There are so many amazing beaches in Spain it can be hard to decide which to choose for your next holiday. The beaches in Alicante are some of the most beautiful in the Valencia region and should not be missed.
Whether you want to relax on a quiet sandy strip or you want to get to the main beaches where all of the action is or perhaps something in between with nearby shops and restaurants, but not too many people, you’ll find one amongst the list of the best beaches in Alicante.
Alicante is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, so you can imagine what the beaches must look like here.
While some of these beaches aren’t in the downtown area of Alicante, they are all very easily reachable in under an hour from the center of the city.
Getting to the Best Beaches in Alicante
Driving in the Costa Blanca is quite easy. There aren’t too many roads to navigate and signs are clearly posted for the different locations. I always recommend using the Waze App (for Android here and Apple phones here).
This app will give you the best directions and help you find parking as well.
If you are considering renting a car while you are visiting, be sure to check out prices at Discover Cars. They have the best selection of car rentals around Spain and the absolute best prices around.
If you don’t want to have your own transportation while you are in Alicante, worry not. The public transportation network here is absolutely fantastic.
You can get to many of the beaches on this list by tram or bus. I will tell you how to get to each beach in the information listed below, but you can check out all of the public transportation options in Alicante here.
Map of the Best Beaches in Alicante
Best Beaches in Alicante
To avoid confusion – Playa is the Spanish word for beach and Platja is the Valencian word for beach. Some of the beaches tend to be referred to more commonly by their name in Spanish and others by their name in Valencian (the language spoken colloquially in Alicante).
I have used the most common name for the beaches wherever possible or the ones most likely to be found on a map. Please refer to the map above for the location of the beaches if you are unsure of the exact location due to any naming confusion.
It’s also worth noting if this is your first time going on vacation in Spain, it is perfectly legal to be topless (and indeed nude, although this is less socially acceptable) at any beach in Spain.
My fellow American tourists may be surprised to see many women sunbathing topless, but it is pretty normal around the beaches in Spain, so don’t stare.
The main beach in Alicante is long and beautiful, but also very built up and busy.
1. Playa del Postiguet – Best beach in Alicante for location
Playa del Postiguet is one of the best beaches in Alicante for convenience.
This is the beach that is located right in the downtown area of the city.
You can explore all of the best things to do in Alicante and then take a 5-minute walk down the promenade and reach the beach.
There is a long boardwalk along the edges if you want to stroll or go for a jog. The depth of the beach here is also quite a lot so there is plenty of space on the sand in every direction to put a towel or a blanket down and relax.
Although the bay here is large, the water is quite calm thanks to the nearby seawall that was created for the harbor.
You can play volleyball on the volleyball nets, pick up drinks and snacks from nearby shops to have on the beach, or you can grab a table at one of the cafes that line the boardwalk.
This beach has lifeguards during the summer months and is a nice place to come if you just want to spend a bit of time at the beach without having to get in the car or on public transportation.
There are so many beautiful beaches in this region of Spain, you can visit a different one every day of your trip.
2. Playa de la Albufereta
Located only 10 minutes by tram or car, Playa de la Albufereta is an easy place to come to if you want to escape the busyness of the downtown area, but still be close enough to get here quickly and easily.
You can take any of the trams from Luceros or Mercat stations and get off at La Isleta. You can also take the #22 bus from the Muntanyeta-soto bus stop and get off at La Isleta. This takes about 20 minutes.
Playa de la Albufereta is one of the beach beaches in Alicante. It has small beach restaurants like this chiringuito as well as plenty of soft golden sand to relax on.
The chiringuito is open all year round, which can be hard to find around this region of Spain. So if you are visiting during the winter months, this is a great beach to check out.
The water is calm for swimming and a few palm trees under which you can seek some respite from the hot Spanish sun. The beach also has public toilets to use and is incredibly clean.
The best beaches in Alicante all have calm waters and soft golden sand.
3. Playa de la Almadraba
This is one of the best beaches near Alicante for its solitude. It requires a little bit of a walk to reach, but it is well worth it.
