Alicante and Port vell

Any advice on doing your own thing wife in wheelchair in walking distance Alicante and port vell barcalona:D sailing on Azura july

Hi

I live in Alicante.

What you can do depends how long you are there and what interests you

It is quite pleasant to just walk around the city - especially around the marina and Explanada de España.

There is a lift (elevator) going up to the castle but your wife might find it difficult to get around up there in a wheelchair and she would not be able to see the wonderful views.

Let me know the sort of things you like to do and how long your ship is in port and I will try to suggest something.

Many thanks for your input it's my 69 birthday july15 :D that's the day we are there so just a look around and a drink or 2 :)

Take the port shuttle bus to the port gate - I am fairly sure the buses have wheelchair access.

Here is a map of the area around the cruise port.

When you get off the bus you will see a large casino opposite the Melia Alicante hotel. Behind the casino is the Marina - a good place for a coffee or glass of wine.

You will also see on the map the Esplanada de España. This a nice area to walk along

You could walk along Avinguda Conde de Vallellano (road marked in yellow) then back along the Esplanada or vice versa

Take the port shuttle bus to the port gate - I am fairly sure the buses have wheelchair access.

 

Here is a map of the area around the cruise port.

 

 

When you get off the bus you will see a large casino opposite the Melia Alicante hotel. Behind the casino is the Marina - a good place for a coffee or glass of wine.

 

You will also see on the map the Esplanada de España. This a nice area to walk along

 

 

You could walk along Avinguda Conde de Vallellano (road marked in yellow) then back along the Esplanada or vice versa

 

 

Hello!

We will be in Alicante on HAL, 10/26/15 from 8am-2:30pm. It is our first time here so we would like to stroll the Esplanada and perhaps enjoy the view from Castle Santa Barbera. Would we also have time to take a taxi to Elche to visit the gardens? If so, is a taxi the best way to get there?

Thank-you!

Hello!

 

We will be in Alicante on HAL, 10/26/15 from 8am-2:30pm. It is our first time here so we would like to stroll the Esplanada and perhaps enjoy the view from Castle Santa Barbera. Would we also have time to take a taxi to Elche to visit the gardens? If so, is a taxi the best way to get there?

 

Thank-you!

Yes, you should have enough time depending how long you spend in Elche. Apart from a ship's excursion or hiring a car the only way to visit Elche is really by taxi. I don't know how much it would cost because I have never taken a taxi there.

I would suggest you visit Elche first then you will know how much time you have left for the castle and Esplanada. If short of time you can miss out the castle and just walk around the Esplanada and Marina as they are very close to the port bus back to the ship.

Yes, you should have enough time depending how long you spend in Elche. Apart from a ship's excursion or hiring a car the only way to visit Elche is really by taxi. I don't know how much it would cost because I have never taken a taxi there.

 

I would suggest you visit Elche first then you will know how much time you have left for the castle and Esplanada. If short of time you can miss out the castle and just walk around the Esplanada and Marina as they are very close to the port bus back to the ship.

 

Thanks so much. This info is very helpful.:)

Hi

 

I live in Alicante.

 

What you can do depends how long you are there and what interests you

 

It is quite pleasant to just walk around the city - especially around the marina and Explanada de España.

 

There is a lift (elevator) going up to the castle but your wife might find it difficult to get around up there in a wheelchair and she would not be able to see the wonderful views.

 

Let me know the sort of things you like to do and how long your ship is in port and I will try to suggest something.

 

Maybe you can help me with my DIY plan. I had planned on taking the HOHO bus but it does not run on Monday in April.

1. Can I walk from the dock to the castle lift?

2. Can I walk up to the castle from the port?

3. I would like to head next to the Mercado Central. What would be the best way and what could I see on the way? Walk/bus /taxi?

4. From there to walk the Esplanade?

5. I heard that there is a tram to CALPA DENIA. What would I see there and is it worth the time and effort?

Thanks for your answers and any additional tips

Maybe you can help me with my DIY plan. I had planned on taking the HOHO bus but it does not run on Monday in April.

 

1. Can I walk from the dock to the castle lift? Yes, turn right on the main road past Hotel Melia Alicante and the lift is on the left hand side.

