Alicante by motorhome: where to park and what to see in a day
Over the last few years I've been to Alicante many times, both by car and by campervan. And if I'm honest, the hardest question for me was never «what to see», but «where to park».
With a car it is easier. You can always use an underground car park. But for a motorhome that option is no longer available, so I will start precisely with the topic of parking. If it is your first trip, our guide on [to be translated] may also be useful to you renting a motorhome for the first time.
Where to park a motorhome in Alicante
Throughout my travels I have used two options.
The first one is next to the bus station.
Coordinates: 38.337936, -0.490426
It is the option I recommend to most travellers arriving in a motorhome.
Parking is free, there is usually plenty of space and the city centre is about a 10-15 minute walk away. The route goes past Alicante port, so the walk is quite pleasant. Along the way you can see yachts, catamarans and sailing boats, and the journey to the centre becomes part of the visit.
The second option is next to Postiguet Beach and Santa Bárbara Castle.
Coordinates: 38°20’45.6″N 0°28’37.6″W
I discovered this car park by chance. One of my clients travelled in a rented motorhome with me and, after finishing their route, decided to spend a couple of days more in Alicante. As they had to stay in an apartment and were carrying several suitcases, they asked me to collect the motorhome directly in the city. It was then that they sent me this location.
The location is really very convenient. The beach is just a short walk away. The lift to Santa Bárbara Castle, the old town and the promenade are also very close by.
However, personally I wouldn't rely on this car park as a first choice. It's not very big and there are always lots of people who want to park near the sea. If you arrive by mid-morning or around midday, it's possible that you won't find any free spaces left.
During our visit, the payment schedule was as follows:
Monday to Friday:
09:00–14:00 and 16:00–20:00
Saturdays:
09:00–14:00 and 16:00–20:00
Sundays and bank holidays:
free.
Before travelling, I recommend checking the up-to-date information at the car park itself, as the rules can change. If you are going to visit several destinations on the Costa Blanca, you might also be interested in knowing where to park up with a motorhome in Spain.
Our day in Alicante
On this occasion we arrived at about 10 in the morning. There were two adults and a 10-year-old child.
From the car park we head to the port. It is probably the area I like most in Alicante. Here you can see huge modern yachts, beautiful sailing boats and catamarans. From this point, trips to Tabarca Island and boat tours along the coast also depart.
After touring the port we went up to Santa Bárbara Castle.
This time we used the lift. If you're travelling in summer or with children, it's the option I recommend. The queue was small, about 10 minutes approximately.
We spent about an hour upstairs. We had a coffee, the boy rested, had a juice and something to eat. After the journey, taking that break did us the world of good.
The views from the top are really pretty. You can see the whole city, the harbour, the beach and the sea. In my opinion, Santa Bárbara is a must-see in Alicante. If you are going to continue the route, one of my favourite places is Altea in a motorhome.
Afterwards we went down and walked along the famous Explanada de España promenade.
On that day there was some kind of event and there were loads of people. In some sections it was even hard to move forward. But once we left the most crowded area behind, the atmosphere was much quieter.
On the way we bought an ice cream and had a rest for a while under the shade of a large tree by the harbour. In summer these kinds of breaks really help to recover your energy, especially when you are travelling with children.
Afterwards we had a stroll around the old town.
Honestly, I prefer Altea. I think the old village atmosphere feels stronger there. Even so, if you are visiting Alicante for the first time, it is worth strolling through these streets.
Afterwards we went to Postiguet beach.
The water was clean and calm, but there were quite a few people, even though it was a weekday in early June. If your main goal is to enjoy the beach, I would personally look for a quieter cove somewhere else along the coast. But after walking around the city for several hours, going for a swim was really nice. We continued our journey towards Calpe in a motorhome, another highly recommended stop on the Costa Blanca.
After swimming we ate at a café by the beach. By that point you could already feel that pleasant tiredness that stays after an intense day. We were sitting quietly in the shade, waiting for the food and resting.
If you are travelling with children, there is another interesting detail. Next to the port there are children's rides.
We had promised the boy that we would go at the end of the day. In the end, he spent about 40 minutes there and afterwards we continued our journey in very high spirits.
Is it worth visiting Alicante in a motorhome?
If you are travelling for several days, it is also worth getting to know the motorhome autonomy to better organise the stops and services.
Yes, it is worth it.
If any of my clients were to ask me whether Alicante should be part of a Costa Blanca itinerary, my answer would be yes.
But personally I wouldn't spend several days on the city.
We arrived at about 10 in the morning, visited everything we wanted to see, went for a swim, had lunch and at around 17:00 we continued our journey towards Calpe.
In my opinion, one day is more than enough to get to know Alicante.
For us it was a very pleasant stop on a route along the Costa Blanca. In a single day we were able to visit the main places of interest, enjoy the sea and continue our journey along the coast.
If you are planning to tour the Costa Blanca in a motorhome, if you haven't chosen a vehicle yet, you can view our options for motorhome hire in Alicante. And if you're planning a complete route, I also recommend reading the guide to hiring a motorhome.