Walking through history in Alicante

Alicante is a beautiful small beach city with grand historic buildings, traditional Spanish squares, chic marina and a long sandy beach.

It’s just 12kms from Alicante airport, which is used by many budget airlines, so you can enjoy a bargain weekend in the city.
Easy city to walk around

The city centre is compact so you can easily stroll from the beach to the main attractions within a few minutes. Spain-Holiday has chosen a route where you can enjoy the sights as you stroll around this charming Mediterranean port.

Alicante marina
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The museum is packed with information and hands-on experience of the longest and most challenging round-the-world yacht race. The race starts in Alicante in October for the third time.
Beach life

As you walk towards the centre of Alicante, you will see the long sandy Postiguet beach to your right. Cafes and restaurants line the beach so it is a favourite spot for a coffee or lunch as well as topping up your tan or having a swim.7245 Fill 670 0 300x152 Walking through history in Alicante

Paseo Explanada de Espana, Alicante

We’re going to turn left to walk along the iconic Paseo Explanada de Espana, which is one of the most beautiful seaside promenades in Spain.

Thousands of small red, black and cream marble tiles have been used to create the boulevard so that it resembles the waves in the sea.
Elegant Explanada de Espana

Many cafes and restaurants can be found along the Explanada, so it is a great time to visit at any time of day. Evening is popular with many people as you can have a stroll along the elegant street lined with palm trees while deciding which restaurant to dine in.7246 Fill 670 0 300x211 Walking through history in Alicante

Calle Mayor, Alicante

Off the promenade on the right is the Calle San Telmo leading to the delightful Calle Mayor. Here you will find the Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA) in the Plaza Santa Maria.

The museum houses a great collection of 20th century art including works by Picasso, Miro, Dali, Max Ernst, Cocteau and Bacon.

In this square you can also visit Alicante’s oldest active church, the Basilica of Santa Maria. It’s a beautiful Gothic church built in the 14th to 16th centuries on the site of a former mosque.7247 Fill 670 0 300x122 Walking through history in Alicante

Alicante old town, marina and port

Head down Calle Niagara and you will come to another great Alicante landmark, the Museum of Fine Arts (MUBAG), housed in a former palace dating from the 18th century in Calle Gravina.
Take a trip to the town hall

Along Calle Mayor is also the elegant 18th century Alicante town hall in the Plaza de l‘Ajuntament. It is a striking Baroque building with interesting columns on the two towers.

Look out for the Salon Azul styled from the time of Queen Isabel of Spain and the Cota Cero on the main staircase which is the reference point from which Spain’s cities are measured in metres above sea level.

Heading back on to the Explanada we keep walking alongside the marina with its gorgeous sleek yachts.7248 Fill 670 0 300x165 Walking through history in Alicante

Typical Alicante plaza or square

Turn right up Avenida Dr Gadea to the Plaza Calvo Sotelo, a pretty square full of trees where you can relax or enjoy a coffee for a while.
Quality streetCalle San Francisco, Alicante, with childlike giant mushrooms

Around the square are many interesting shops including a fabulous sweet shop, Tienda Fini, with the brightest-coloured sweets you have ever seen including jelly babies, jelly beans, chocolates and mini tennis balls.

On the corner of this shop is the fascinating Calle San Francisco. A few years ago, this was pretty run down but it’s now a surreal pedestrianised street with giant mushrooms, ants and snails dotted around.

The road is a great place for dining out as various restaurants and bars have set up here including traditional cafes, a cupcake café, tapas bars, Italian restaurants and a sushi bar.7249 Fill 300 0 251x300 Walking through history in Alicante

This leads you to what is arguably Alicante’s finest and best-known square, the Plaza Portal de Elche, built in the 19th century as a water supply and meeting point.
Old-fashioned air

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There’s a lovely old-fashioned kiosk in the square where you can read the newspapers and order a coffee. There are some beautiful old, protected trees with gnarled trunks twisted into interesting shapes.

Plaza de Portal Elche, Alicante

The square leads you to the Rambla Mendez Nunez, a famous street for restaurants and shopping.
Fine example of Spanish Baroque

San Nicolas cathedral, alicante

7251 Fill 300 0 169x300 Walking through history in AlicanteHeading up the Rambla, away from the sea, you can turn left into Calle Teatro to visit Alicante’s splendid principal theatre, in Plaza Ruperto Chapi, which stages world-famous plays and operas or turn right into Calle Miguel Soler for San Nicolas cathedral.

