Evening strolls are so ingrained in Spanish culture, they even have a word for it: “paseo”. Enjoy a perfect paseo along the Explanada de España, the promenade that begins at the busy Alicante port and winds along the coast. More than 6 million marble tiles make up its patterned surface. Red, white and black designs represent the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. The path is busy day and night with people out for a stroll and admiring the view along different points of the route.
Arrive early and enjoy a coffee at one of the many cafés that line the promenade. Get here early enough and you may even be able to watch as the sky glows with the sunrise. Bask in the morning sun and watch people beginning their day. See vendors setting up their stalls along the promenade, preparing drinks, snacks and displays of handmade souvenirs. Listen to traditional Spanish music carrying through the air from local street performers. As the sun rises higher, enjoy the shade of four rows of palm trees that run along the esplanade and the cool, ocean breeze. At one end of the esplanade you can see a monument to Mark Hersch, a local artist.
Once the sun has set, the esplanade begins to glow with romantic lighting that illuminates the path. Catch an open-air concert in the music pavillion in the warmer months and dance the night away with other visitors and residents. Treat yourself to an ice cream and take in the wide ocean vista of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Explanada de España starts at Alicante Harbour and is easy to reach on foot or by tram from the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods. Parking is available along the esplanade but is limited, so arrive early if you want to secure a spot.