 

2. Can I walk up to the castle from the port? Yes, but it is quite a steep hill

 

3. I would like to head next to the Mercado Central. What would be the best way and what could I see on the way? Walk/bus /taxi? You can walk to the mercado but bear in mind it closes at 2.30. A lot of the market starts packing up about 1pm so I would recommend getting there before then

 

4. From there to walk the Esplanade? Yes, you walk back the way you went to the market

 

5. I heard that there is a tram to CALPA DENIA. What would I see there and is it worth the time and effort? There is a tram to Benidorm where you can change onto a train to Calpe and Denia. To go all the way to Denia is a long journey and not really worth it if time is short. There used to be a station at the marina close to the cruise port but that is no longer there. It is a nice ride along the beach road to El Campello (where I live). I suggest you get the tram from the stop Mercado near the market or from MARQ which is not far from the castle.

 

 

Thanks for your answers and any additional tips

To do all this you will need to get a street map or look on Google maps.

Depending how long you are in port I would suggest the following

1. Take the shuttle bus to the port gate and take the lift up to the castle.

2. After the castle go to MARQ station and take the tram to El Campello (line 1 if you do not intend to get off at any intermediate stops or line 3 if you may want to get off - both lines do the same journey but line 1 has fewer stops and is faster)

3. Walk along the paseo (promenade by the sea) in Campello. Perhaps have some lunch there overlooking the sea before returning, by tram, to Alicante. We have a wonderful beach here.

4. Get off the tram at Mercado station. It is unlikely you will be there before they close but, apart from the building itself, unless you want to buy food, I don't think it is worth time to visit the market. From Mercado walk back towards the sea and walk along the Esplanada and around the marina before catching the bus back to the ship.

As I said, you will need a map to do all this.

[. We have a wonderful beach here.

 

4. Get off the tram at Mercado station. It is unlikely you will be there before they close but, apart from the building itself, unless you want to buy food, I don't think it is worth time to visit the market. From Mercado walk back towards the sea and walk along the Esplanada and around the marina before catching the bus back to the ship.

 

As I said, you will need a map to do all this.

 

[/size][/font]

Firstly thanks for the information but a few clarification questions?

.

How do I walk from the Castle to the Mercado?

How long of a walk is it from the Mercado to the Esplanade?

Firstly thanks for the information but a few clarification questions?

.

How do I walk from the Castle to the Mercado?

 

How long of a walk is it from the Mercado to the Esplanade?

As I said, to do all this you need a street map of the city. Have a look on Google Maps.

To walk from the castle to the market you walk down the hill then along Carrer de Vazquez de Mella and Av de Jaime II into Av. Alfonso el Sabio. Total distance about 1 1/2 miles. Alternatively you could get on the tram at MARQ station and travel one stop to Mercado. Another alternative would be a taxi. I have no idea of taxi costs as I never use them in Alicante. Most places are within walking distance.

From the market to Esplanada walk down Rambla Méndez Núñez. It is about 1/2 mile.

As I said before, I would not bother with the market. There are more interesting things to see and do. Why were you thinking of going there? It is not like La Boqueria in Barcelona.

As I said, to do all this you need a street map of the city. Have a look on Google Maps.

 

To walk from the castle to the market you walk down the hill then along Carrer de Vazquez de Mella and Av de Jaime II into Av. Alfonso el Sabio. Total distance about 1 1/2 miles. Alternatively you could get on the tram at MARQ station and travel one stop to Mercado. Another alternative would be a taxi. I have no idea of taxi costs as I never use them in Alicante. Most places are within walking distance.

 

From the market to Esplanada walk down Rambla Méndez Núñez. It is about 1/2 mile.

 

As I said before, I would not bother with the market. There are more interesting things to see and do. Why were you thinking of going there? It is not like La Boqueria in Barcelona.

 

Thanks again.

The reason for the market is that it appears on all the guides for the city and that we like markets and local crafts but I might give it second thoughts now

Thanks again.

 

The reason for the market is that it appears on all the guides for the city and that we like markets and local crafts but I might give it second thoughts now

Maybe because we live here and we have so many markets that I don't consider it a place tourists may want to visit. It is an interesting building but it is just a food market - meat, fish, vegetables etc. Unless you are interested in buying food I would not bother with it if you have limited time in Alicante.