San Nicolas cathedral, in Plaza de Abad Penalva, was built over an ancient mosque in the 17th century. Worth seeing are the Holy Communion chapel which is considered to be one of the finest examples of Spanish Baroque and the distinctive blue dome, which is 45 metres high.

If you go back along the Rambla up to the busy Avenida Jaime II, you can visit the central market with stalls brimming with fresh fruit, vegetables, fish of all shapes and sizes, meat and home-made sausages.

Outside the main entrance are two traditional kiosks selling local turron, similar to nougat, while there is a colourful flower stall on the other side of the market with an amazing choice of flowers and trees.

This fascinating building looks far too grand to house a traditional market with its rectangular floor plan styled like a basilica and Modernist features.

From here you can see the imposing Alicante castle which looms over the town from a lofty height of 166 metres. It is one of Spain’s most impressive medieval fortresses with grim dungeons, lofty towers and ruins to explore.

Flower stall outside Alicante market

7252 Fill 670 0 300x200 Walking through history in AlicanteThere are also tales of ill-fated lovers, battles and hundreds of years of local history to find out about.

From the Santa Barbara Castle, there are fabulous views across the bay, marina and Alicante old town.

At the foot of the castle is La Ereta Park where you can also enjoy fabulous views of the cathedral and the port.

Cross the road and you are back to the Postiguet beach for a bite to eat or a well-earned rest.

Postiguet beach, alicante.

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The Cuevas del Rodeo in Rojales, cave houses converted into art studios

22284 the cuevas del rodeo in rojales cave houses converted into art studios 1 large 300x225 The Cuevas del Rodeo in Rojales, cave houses converted into art studiosThe Rojales cave houses host a wide variety of cultural and artistic events

The Cuevas del Rodeo in Rojales, cave houses converted into art studios

The Cuevas del Rodeo are a collection of traditional cave houses built into the hillside of Rojales between the 18th and the 20th century, reflecting a style of building which can also be seen in the Vega Baja area of the province of Alicante in San Miguel de Salinas.

Nowadays the cave dwelling complex has become a series of arts and handicrafts workshops and studios, The Cuevas del Rodeo in Rojales, cave houses converted into art studiosand the caves numbered 4 and 6 have been converted into an exhibition hall and a tourist information office respectively.

The residences dug into the rock occupy spaces of up to 5 metres high which were created in the hillside, with the rock and earth excavated being used to create flat platforms outside the homes. These platforms were occupied by vegetable gardens in order to make the residents more self-sufficient.

The Town Hall of Rojales sees the caves as a chance to create a grand underground museum, and there are a wide range of cultural and artistic events held at the venue as well as the daily artistic tours.

The Cuevas del Rodeo are open to visitors on weekdays from 9.00 to 15.00, while those wishing to arrange visits in the afternoon or at weekends can do so by contacting the tourist office of Rojales on 966 714160 or by email at cuevasdelrodeo@rojales.es. Ideally, reservations should be made two weeks in advance, and unfortunately there is a maximum group size of 10 people.

Bonfires of San Juan (Alicante)

Bonfires of San Juan (Alicante).
Thousands of people throng the streets to pay a tribute to fire and experience a celebration ful of music and fireworks and bonfires to celebrate the arrival of summer.
The people of Alicante would traditionally flock to the countryside on 23 June for a festive dinner: they feasted on typical products, and at midnight they would light bonfires and dance around them, set off fireworks and go swimming in the sea. This custom endured over the years, and in 1928 the fiestas of the Bonfires of San Juan were formally constituted. For several days, Alicante celebrates this great homage to fire, where the stars of the show are genuine works of ephemeral art: the bonfires and the enormous cardboard and wooden figures which go up in flames on the night of San Juan.
The queen of the fiesta, known as the “Bellea del Foc” (“Beauty of Fire”), is chosen in May from among the candidates presented by a committee in each neighbourhood. The festivities officially begin on 20 June with the “plantà”, or building of enormous bonfires with their tongue-in-cheek cardboard figures which fill the streets of Alicante with wit and good humour. That day the “barracas” or large tents are also put up to serve as a public dance floor, and where fiesta-goers can sample the typical figs and “cocas” (a kind of pastry with tuna, onions and pine nuts). Some of the highlights of the festivities include the Entry of the Bands and Committees, with their respective “beauties” and their ladies-in-waiting wearing traditional dress; the floral offering to the patron saint of the city, the Virgin of El Remedio on 21 and 22 June; and the international folklore parade, a spectacular procession featuring dance troupes from all over the world. In addition, every day at two in the afternoon from 19 to 24 June, there are firework displays in Plaza de los Luceros square: these are the ear-splitting “mascletàs”, for which ear-plugs are highly recommended due to the racket of the exploding firecrackers and rockets. And finally at midnight on 24 June comes the “cremà” (burning), the high point of the fiestas. After a spectacular white palm tree of fireworks, the bonfires all over the city are set alight and blaze away amid much merriment and dancing and singing, while fire-fighters shower the merrymakers with water in what is known as the “banyá”.But the fiesta is not over yet. From 25 to 29 June there is a fireworks competition on the El Postiguet beach, and the historic centre of the town comes alive with a medieval market and a range of shows.

