3 days in Alicante itineraryPostiguet to San Juan: Alicante by the Sea

Wake up to the Mediterranean, spend the day on the water, and let the evenings take care of themselves

3 days21 stopsSMOVECITY EditorsUpdated October 2026

This three-day trip puts the sea front and centre — each morning you're on a different stretch of Alicante's coast, each afternoon finds a new cove or shoreline, and the city's old streets only make an appearance as a brief, shady escape between swims. Lunches are eaten close to the waterline, dinners linger over the last of the light, and the only agenda is to find the right patch of sand before anyone else does.

weekend
food
outdoors
classic

At a glance

3
days: 9
sights: 7
food & drink stops

Day 1Morning on Platja del Postiguet, Santa Bárbara Castle and Late Afternoon at Playa de la Albufereta
Day 2Morning Swim at San Juan Playa, Afternoon at Platja de Mutxavista and Evening at the Port of Alicante
Day 3Morning at Cala dels Cantalars, A Quiet Hour at the Basilica of Saint Mary and Final Swim at Carabassí

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Day 1 in Alicante

7 stops · 10:00 to 22:30 · about 10 km between stops, in a straight line

Highlights: Morning on Platja del Postiguet, Santa Bárbara Castle and Late Afternoon at Playa de la Albufereta.

10:00about 45 min
Arrive & Check In
Drop your bags at your hotel and resist the urge to unpack properly — the beach is calling and you will barely be in the room anyway.
11:00about 120 minSight
Morning on Platja del Postiguet
Alicante's city beach sits right at the foot of Santa Bárbara Castle, making it one of the most dramatically framed stretches of sand on the Spanish coast. Claim a spot, get into the water and let the Mediterranean do its thing — the castle looming above you on the rock is a view you won't stop looking at.
About 1.3 km to the next stop
13:30about 75 minLunch
Lunch at Dársena
A waterfront table at Dársena puts you right on the port's edge, salt still in your hair, with a full view of the marina. It's the natural place to ease into the afternoon over something fresh from the sea.
More about Dársena
About 1.4 km to the next stop
15:00about 75 minSight
Santa Bárbara Castle
After lunch, climb — or take the lift through the rock — to the castle that dominated your morning skyline from the beach. The panorama over the bay from up here is the best argument for why Alicante grew where it did.
About 3.1 km to the next stop
16:30about 90 minSight
Late Afternoon at Playa de la Albufereta
Just north of the city, Albufereta curves into a sheltered bay that catches the afternoon sun beautifully. It is quieter than Postiguet, the water is calm, and the light turns the whole cove golden as the day softens — perfect for a second swim or simply floating and watching the colours shift.
About 3.7 km to the next stop
20:30about 90 minDinner
Dinner at Las Brasas De San Miguel
About 550 m to the next stop
22:30about 60 min
Nightcap at Sala Stereo
Round off the first night at Sala Stereo in the Centro, a lively bar with a great energy for a first evening out — a drink or two, get your bearings, and save the stamina for the days ahead.
More about Sala Stereo

Photos: kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0) · H.Helmlechner (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Akab~commonswiki (CC BY-SA 3.0) · lasbrasasdesanmiguel.es (© venue website) · 1 more

salastereo.com (© venue website)

Day 2 in Alicante

7 stops · 09:30 to 22:30 · about 28 km between stops, in a straight line

Highlights: Morning Swim at San Juan Playa, Afternoon at Platja de Mutxavista and Evening at the Port of Alicante.

09:30about 150 minSight
Morning Swim at San Juan Playa
San Juan is Alicante's big, wide, properly expansive beach — a long arc of fine sand north of the city that gives you room to spread out. Get here early enough and you will feel like you have it to yourself. Swim out, walk along the shore, come back and do it again.
About 7.2 km to the next stop
13:00about 75 minLunch
Beachside Lunch at Goodita
A fresh, relaxed lunch spot to refuel after a long morning in the water. Goodita keeps things light and honest — exactly the right energy when you have another beach stop planned for the afternoon.
About 100 m to the next stop
14:30about 30 min
A Gelato Break at Livanti
Sicilian-style gelato on Carrer de Muñoz — the kind of place you pop into meaning to have one scoop and leave with two. A perfect bridge between lunch and the afternoon beach.
About 9.2 km to the next stop
15:30about 120 minSight
Afternoon at Platja de Mutxavista
A stretch of coast that still has the feel of somewhere not everyone has found yet. The afternoon sun hits the water at an angle that makes it look almost impossibly blue. Pull up a spot, read, swim, let the day slow right down.
About 10 km to the next stop
18:30about 45 minSight
Evening at the Port of Alicante
Walk the port promenade as the city's early-evening paseo gets going — boats rocking gently, the sky going pink, locals out in force. It's a good way to ease yourself back into town after a full day by the sea.
About 1.0 km to the next stop
20:30about 90 minDinner
Dinner at Nou Manolín
One of the most respected addresses in Alicante's Centro, Nou Manolín is a proper Spanish restaurant — the kind with tapas downstairs and a full dining room upstairs and a wine list that takes the local stuff seriously. A well-earned dinner after two beaches.
22:30about 60 min
Drinks at Sylvarum Cocktail Bar
On Carrer de Bailen, Sylvarum is a polished cocktail bar that takes its mixing seriously. A good place to sit, compare notes on the day's beaches and decide whether a second round is a sensible idea (it is).