To get here, you simply take the tram to La Isleta and when you get to Playa de la Albufetera, keep walking.
It’s about a 15-minute walk from the tram, so it’s not the best option if you are taking chairs and an umbrella with you. However, if you are heading here with a towel, sunscreen, and a hat, then you’ll be able to enjoy one of the truly wonderful Alicante beaches.
The water is quite shallow on this beach. It can be rocky in places and because it’s not as popular as some of the other beaches in Alicante, they don’t clean the seaweed off of the beach like they do on some of the other beaches.
But it’s perfect if you really want to escape the hoards of tourists without traveling too far from downtown Alicante.
Many of the beaches in Alicante are long and great for walking or jogging on.
4. Playa San Juan – best beach in Alicante for access to everything
Playa San Juan is without a doubt one of the best beaches in Alicante. It may be one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Spain.
Playa San Juan has it all: beach clubs, lifeguards, watersports, volleyball nets, and tons of space to relax on golden sand. The beach goes for miles and there are several entry points to the beach depending on how far down the beach you want to be.
The quickest way to get here is to take the #3 tram and get off at Costa Blanca. This only takes 25 minutes.
If you want, you can stay on the tram a little bit longer and get off at Carrabiners or Muchavista as well. Technically the name of the beach changes as you get further along the coastline, but it is the same bay and expanse of sand.
One of the things I love about this beach is the views. The mountains surround you in nearly every direction except for when you look out at the Mediterranean Sea. You are far enough from the city that you feel like you have reached a true beach destination, but you haven’t actually traveled that far.
For a fun beach bar check out Koba Chiringuito and for good and reasonably priced food, visit Restaurante Casa Domingo.
5. Platja del Carrer de la Mar
Platja del Carrer de la Mar is a fantastic beach option for those that not only want to get away from the city, but also perhaps want to stay somewhere close to Alicante, but not exactly in Alicante.
The beach is located in the town of El Campello. You can get here by taking tram #3 and getting off at El Campello. The tram stop is in the middle of town and it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the beach from there.
There are tons of great hotel options in El Campello including Hotel Mar Azul which is right on the beach and La Familia Gallo Rojo which has an outdoor pool and tons of room options.
El Campello is a beautiful beach near Alicante.
6. Platja del Paradís
As the name suggests, this small beach is a slice of paradise. Located just on the outskirts of Villajoyosa, it’s relatively easy to get here from Alicante and even easier if you are basing yourself in nearby Villajoyosa or Benidorm.
To get here from Alicante city center, you take tram #1 towards Benidorm and get off at Paradís. From the tram stop it’s about a 5-minute walk down to the beach.
There are two beaches in this area, one is Paradís and one is Platja de Bon Nou. Both are absolutely stunning and perhaps some of the best beaches near Alicante, so make time to visit both if you make the trip.
Both beaches are made mostly of small pebbles and stones with a little bit of sand closer to the top of the beach (away from the sea).
The water is calm, they aren’t very busy with people, and you aren’t too far of a walk to Villajoyosa. So if you want to walk into town or hop back on the tram and go another stop to town you are close to great restaurants and plenty of cute hotels to stay at.
There is a parking lot at the beach here, so if you plan to drive there is usually plenty of parking. If you are visiting on a weekend in the summer, plan to leave early so you ensure you get a parking spot and a good place on the beach.
7. Platja de Villajoyosa
If you want to spend some time in the beautiful town of Villajoyosa as well as relax at the beach, this is the best beach in Alicante for that.
Take tram #1 to the Creueta stop. From here it is about a 5-minute walk to the beach.
This beach is absolutely breathtaking and even if you don’t want to spend much time in the town of Villajoyosa, it’s worth coming just to enjoy the beach here.
There is a boardwalk along the edges of the beach with restaurants, ice cream shops, bars, and cafes lining the street. Any time you feel like a coffee, a beer, a sangria or some paella, you’re not more than a few minutes walk to what you’re seeking.
El Pòsit is the best beachfront option for good Valencian food.
If you want to stay at the beach here in Villajoyosa for a few nights, the views don’t get better than rooms at Suites at Sea. The Hotel Allon Mediterranea is also a great option with a pool and sea views.
