Explanada de España, Alicante, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Explanada de España is the palm-lined seafront promenade of Alicante, running along the edge of the port in the old centre. Its wavy mosaic of red, black and cream marble tiles is one of the best-known sights in the city, and it is where locals and visitors come to stroll, sit in the shade and watch the harbour.

The story behind it

The Esplanade grew up as the city's showpiece walk by the sea, a place to see and be seen. Its present look, with the tiled waves underfoot and the rows of palms overhead, is the result of later rebuilding rather than a single original design. Today it works as Alicante's front room, linking the old town, the port and the beaches.

It also sits close to a painful chapter of the Spanish Civil War. Alicante was one of the last Republican-held cities and was bombed many times. On 25 May 1938, Italian aircraft flying for Franco's side bombed the area around the Mercado Central, a short walk from the promenade, and killed around three hundred people. In March 1939, as the war ended, thousands of Republican refugees crowded into the port hoping to leave by ship. The vessel Stanbrook sailed with a very large number of them, but many more were left behind, and many of those were later held at the Albatera camp nearby. The city still commemorates the victims of the 1938 bombing.

What to look for

• The marble mosaic underfoot forms a wave pattern in red, black and cream, and it looks best when you stop and view it along its length.
• The rows of palm trees frame the walk and give welcome shade on hot days.
• The view over the marina and the masts of the port shows how close the old town sits to the water.
• Look up from the seafront to the hill behind the city, where Santa Bárbara castle watches over the roofs.

Tips for your visit

• Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes for the promenade alone, longer if you stop for a drink or a sit by the harbour.
• Early morning and early evening are the most comfortable times, with softer light and cooler air.
• The Esplanade is an open public street, so you can walk it at any time without a ticket.
• The Mercado Central, the town hall area and Postiguet beach are all within a short walk, so it combines easily with the rest of the centre.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Alicante is a good way to see the Esplanade with a purpose. You reach it on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Alicante: The Secret Society of The Light takes a different route with a secret society theme. Here too you walk between the places yourself, hear about each one as you reach it and work out a puzzle from what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.