Welcome to Alicante, Spain

Santa Barbara Castle

     

What a pretty view isn't it?

I don't know about most of you but I have NEVER heard of Alicante until I decided to move there. I know what you're thinking, you must think I'm insane right? I mean who decides to just pick up and move to a country they have never been to and a town they have never heard of before! All I knew was that it was considered cheaper than a lot of the big cities and the university that I was planning to go to was considered a good school. What's even worse is that I never even looked up the place until my dad (the night before I was leaving) asked me a lot of questions about the town and I had no clue! Talk about being "responsible"... At that point, I didn't know if it was just me having hundred percent faith or just being utterly stupid. But it all worked out, which is the good thing!...right? 

Well, since I've been here for about 3 months, I think I have enough knowledge now to share some interesting things about Alicante in case you decide to come to Spain and want to visit more than just the big cities!

My Initial Thoughts upon Arrival

The first thing I thought when I arrived in Alicante, Spain was that it looked like a maze with its narrow streets and tall colorful buildings. My second thought was, "how the heck am I going to be able to navigate here, everything looks the same" and my third thought was... "I really should have learned some Spanish before coming here"! I mean the third was a given, who goes to a country to live for a while and doesn't read up or try to learn the official language before leaving...me (insert eye roll here). My excuse was that everyone from back home assured me that they spoke English in Spain but I've come to realize that it may be true for more of the bigger cities and around touristy attractions but not so much for the smaller towns. Most of the interactions that I have had consist of broken English and, on my part, broken Spanish or should I say Spanglish! But it's not so bad because a lot of the locals are very kind, understanding and welcoming. Moving on from that (on-going) struggle, my next thought was... "this town is not that pretty, and it's kind of dirty..." I'm not going to lie there's a lot of pigeon and dog poop on the sidewalks (the picture is deceiving lol)...So yah, Alicante is not the prettiest town but I will say it has its charms, I swear! There are some places and sceneries that are very beautiful.

Top Four Places to Visit 
Santa Barbara Castle - It has such a nice scenic view of the town, ocean, and mountains. It's also a great place to take BOMB pictures with a beautiful background! Not only does the castle provide beautiful scenery but it's also FREE, who doesn't like that?? Also, if you don't have a car to get up there, you can always walk and it's great exercise.

Playa del Postiguet - This beach is not too far from my place! When I first got here I was blown away by the view and just how nice it is. It is

definitely a tourist attraction! The water is very clear and usually warm. You can also get a nice view of the castle when you are in the water. It's even great to visit in the early morning to see the sunrise, which is just absolutely stunning and peaceful, or at night when the moonlight is reflecting on the water and you can hear the soothing sounds of the waves crashing into one another.

The Port/ Esplanade - There is a great view of the boats in the port and across from that is the esplanade, which is a popular tourist spot because of the cool marble-designed floors with lined up palm trees and many restaurants and little tent boutiques to enjoy. 

El Barrio - If you're looking for some fun nightlife then el Barrio is your place to go. Most of the clubs, bars, and other restaurants are there!

The Food

Paella

On to the most important part... the FOOD! Alicante is a fishing town and is known for its seafood, which I actually haven't had a lot of, and to be honest guys, the food is - well how do I put this nicely, quite disappointing. :( I was expecting Spanish food to be so flavourful but it seems like they're missing the seasoning on a lot of the food that I've tried. The only dish that I can say I've really enjoyed is a popular Spanish rice dish called Paella. It sounds a bit harsh (so much for putting it "nicely") but what can I say I need a little spice in my life. 

Next are the Cafes, which are literally on every street you turn. There are so many varieties to choose from that are quite tasty! I'll admit that the bakeries and deserts and also coffee (oh how Spanish people LOVE their coffee) make me want to give my food experience a second chance. The other day I tried this red velvet cake and I just felt like I died and went to heaven like that's how good it was! I've also become a big coffee drinker thanks to the nice espresso machine I have in my flat, that's a little off-topic...  But these cafes are also very affordable, even the ones that look fancier or have a great view are very "student-friendly" in the pockets, like Cafe Norway (which is the Cafe in this picture here). 

So to answer the question...Yes, it's a great view, you should come and visit!