Photos: www.gooditazero.com (© venue website) · www.livanti.es (© venue website) · kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0) · sylvarum.club (© venue website)

Day 3 in Alicante

7 stops · 09:00 to 22:30 · about 44 km between stops, in a straight line

Highlights: Morning at Cala dels Cantalars, A Quiet Hour at the Basilica of Saint Mary and Final Swim at Carabassí.

09:00about 45 minBreakfast
Breakfast at Salt in Cake
Start the last day properly at Salt in Cake on Carrer de Sant Francesc — a café with good pastries and coffee that sets you up without slowing you down.
About 5.9 km to the next stop
10:00about 150 minSight
Morning at Cala dels Cantalars
Save the best cove for the last day. Cantalars is a rocky inlet south of the city where the water is clear enough to see the bottom from the shore — bring a snorkel if you have one, or simply wade in and look down. Smaller, wilder and more intimate than the long sandy beaches of the first two days.
About 6.0 km to the next stop
13:30about 80 minLunch
Lunch at Aldebarán
Back on the waterfront, Aldebarán is a seafood-focused restaurant where the menu leans into the best of what the Mediterranean gives up — langoustines, fresh fish, rice dishes cooked with patience. The right place to mark the final afternoon of a trip spent almost entirely at sea.
More about Aldebarán
About 1.0 km to the next stop
15:30about 45 minSight
A Quiet Hour at the Basilica of Saint Mary
Built on the foundations of Alicante's main mosque, the Gothic Basilica of Saint Mary is cool, still and genuinely beautiful inside. A welcome hour of shade and quiet before the final beach of the trip.
About 12 km to the next stop
17:00about 120 minSight
Final Swim at Carabassí
Carabassí, south of the city near El Altet, is backed by dunes and pines rather than apartment blocks — it feels like a proper natural beach, the kind that makes you want to cancel your flight. A long final walk along the shore, one last swim, and you're ready to say goodbye to the coast.
About 12 km to the next stop
20:30about 90 minDinner
Dinner at Voltereta Tanzania
About 6.4 km to the next stop
22:30about 60 min
One Last Drink at Boga Sky Bar
End the trip at altitude — Boga Sky Bar on Avinguda de Catalunya gives you a rooftop perch over the city with a cocktail in hand. Look out toward the sea one more time, then call it a perfect three days.

Photos: saltincake.es (© venue website) · Luis Pueyo (CC BY-SA 4.0) · kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0) · www.volteretarestaurante.com (© venue website) · 1 more

www.porthotels.es (© venue website)

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Good to know

What can you see in Alicante in 3 days?

Day 1: Morning on Platja del Postiguet, Santa Bárbara Castle and Late Afternoon at Playa de la Albufereta. Day 2: Morning Swim at San Juan Playa, Afternoon at Platja de Mutxavista and Evening at the Port of Alicante. Day 3: Morning at Cala dels Cantalars, A Quiet Hour at the Basilica of Saint Mary and Final Swim at Carabassí.

Where does this itinerary eat and drink in Alicante?

It stops at Dársena, Las Brasas De San Miguel, Goodita, Nou Manolín, Salt in Cake, Aldebarán and Voltereta Tanzania. Each one is placed on the day and at the time it fits the route.

How many days do I need for Alicante?

Postiguet to San Juan: Alicante by the Sea covers Alicante in 3 days, with 21 planned stops. You can follow it exactly as published, or shorten and extend days after opening it in the SMOVECITY app.

Can I customize this itinerary?

Yes. Opening it in the SMOVECITY app turns it into your own editable trip — reorder days, add or remove stops, and invite friends to plan together with live co-editing.

How do I get around in Alicante?

The SMOVECITY app shows public transport, shared bikes, e-scooters and other mobility options in Alicante on one live map, so you can compare routes between the stops on this itinerary as you go.

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3 days in Alicante itineraryPostiguet to San Juan: Alicante by the Sea

At a glance

Day 1 in Alicante

Arrive & Check In

Morning on Platja del Postiguet

Lunch at Dársena

Santa Bárbara Castle

Late Afternoon at Playa de la Albufereta

Dinner at Las Brasas De San Miguel

Nightcap at Sala Stereo

Day 2 in Alicante

Morning Swim at San Juan Playa

Beachside Lunch at Goodita

A Gelato Break at Livanti

Afternoon at Platja de Mutxavista

Evening at the Port of Alicante

Dinner at Nou Manolín

Drinks at Sylvarum Cocktail Bar

Day 3 in Alicante

Breakfast at Salt in Cake

Morning at Cala dels Cantalars

Lunch at Aldebarán

A Quiet Hour at the Basilica of Saint Mary

Final Swim at Carabassí

Dinner at Voltereta Tanzania

One Last Drink at Boga Sky Bar