Guide to Gran Alacant, Gran Alacant Travel guide

Gran Alacant is on the Costa Blanca coast in mainland Spain it is a large residential tourism urbanisation, which has a friendly relaxed feel about it and here you can enjoy the fabulous climate, beautiful beaches and sand dunes that the area affords. It’s located on a hillside close to the sandy beaches and the area is just 15 km south of Alicante and 6 km from Santa Pola. Gran Alacant is a fairly small resort with a population of about 10,000 although this grows in the main holiday season. It’s easy to get around and has a charming, cosmopolitan air about it. It’s a beautiful location offering picturesque views and it’s popular with holidaymakers and golfers.

Gran Alacant is great for families

As Gran Alacant is on the Costa Blanca coastline, it’s hardly surprising to learn that the main attraction are the beaches. Gran Alacant’s main sandy beach, Playa Carabassi, is around 1.5 km wide with beach beds and umbrellas available during the summer months. It’s great for swimming, sunbathing or taking part in water sports and there is a water sports club too. The waves and warm winds here are ideal for a variety of water sports such as windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, stand-up paddle, kite surfing and paragliding being extremely popular.

There’s a large maritime promenade in Arenales del Sol, which is very popular with walkers, cyclists, and runners. Golf is popular here in Gran Alacant with numerous excellent golf courses dotted across the Costa Blanca coastline. The area, in general, offers a peaceful environment that is overflowing with beautiful and historic places to visit and explore.

Beautiful beaches in Gran Alacant

The beaches provides a safe haven for all the family as children can enjoy paddling in the shallow waters or having fun in the children’s playground. There are many walkways that lead to the beach with sand dunes providing shelter and you will see a variety of flowers, shrubs and trees offering natural shelter. During the summer months, there are beach bars serving drinks and snacks and you can enjoy lunch there al fresco style or, you can shop for goodies at the nearby shops and enjoy a picnic on the Blue Flag beach. The beach bars are called chiringuitos, in the summer they are lively and the atmosphere is chilled.

Sightseeing

You can take a walk in the natural parks or go bird watching and learn about the impressive saltwater lakes which produce about 700,000 tons of salt each year. On the road between Gran Alacant and Torrevieja there are stunning views of thousands of beautiful flamingos who live there in their natural habitat. The exciting historic cities of Elche and Alicante are close by meaning you can grab your culture fix and have a day away from the beach.

Alicante is just 10 minutes away with its historic old town and traditional squares with designer shops, plus museums and a majestic castle perched on the hilltop, which is one of the most admired in Spain. All of the family love a theme park and a must visit to the Pola Park should be on your list of things to do. There are around 30 attractions including boat rides and fairground rides as well as many restaurants where you can have a snack or take a picnic with you.

Visit the Barranc de l’Escolgador de Crist Nature Reserve which is close to the lighthouse and the views from the top as you can imagine are breathtaking and you can clearly see the Paragliders flying in the skies above you. You can take a walk in Clot de Galvany Nature Reserve set within 366 hectares with its still lakes and take in the rare and very beautiful species of flora and fauna.

As you’re walking you may also see some fossils, salt marsh plants, and an array of trees including pine, olive, fig and many other varieties. Animal lovers will be delighted to see hares, voles, shrews, lizards and snakes, and thrushes, warblers and woodpeckers. At the lake don’t be surprised to see ducks, plovers, moorhens and coots and other species. If you enjoy bird watching there are several areas with hidden bird boxes where you can watch the wildlife and how they behave in their natural environment.

Local markets and shopping

If you prefer to cook at home or need fresh food for a picnic, the traditional street market on Thursday mornings in Avenida Escandinavia is a great place to buy fruit, vegetables, and home-cooked produce as well as clothes, ceramics and souvenirs. The street markets are bustling affairs which are very popular with the Spanish residents and tourists who can buy local produce at great prices.

The local supermarkets are also good for buying fresh food such as bread, meat, fish, cheese, fruit and vegetables or head to the Centro Comercial Gran Alacant shopping centre on the outskirts of town.

Restaurants and nightlife in Gran Alacant

There are some wonderful restaurants serving up the Spanish favourite paella, super fresh fish and shellfish. Head to the nearest fishing port as there are some fabulous restaurants located there. Also there are international restaurants such as Chinese, Indian and English serving up delicious treats. Of course there are hamburger and pizza bars where you can grab a quick snack. There are plenty of bars from family friendly to bars with live music and DJs and there are some nightclubs for couples and friends to dance the night away. Gran Alacant caters for a wide variety of entertainment, all ages are considered and this is another reason as to why it’s suitable for couples, groups of friends and families. It’s not as lively as some resorts and for those that want a vibrant nightlife they can head to Alicante just 10 minutes away.

Getting to Gran Alacant

London to Alicante Airport which the closest airport to Gran Alacant, is a mere 2hours and 30 minutes flight away and from airport to resort is just an 8.1 mile drive. This resort is perfect for families with tiny tots and children who don’t want a long transfer after arriving in Spain. Transfers can be booked in advance by shuttle bus, private car hire, private transfer or taxi.

Once in Gran Alacant the local bus service can take you around all of the town and you can cover it in around 1 hour. Of course you can catch a bus to nearby resorts of Alicante, Santa Pola and Elche. Further afield for a few days away is Benidorm less than an hour and a half along the coast offers a nice contrast to the quietness of peaceful Gran Alacant.

Climate in Gran Alacant

Gran Alacant has a Mediterranean climate and the weather is often very sunny with an average of 325 days per year and has mild winters. The coolest month is January with average temperatures of 17°C and the warmest is August at 31°C. On this coast there is a cool breeze which makes the weather comfortable during the heat of the summer. During the winter the mountains protect the area from the cool winds and provide shelter. The most daily hours of sunshine are found in July with 11 hours per day.

Gran Alacant offers a delightful, relaxed and picturesque resort which is close to busier resorts offering the best of both worlds. It’s a super little hideaway to invest in property for sale in Gran Alacant and enjoy long summer holidays with your loved ones, friends and family.

Apartments for sale in Gran Alacant, Spain
Property for sale in Gran Alacant, Spain
Property for sale in Spain