanish produce and culinary traditions — an insight that informs their coverage of markets, gastronomy and daily life in Alicante.

In addition to their published tours, they are open to commissioned audio projects, content licensing and collaborative digital storytelling initiatives focused on Alicante and the wider Costa Blanca region.

Preview Location

Location 49

Plaza 25 De Mayo

We are in Plaza Veinte-Cinco de Mayo (25th of May).

Close to the rear entrance of the building, you'll see a square metal plaque on the floor. Make your way there and stop.

Look around you....This square is usually very lively. When the market is open there are very pret... We are in Plaza Veinte-Cinco de Mayo (25th of May).

Close to the rear entrance of the building, you'll see a square metal plaque on the floor. Make your way there and stop.

Look around you....This square is usually very lively. When the market is open there are very pretty flower stalls on the south side, while at the back of the square, there's a busy bar known for it's no-nonsense and slightly abrupt service then beneath your feet is the fruit and vegetable market hall.

You might be wondering about the significance of the name of this square; the 25th of May. Well, it's a day that will be etched in the memory of this market forever. Rewinding to the Spanish Civil War, Alicante, being a republican city and opposed to General Franco, faced a lot of bombing raids. On May 25, 1938, at 11:20 in the morning, during the market's busiest hour, one of the deadliest bombing attacks of the civil war unfolded right here.

Earlier that morning at ten past eight, nine Italian planes took off from the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. Even though the Spanish Civil War was classed as a civil war, Italy and Germany were also involved on the side of General Franco. Coincidentally, around the same time as the nine planes departed from Mallorca, an unusually large catch of sardines arrived at the harbour in Alicante. Times were hard and word spread around the city quickly about the haul of fresh fish. So, the sardines were quickly packed into boxes and rushed to the market for the awaiting housewives. This meant that the market was even busier than it would normally have been.
Then, suddenly, as the market buzzed with chatter and people were going about their business, without any warning or siren, the first bombs came smashing down onto the building with a deafening roar followed by more and more bombs (90 in total). The market hall and the streets all around it were turned into a scene of chaos and destruction. People screaming in amongst the explosions and the noise of the buildings collapsing all around. Smoke and debris flying through the air in every direction, women clutching their children trying to shield them and men stumbling, covered in blood and completely disorientated. It was also heavily reported by witnesses that after releasing the last of the bombs, some of the planes swooped down and shot at people randomly.

Even though there were air raid sirens in the city at the time and bomb shelters there was no warning alarm that particular morning so the attack was a complete surprise. It's thought that the planes had flown around the back of the city and then launched the attack from inland thus evading detection.
The casualties of the attack were enormous, the exact death toll remains unknown due to the extent of the carnage with bodies literally being blown to pieces, but it's estimated that between 275 and 393 people lost their lives, and over a thousand more were injured.

This plaque on the floor serves as a memorial to all those who perished on that horrific day. The memorial consists of nine squares, representing the nine fascist planes, ninety black dots, one for each bomb, and 330 tiny red lights.

So that's why this square bears the name 25th May. If you did go inside the market's main entrance you may have seen the old market clock in a glass case that stopped at 11:20 just as the first bomb fell onto the market.

Now, facing the market's rear door, let's descend the steps on our right and head across the pedestrian crossing to the street you'll see ahead of you. Read More

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Major Landmarks

El adivinador
Busto del capitán del 'Stanbrook'
El regreso de Icaro con su ala de surf
Plaza de Francisco Tomás y Valiente
Peret Terrace
Casa Carbonell
Alicante Town Hall Square
Alicante City Hall
Basilica of St Mary of Alicante
MACA Contemporary Art Museum of Alicante
Plaça de la Santissima Faç
Cocatedral de Sant Nicolau de Bari d'Alacant
Palau del Portalet
Plaza de San Cristobal
Bonfire Museum
Mercat Central d'Alacant
Plaza 25 de Mayo
Ruperto Chapi Statue
Teatre Principal d'Alacant
Meeting Point Plaza Nueva Welcome to Alicante
Plaza Nueva Park
Parròquia de la Mare de Déu de Gràcia
Plaza Calvo Sotelo
Refugi Plaça Doctor Balmis
Plaça Gabriel Miró
Portal de Elche Park
Hotel Alicante Gran Sol Affiliated by Meliá
Passeig de l’Esplanada d'Espanya

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Pl. Prta del Mar, 579, 03002 Alicante (Alacant), Alicante, Spain
Total distance

4km
Final location
Passeig Esplanada d'Espanya, 03001 Alacant, Alicante, Spain
Distance back to start location

240.33m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts at the "El Adivinador" sculpture just outside the tourist information office. It's easy to find. If you need to ask directions then just ask someone to point you towards the beach and you will find the very distinctive sculpture just before you get to the beach

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

If you're interested in doing a tapas crawl during your visit to Alicante here's a link to a great one that we discovered one night with friends.

For cocktails see this post

and for really cheap eats: try D'tablas or 100 Montaditos

Best time of day

Alicante is a very safe city. You can start the tour at any time of the day. Different times of the day will showcase different aspects of the city. For example, if you do the tour in the evening you will see the nightlife in Alicante come to life but If you want to visit the market during opening hours you should start the tour before midday.

Precautions

Remember to take a bottle of water with you and stay in the shade if the sun is hot. There are plenty of opportunities to sit and order a drink or a tapa during the tour.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”