The nearest general market I can think of which is open on a Monday is Santa Pola. This is about 15 miles south of Alicante. I have never been to this market so I cannot really advise whether it is worth a visit or not.

What other ports of call do you have? Are you going to Barcelona? The Boqueria on Las Ramblas is well worth a visit but again is mainly food.

what other ports of call do you have? Are you going to Barcelona? The Boqueria on Las Ramblas is well worth a visit but again is mainly food.

 

[/size][/font]

This is our only Spanish port and I have been to La Bouqueria.

So we will probably skip the Mercado.

Thanks for the heads up

Thank you for the map and the advice about how to walk around Alicante. We will be there in early May and this will be very helpful for us.

Is there a local wine or food that we should try?

Thank you for the map and the advice about how to walk around Alicante. We will be there in early May and this will be very helpful for us.

 

Is there a local wine or food that we should try?

Typical food in Alicante is various rice or noodle (fideu in Valenciano) dishes. Many believe that Alicante is the home of paella. Others claim that it is from Valencia.

Another dish to look out for is Arroz a Banda which is a rice dish with fish broth, saffron, paprika, and tomato puree. It is a sort of poor man's paella as it is mainly flavoured rice with very little meat or fish.

Alicante is on the coast so any fish or shellfish dishes are usually good.

We have several good wines here in Alicante but my favourite comes from nearby Jumilla in Murcia. It is a red wine called Juan Gil Jumilla. If you like full bodied reds try to get hold of the 2007. It will cost around €10-12 a bottle.

There are a couple of local sweets to look out for. One is a brand of chocolate called Valor. You will see these all over Spain but they are made in Villajoyosa just up the coast from Alicante.

The other sweet is called Turrón. It is made of honey and egg white with toasted nuts. It is similar to nougat and is delicious.

There are two types. Turrón de Alicante is hard and brittle. Turrón de Jijona (Jijona is another town in Alicante province) is soft and chewy.

Turrón is traditionally eaten here at Christmas and is seen in shops everywhere but it is also available (and eaten) the rest of the year. Look out for it.

Again, thank you. I have copied your response so we will have it handy in Alicante. We don't eat rice, but love seafood. We will look for the wine! And certainly find the turron. I want to try both kinds.

Since you are being so kind, how about reasonable seafood restaurants near the port? Doesn't have to be fancy. Doesn't have to be on the water. Just good food.

Again, thank you. I have copied your response so we will have it handy in Alicante. We don't eat rice, but love seafood. We will look for the wine! And certainly find the turron. I want to try both kinds.

 

Since you are being so kind, how about reasonable seafood restaurants near the port? Doesn't have to be fancy. Doesn't have to be on the water. Just good food.

My first choice would be La Marisqueria del Barrio in a small pedestrian street off La Rambla but, unfortunately, I don’t think it is open during the day which is what I presume you would want.

Another option is Pesca Al Peso. This is near the town hall. I have not eaten there but have heard they serve good seafood.

There is another fish restaurant in a square just off the Esplanada but I cannot remember the name. I will have a look next time I am in town.

One thing to mention is that specialist seafood restaurants tend to be expensive. Most ordinary restaurants have at least one fish dish on the menu so you might like to have a walk around and find a restaurant that you like the look of and see what fish dishes they have. There are several restaurants around the marina behind the casino.

Names to look out for in fish are

merluza (hake), lenguado (sole), lubina (sea bass), trucha (trout), dorada (bream), rape (monkfish), rodaballo (turbot), pulpo (octopus), calamares (squid)

Names of some shellfish are

almejas (clams), cangrejo (crab), gambas (prawns), bogavante (lobster), mejillónes (mussels),

When are you there? What day of the week and what time do you arrive and leave?

You are right, cruise is only there during the day, so it would be lunch.

SunMay 10, 2015Alicante, Spain

8:00-4:00 pm

We would probably choose an ordinary restaurant and try some of the foods you mention. Drink a glass of wine or local beer. Then find a

Store to buy a bottle of Juan Gil Jumilla wine.

As it is a Sunday most shops will be closed so buying wine will be difficult.

As it happens, a couple of years ago before a cruise we found this Jumilla in Total Wine in Ft Lauderdale.

We are leaving from FLL so can check that out. Thanks. I hadn't even realized it was a Sunday.