The best day trips from Alicante

Alicante makes a fine base: within the hour you can stand on an island, among two hundred thousand palms or in a mountain village on a rock. Six day trips worth taking, including how to get there.

1. Tabarca, the region’s only inhabited island

From Alicante’s harbour the boat sails to Tabarca in an hour: once a hideout for corsairs, now a car-free islet with a walled village, a lighthouse and crystal-clear water. The sea around it was Spain’s first protected marine reserve, so bring your snorkel. Stay for lunch: caldero, the fishermen’s stew with rice, is the dish here.

2. Elche and the palm grove

Twenty minutes by train and you are walking beneath Europe’s largest palm garden, El Palmeral, laid out in Moorish times and now World Heritage. The Huerto del Cura is the finest part, with the eight-armed imperial palm as its star. Combine it with the basilica where the Misteri is performed in August; more on that in our fiesta overview.

3. Guadalest, the village on the rock

An hour’s drive inland lies El Castell de Guadalest, its bell tower on a rocky peak above a turquoise reservoir. Go early, ahead of the coaches from Benidorm. Why the drive is worth it is in our villages guide.

4. Altea, by tram

The TRAM line along the coast is an outing in itself: you trundle past bays and resorts to Altea, take the steps to the white church square and settle down with a sea view. No parking stress, and on the way you can hop off in Villajoyosa for the coloured houses and the chocolate factory.

5. The Carrascal de la Font Roja

Near Alcoy lies one of the region’s best-preserved Mediterranean forests, a natural park with shady walking routes around an old sanctuary. In summer it is ten degrees cooler than the coast; exactly then is when you want to be here.

6. Santa Pola and the salt lakes

Half an hour south lie the salt pans of Santa Pola, pink lakes where flamingos winter and salt is still harvested. Cycle or drive the loop past the bird hides and finish on the promenade with fried fish. Energy left? The boat to Tabarca also sails from here, a shorter crossing than from Alicante.

About the authorMilo Schuijt

Milo Schuijt is an entrepreneur and DJ on the Costa Blanca. He writes about the places where he lives, works and plays: from beach bars to the housing market.