Alicante, Spain
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alicante_la_ciudad_26_dic_2010.jpg
Author: DreferComm
photo licensing

Alicante is the capital of the province of Alicante, on the southern part of the Valencian Community, in Spain. It covers 201.27 sq km (77.71 sq mi) and has a population of 334,000 people (2012 estimate), making it the second largest city in Valencian Community after the capital, Valencia.

View of Alicante, Spain, from the Castell de Santa Bárbara
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alicante_view_from_Castillo_4.JPG
Author: Superchilum
photo licensing

Human habitation in the Alicante area goes back 7,000 years. As early as 1,000 BC, Greek and Phoenician traders were already visiting the area, establishing trading settlements along the eastern coast of Spain. The earliest settlement in Alicante is believed to be Akra Leuka, established by the Carthaginian in the 3rd century BC. The settlement was later captured by the Romans, who ruled over Hispania Tarraconensis for some 700 years. At that time, Alicante was known as Lucentum.

Presbytery of the Basilica of Santa María, Alicante
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Basílica_de_santa_Maria_d%27Alacant,_presbiteri.JPG
Author: Joanbanjo
photo licensing

With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Alicante fell under the rule of the Visigoths. They in turn were replaced by the Moors, from the 8th to the 11th century. It became part of the Kingdom of Valencia in 1298.

Today Alicante establishes itself as a port for cruise ships, developing its tourism industry as its manufacturing base goes into decline. The city spreads out along the coast with the hill of Castell de Santa Bárbara looming over it.

Castell de la Santa Bárbara, Alicante
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castillo_Santa_Barbara.JPG
Author: Karolsl
photo licensing

Alicante on the map

Places of Interest in Alicante

  1. Alicante Town Hall

  2. Basilica of Santa María

  3. Castell de la Santa Bárbara

  4. Castell de Sant Ferran

  5. Ciudad de la Luz

  6. Església de Sant Nicolau

  7. Mercado Central de Alicante

  8. Museo Arqueológico de Alicante

  9. Santa Faz Monastery

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 Discover with Timothy Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Copyright © 2003-2024 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.