Benidorm is a beautiful beach, it’s no wonder it’s such a popular beach destination near Alicante.
8. Platja de Llevant
Benidorm is one of the region’s most famous resort towns. Whether you want to spend your vacation in this popular town or you just want to enjoy some of the best beaches in Alicante, this is a fantastic option for beaches in the region.
Benidorm has two main beaches located near the downtown area: Platja de Llevant and Platja de Poniente. Both are long, have stunning golden sand, great calm water for swimming, and easy access to the city’s many amenities.
Poniente is where a lot of the bigger beach bars are and it is a little bit busier simply because it has more going on at this end of the city. Llevant is still a busy beach, but it doesn’t have quite as many bars lining the boardwalk over on this side so it tends to be a little bit quieter.
The beach here is stunningly clean and you can easily spend the whole day relaxing on the beach. There’s a Carrefour grocery store located only a block away from the beach here so if you want some snacks or drinks, you can walk a few minutes and get some to enjoy at the beach.
Tiki Beach is a cute spot for a cold beer or cocktails if you want to still have your toes in the sand while you watch the sunset with a drink in hand.
To get to Benidorm from Alicante, simply take the #1 tram all the way to the Benidorm stop. It’s a decent walk from the tram to the beach as you have to walk all the way through the city. There are a few buses, but the easiest option is just to grab a taxi to the beach which will only cost a few Euros.
The cliffs around Calpe make this one of the most beautiful beaches near Alicante.
9. Playa del Arenal-Bol
The furthest beach on this list is located in the stunning town of Calp or Calpe. If you have time to add to your Alicante beach vacation, I highly recommend booking a night or two in the town.
Calpe Beach apartments are located right next to the beach and some have balconies with a view. Hostel Sea & Dreams has fantastic private rooms that are affordable but stylish.
If you are coming from Alicante by public transportation you can get to Calpe by taking the bus directly from the Alicante bus station to the Calpe Bus Station. You can check the timetable and book directly with the bus company Alsa here.
It takes an hour and a half by bus but it is well and truly worth your time. This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited.
The water is a bright turquoise, the sand is clean and soft. There is a walking path on the cliffs above the beach where you can look out over the beach below.
The water is so calm for swimming or simply laying on your back floating (my personal favorite beach activity).
The mountains that bookend the bay at either end are breathtaking and make you feel like you are truly away from it all in this quiet little beach town.
Calpe, Spain.
10. Playa de El Arted / del Carabassí
If you head south from Alicante city center, you will find a few more fantastic beaches within a short distance.
Playa de El Arted or Playa del Carabassí (depending on which end of the beach you end up on it has two different names) is one of the best beaches near Alicante if you want to enjoy some amenities, but not too many people.
There are public bathrooms, ample parking for those that are driving, and an area where you can rent chairs and an umbrella for about €8 each.
The beach is well-separated from the road here. After walking through the parking lot you walk along a wooden boardwalk that takes you to the beach which has soft sand and calm water.
There is a large naturalist (nudist) area at the southern edge of this beach which is well protected by dunes, offering quite a lot of privacy.
To get here by public transportation, you will need to get the L1 bus to the Playa Carabasi stop. It’s about a 5-minute walk from here. The bus takes about 25 minutes from this bus stop on the edge of the city center.
The weather in Alicante means that most beach days are absolutely perfect without a cloud in the sky.
11. Platja Varadero
A little bit further down the road from Playa del Carabassí is Platja Varadero. This is another of the most stunning beaches near Alicante that you won’t want to miss.
It’s particularly easy to reach by car from Alicante. There is plenty of parking nearby in the parking lot located in front of the beach. To get here by public transportation take the same L1 bus from Alicante and get off at the Estacion Santa Pola stop.
There’s a fantastic little paella restaurant called Nomo Varadero if you get hungry while you’re here.
The beach here isn’t as large as some of the others, but it is calm for swimming, incredibly clean, it has a lifeguard during the summer months, and it doesn’t get quite as busy as the beaches closer to the city center.