Spain
SidandHawas Review Of Alicante As A Destination For Muslims
Destination Review
OVERALL WE ENJOYED OUR SHORT BREAK TO ALICANTE IN FEBRUARY. WE WANTED A LITTLE BREAK AWAY FROM EVERYTHING TO RELAX BEFORE RETURNING BACK TO REALITY. ALICANTE IS A SMALL CITY WITH NOT A GREAT LOT TO DO. YOU WILL CONSTANTLY BUMP INTO PEOPLE FROM YOUR FLIGHT IN ALICANTE AS WE DID, AS ALICANTE IS THAT SMALL. THE CENTRE OF ALICANTE HOME TO SHOPS AND FOOD PLACES IS BUSTLING AND BUSY THROUGHOUT THE DAY INTO THE LATE EVENING. HALAL FOOD IS WIDELY AVAILABLE; HOWEVER A LOT OF PLACES SELL ALCOHOL AND SO THERE WAS ONLY ONE MAIN AREA WE WERE ABLE TO EAT HALAL FOOD IN WHERE THEY DID NOT SELL ALCOHOL (THERE IS A LIST BELOW OF HALAL FOOD PLACES IN ALICANTE THAT WE ATE AT). FOR A SHORT BREAK IT IS NICE, BUT IT IS IN OUR OPINION A ONETIME HOLIDAY AND WE ARE UNLIKELY TO RETURN AS EVERYTHING CAN BE DONE WITHIN 2 DAYS. THE MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN ALICANTE WERE ALICANTE OLD TOWN AND SANTA BARBRA CASTLE, WHICH WE ENJOYED. THERE ARE OTHER ATTRACTIONS SUCH AS MUSEUMS, BUT WE DIDN’T GO TO THESE PLACES. ALICANTE IS NICE TO WALK AROUND AND IS A FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE DESTINATION TO TRAVEL TO AS A FAMILY WITH KIDS, COUPLES, OR SINGLE PEOPLE, WITH FLIGHTS DEPARTING FROM ENGLAND TAKING AROUND 3 HOURS TO ARRIVE IN ALICANTE. THE WEATHER IN ALICANTE IN FEBRUARY WAS OKAY, IT WASN'T AS COLD AS ENGLAND BUT WE WOULD STILL RECOMMEND YOU BRING A JACKET AS IT GETS CHILLY TOWARDS THE EVENINGS. WE EXPERIENCED TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 8-13 CELSIUS DURING OUR STAY. OVERALL, WE WOULD RECOMMEND ALICANTE AS A VERY SHORT BREAK (2-3 DAYS) AS THAT IS ALL YOU NEED.
Alicante Gran Sol
On our trip to Alicante this was the first hotel we stayed at, and it definitely exceeded our expectations. To begin with we were able to check in late at night without any problems, as our flight landed quite late. The staff at the reception were great and helpful with any questions we had and checked us in quickly to our room. We had booked the standard double room and were delighted to find that although it was supposed to be a ‘budget’ hotel for the night, it was in fact such a spacious and clean room and even had a little balcony with a beautiful sea view for us to wake up to and enjoy.
We also included breakfast during our stay at this hotel, and it was amazing. The breakfast variety was one of the best we have seen during our stays around Europe, with delicious bakery treats, fresh juice, coffee, and tea for us Brits who need a cuppa to start the morning with and so much fruit. We especially enjoyed the waffles, maybe more so than we did in Brussels! We would 100% recommend booking a stay at this hotel for families and couples alike, it is budget friendly and worth every penny we spent. It is also very central to Alicante tourist spots and there is access to halal food very nearby. The only problem we faced is if you land at night like we do, the hotel can seem slightly hidden as it is not very clear that it is the hotel, but that aside we would definitely stay here again.
Spa Porta Maris
During our stay in Alicante we wanted to relax and so we booked this hotel for the remaining time that we were in Alicante. This hotel is also very central to Alicante tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants. The location is great as although it is on the ocean, it is also very easily walkable from the metro, which takes at the maximum 10 minutes to walk to the hotel, and it is also less than a 5 minute walk away from the bus stop that takes you directly to and from the airport. Upon arrival at this hotel we were amazed by the views you see as soon as you enter, as you can see in the pictures. The staff are also very welcoming and helpful, we checked in quite early but as the room was not ready, they offered to let us leave our belongings with them while we continued touring Alicante and came back later on to check into our room.
Our room was on the 5th floor as we had booked a premium deluxe room with sea view. This room was very clean and spacious, bigger than any hotel room we have visited in Europe so far. Our room also had a gorgeous sea view, at sunrise it was beautiful to experience the sun sitting on the sea, as you can see in the pictures. We had breakfast included in our stay and it was delicious! There was a range of fresh fruit, bakery delights, nuts, granola, and different types of drink and milk available for visitors. We thoroughly enjoyed breakfast here with the breath-taking morning views from the breakfast room. The hotel also had various facilities, such as an outdoor swimming pool which during February was still a bit cold for us to swim in, there is also a small gym we had access to and a spa which we paid a little extra for and enjoyed on our last day before we started to head back home. Special thank you to Miriam who was brilliant, she assisted us with a smile each and every time we had a question or needed something and was kind enough to guide us to other tourist spots around us and even suggested a day trip to Benidorm which we thoroughly enjoyed. We definitely recommend this hotel for those of you wanting to be closer to the beach and have access to amenities such as the swimming pool, gym, and spa. It's a bit higher in price compared to other hotels, but we enjoyed our stay and believe we got our money’s worth.
If the spa was included in the price for the hotel this would be a cherry on top. We were under the impression it was included when we booked this hotel.
Best Things To Do In Alicante
Best Things To Do In Alicante
