Alicante has kilometers of beaches. Longest, the main beach "Playa de San Juan" is 7 kilometers long. Starting from south the "El Saladar Beach" is mostly know by only locals and therefore its the quietest. "Postiguet Beach" is the beach in the city center. Great beach if you don't mind the crowd.
The city has over 300,000 inhabitants and is one of the quickest-growing communities in Europe. There's been population in the area for thousands of years which you'll notice from its rich culture and old buildings in the old town, for example the city castle "Castillo de Santa Barbara" that sit on a hill near the city center.
Official languages spoken are spanish and valencian. Most of the locals and almost all tourism related persons speak english and/or german so you won't likely have troubles communicating.
Nightlife at the city centre offers you restaurants, bars, clubs, pubs, taverns and so on.. During the summer nightlife will be centered on the main beach, 7 kilometer long "Playa de San Juan".
Alicante has a good selection of hotels and apartments. Two most famous hotels are Meli? Alicante hotel at the harbor and Tryp Gran Sol hotel which is the highest building in Alicante. Both are very good hotels that a lot of people can recommend. They are 4 star hotels.
If you are looking for true luxury you should stay at Sidi San Juan hotel or at Hotel Hospes Amerigo. Sidi San Juan is located right on the largest beach of Alicante. Hotel Hospes Amerigo is located near the Santa Barbara Castle. While they are different they both offer exellent service.
The cheapest way of Getting around Alicante is by public transport. Short distances are easy to travel by bus or tram. Alicante airport is near the city and has good bus connections. If you want to travel to other cities in the region or just want to cruise around the city you should consider renting a car.
Alicante is very well served around Europe. Most of the flights come from UK and Germany. During summer holidays flights are often fully booked. Remember to book your flight early because its hard to get seat on short notice. There are some cheap airlines flying directly to Alicante. Its usually cheaper to book your ticket online and from some travel agency than directly from airline.