Enjoy A Peaceful Trip With International Travel Insurance

imagesCAL3SH67 150x150 Enjoy A Peaceful Trip With International Travel InsuranceAll of us look forward to a trouble-free trip when we travel abroad. Whether it is a business trip or a family holiday, we want to feel secure. But it is better to be prepared to face difficult situations when we travel abroad, such as medical emergencies, lost or misplaced baggage and trip cancellation expenses. Fortunately, international travel insurance helps you deal with all such situations during overseas travel.

International travel insurance is especially designed to help you deal with a medical or financial crisis while traveling abroad. It offers broad coverage for the entire trip for medical treatment, loss of passport or baggage. You can go for an affordable travel insurance plan at the time of booking your trip. But how to buy an insurance plan that is right for your budget and that can be bought at short notice?

The benefits of international travel insurance are many, such as worldwide medical and travel assistance, ease and convenience of purchase, instant issue of policy and cashless claims settlement. Today, you have the flexibility of choosing a travel insurance plan as per your need. There are different types of travel insurance international plans: single trip plans, multi-trip plans, student plans, and senior citizen plans.

First, there is the single trip plan which offers coverage for a single trip. The premium amount depends on where your travel destination and the tenure of your trip. As some countries fall in a high risk zone and the probability of medical or financial needs increases with the tenure of the trip, the premium depends on these two factors, along with the person’s age and health conditions.

A multi-trip plan works like a multiple entry visa, where a single policy will cover you for any number of overseas trips to any places within the specified time limit. The premium is decided based on the destination and duration of each visit, and also the age and health of the individual.

There are international travel insurance plans for students, who are interested in studying abroad. Student policy plans give coverage for all medical and financial emergencies for the entire period of their stay abroad.

Senior citizen plans are designed for senior citizens. All medical and non medical expenses incurred on travel abroad are covered under this plan. There is usually coverage even for pre-existing medical conditions in life threatening emergencies.

International travel insurance plans also provide coverage for unforeseen trip cancellation, so that non-refundable parts of your trip are covered. Save your family from the risk of a financial or medical emergency while traveling. Purchase a comprehensive travel insurance international plan and leave your worries behind.

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Adele Pitt frequently wirtes about travel and travel insurance. Learn more at http://www.ztravelinsurance.com/

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For information on our services or to book an airport taxi transfer please visit us here.

http://www.alicantetaxitransfers.com

Use The Internet To Get Great Deal On International Travel Insurance

images 1 150x150 Use The Internet To Get Great Deal On International Travel InsuranceWe use the internet for a lot of things—information research, information dissemination, purchase of products and services, education, businesses, and so many more. It’s no wonder people find it hard to live without the internet. You’ll find that most homes, offices, and commercial establishments in the United States are equipped with internet connection.

Even travelers make use of the internet for trip planning and preparation. Aside from using it to plan the itinerary, book for hotels and plane tickets, and research where the best places to eat are, you can also use this to find a great deal on international travel insurance. To do that, here are some of the ways you can use your internet to achieve this purpose.

Comparing rates

imagesCA416WY1 150x131 Use The Internet To Get Great Deal On International Travel InsuranceComparing rates of different companies that provide travel insurance is much easier done via the online route. For one, you can simply key in the phrase “travel insurance international” on the search engine and you’ll be instantly bombarded with thousands of results. You can ask for a quote from each of these online insurance companies in just a few minutes. You don’t have to visit each of them personally to do this.

