Another weekend, another success. Though the weekend was spent mostly waterlogged, a friend and I had a really good time in Alicante exploring the town on our own and with our couch host. Looks like we really lucked out with this couchsurfing excursion, especially considering it was my friend’s first time surfing. Not only was out host very nice and picked us up from the bus station, but we each got our own room in his 3 bedroom apartment with queen size beds and views of the Castillo de Santa Bárbara perched on the tallest hill in Alicante.
After settling in we went out to a couchsurfing meetup group. I didn’t realize these existed but now I love them! We spent a few hours hanging out in a great, casual bar chatting with dozens of fellow travelers and explorers. We heard and shared some great stories from around the world and I was really inspired by all these people just doing what they loved – traveling and meeting new people.
A lovely cafe ticked between towering trees on the Rambla de Mendez Nunez. Must visit!
The next morning, we explored the castle. It was a quick walk from our host’s apartment. It was a fun place with a lot of floors to explore. The view from the castle was magnificent; you could see all of Alicante laid out around in panorama from the top of Mount Benacantil. We hung out Postiguet Beach and got some delicious juice from a little shack at the end of the boardwalk and then explored the small downtown on our way back to the host’s place.
It was a climb to get up there!
We found him!!!
I made a friend!
On our last day we only had a few hours before our afternoon bus back to Granada. Our host had the day free so he showed us a really cool gem, the Museo de Fogueres. Every year, Alicante hosts a bonfire festival where artists and laymen around the world create effigies to burn every year in the Spring. The effigies range from simple to elaborate but there is a special motivation to make the most intricate, beautiful, and symbolic statue. Each year, all the effigies are judges and the one judged to be the best is saved and displayed in this museum instead of saved. They were so amazing and creative!
Then we finished up with a misty walk through the Old Town of Alicante, where no cars can fit on the narrow, tile streets winding up along the side of Mt. Benacantil. The Barrio Viejo was lovely, the bright colors of the tiles and plants everywhere standing out starkly even in the dim overcast of the afternoon. After this venturing, Alicante is cemented in my mind as a beautiful place I would enjoy visiting over and over. The peaceful air, friendly people, good beaches and food have put this in my top list for favorite cities in Spain.
Slow Motion Doesn't Exist 