Aside from that, you may also use websites that provide insurance rate comparison. Look for such websites that have been in this business long enough to know what they are doing. Don’t just rely on one single website but make use of several ones to see if the rates are being compared thoroughly. Go for websites that don’t only compare the rates but also the coverage inclusions to help you better in your decision making.

Probing the insurer

imagesCATCXVFW1 150x127 Use The Internet To Get Great Deal On International Travel InsuranceAnother way the internet can help you in getting a great deal on travel insurance is through background checking the insurance company. Before you sign with a particular insurer, take time first to probe the background of the company. You can do this by contacting the Better Business Bureau through its official website to find out if there has been any complaint made against the company.

You can also read reviews and testimonials posted online about the company. Don’t rely only on the testimonials posted in the insurance company’s own website since it would only be posting positive ones. There are also online background checkers that offer this kind of service for a minimal fee. If you don’t mind spending a little extra to ensure that you’re getting the right insurance policy, then you can avail this kind of service. Getting expert advice

imagesCABB0LE0 150x150 Use The Internet To Get Great Deal On International Travel InsuranceIt’s also possible to get expert advice online. If you’re not adept in the field of insurance, learn more about it by reading informative articles from reputable insurance websites and expert bloggers. You can also participate in forums where you’ll get to hear about other people’s opinions and experiences regarding this matter.

Just see to it that you filter properly the information that you get. Remember that not everything posted in the internet is true and correct. Trust only those that are proved to be experts in their field so you can follow tips that will help you.

 

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For more tips and information about international travel insurance please visit: http://www.zinternationalinsurance.com/travel/

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For information on our services or to book an airport taxi transfer please visit us here.

http://www.alicantetaxitransfers.com

A Guide To Finding Cheap Travel Insurance

Copyright © 2011 Ross L Marchant

top53 A Guide To Finding Cheap Travel InsuranceSo you’ve booked your holiday, made sure your passport is still in date and have found a reluctant friend to look after the dog for the week! But, and this is the big one, have you made time to purchase your travel insurance?   Travel insurance is an often overlooked but nonetheless very important aspect of your holiday that should come higher on everyone’s list of priorities. In the unlikely event that something goes wrong on your trip, it ensures that you are covered in almost every eventuality.

 Finding the right policy at a cheap price can often seem a daunting task and most of us settle for the first policy we see in the hope that we are getting value for money. However this does not have to be the case. Use these five quick tips to ensure you buy cheaply, yet wisely, every time.

 1.Many of us purchase travel insurance along with our holiday with the same company. This is a time-saving tactic that you really should not use. Compare the price of travel insurance from your holiday agent with a policy from a travel insurance specialist and you will find a startling difference in price. Holiday operators make a profit on travel insurance policies possibly as much as they do on the holiday and flights you have booked so look elsewhere for your policy.  

 2. Compile a list of things which you want to be covered against. If you have decided exactly what sort of policy you want and what you wish to be covered, it will make things easier when searching for travel insurance. For example, do you really need to be booking a policy that includes extra cover against extreme sports when you’re going on a relaxing city break?

 3.Using a price comparison website can also save you money. Its a simple case of typing in your holiday details, pressing enter, then they do the hard work, pinging back a comprehensive results list in minutes, giving you the chance to compare a whole range of different deals. This is an excellent way of saving time and possibly cash. However you are restricted to companies which are affiliated with the comparison website.

 4. Check excess prices. If the worst comes to the worst and you have to make a claim you will have to contribute to the costs in some cases by paying an excess. A high excess can lower the price of your overall quote dramatically, so the higher your excess, the lower your overall quote. This is a very risky idea which could set you back a lot of money if you need to make a claim. It’s best to choose an excess that seems like the average going rate amongst a range of insurers.  

vapourtrail460 150x150 A Guide To Finding Cheap Travel Insurance5.Going with a reputable insurer is a common sense tip that protects you in case the company goes bust. The travel industry can be volatile and we have seen how many companies have folded due to financial problems. If this happens with the insurer you have gone with, you may find that your policy is actually void and if you wish to make a claim you may find it extremely difficult.
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The best prices for travel insurance at Flexicover http://www.flexicover.co.uk for UK travel insurance provider Flexicover Direct.