Urbanova Beach in Alicante. Info, Location & Tips

Urbanova Beach is a very big and long sandy beach in Alicante city. It is not the most known beach yet one of the most beautiful. Perfect for families who want to be calm.

Urbanova Beach is in the south of Alicante city. It is a 1mi(1.6km)+ long and 57yards (52m) wide sandy beach. There are plenty of parking spaces that tend to get full fast. Bus line 27 runs the route centre-Urbanova. There are restaurants but no party places so it is a good beach for families.

Like many beaches in Costa Blanca, Urbanova gets busy during the summer but a bit less than other beaches such as El Postiguet or San Juan Beach (Alicante has more than 10 beaches). There is a promenade with restaurants and corner shops. The area is residential and the beach is semi-urban. Alicante has more than 10 beaches.

Services at Urbanova Beach

Here is the complete list of services at Urbanova Beach:

• Foot showers
• Parking
• Sunbeds (paid service)
• Umbrellas (paid service)
• Public bathrooms and changing room
• First Aid and Lifeguard
• Access for reduced mobility people
• Games areas for children
• Volleyball nets

Apart from the beach services, there is a promenade with some food restaurants and shops. The bus stops nearby the beach and the car parking area is very close as well. The lifeguard and first aid services run all the summer season.

North of the Urbanova beach, in an area, called Agua Amarga, there is a dog’s beach. In the south, once the promenade is finished, there is a naturist area. More of that is below in the Tips & Recommendations section.

The Sand at Urbanova Beach

Most beaches in Alicante have good quality sand but it varies from beach to beach. Urbanova is top-rated on this parameter. The sand is thin and mixed with small pieces of old shells.

On this beach, it also stands out the presence of Pelotas de Mar or sea balls made from the rest of Neptune grass (or Posidonia oceanica) fibre. They are the small brown balls seen in the video. Neptune grass is an endemic Mediterranean seaweed that is a sample of good underwater health. The sea balls are found on many of Alicante’s beaches but Urbanova stands out in the presence of these balls.

How to get to Urbanova Beach in Alicante?

Urbanova Beach is situated 5mi (8km) in the south of Alicante city centre. The address is Calle Guitarrista José Tomás, 1, 03008 Urbanova, Alicante.

It is easy to get by car. The parking spaces get full quickly but it is possible to find parking a bit further from the beach.

There is one bus available, line 27, that makes the route from Alicante-centre to Alicante-Urbanova Beach. The frequency is 40min or less.

To Urbanova Beach in Alicante by Bus

Bus line 27 starts at Oscar Espla 23, next to the train station. You can then ask the driver to notify you when you have arrived at Urbanova Beach. The two best stops to get off are Carretera del Saladar and Urbanova and Carretera del Saladar Urbanova V.

One adult’s price is 1’45€. Buses in Alicante accept cards, bundle cards or cash payments (except for the airport bus C-6) and will accept notes up to 10€. You can still pay with 20€ notes but you will get a paper to get your cashback in the bus company (Vectalias)’s offices.

The bus frequency is up to 40 min in summer. Depending on what shift you are taking, the bus might do a longer or shorter route. It is a good idea to check the bus line 27 website for more information. Google Maps has got the bus stops right but it, usually, messes up with the times so it is a good idea to check the website.

To Urbanova Beach in Alicante by Car

The car is probably the easiest way to get to Urbanova Beach. The area is residential and the streets have many parking areas. There is one clearing used as parking at the beginning of Urbanova Beach. Its address is Ctra. Saladar, 2, 03008 Urbanova, Alicante.

Another advantage for drivers is that the parking areas are free of charge.

To Urbanova Beach in Alicante by Taxi and Cabify

The last option to get to Urbanova is by taxi or Cabify. The former is a Uber-like app that you can install from this link to get a discount on your first ride. Here are some indicative prices of each alternative to get to Urbanova Beach:

There is more extensive information about how to get a taxi or Cabify in the post about Uber in Alicante.

Tips & Recommendations

As we said earlier, Urbanova Beach is 1mi(1.6km) long. This beach is similar to San Juan Beach in the sense that the same single beach has different names depending on what municipality lies that beach is part of. The actual length of the beach is around 4.43mi (7km).

Not all the length of this beach is Urbanova. The beach is part of Alicante and part of Elche. It has different names depending on the exact location and it has different uses such as dog beach and naturist beach.

The Different Names on Urbanova Beach

Agua Amarga: The Dog’s Beach

At the south of Alicante centre and right to the north of Urbanova, there is a beach called Agua Amarga (literally Bitter Water). Since 2016 has been the dog’s beach in Alicante. It features some dog’s special settings such as specific bins for the dog’s droppings or a fenced area that pets can use as a toilet. Here is the link to the Goole Maps beach location.

Playa de Los Saladares: The Naturist Beach

Right at the end of Urbanova’s promenade, there is the beginning of the naturist beach. Here is the location in Google Maps. It is between Urbanova Beach (Alicante) and El Altet Beach (Elche). The change is negligible and you will never know the exact point where the beach changes names.

As you already know, the dress code on this beach is naked and some people will be offended by seeing people staying in swimming clothes.

This part of the beach is extremely beautiful as it is part of a natural reserve with natural sand dunes.

El Altet Beach: The Begining of Elche

Elche is Alicante’s neighbour town and municipality. The part of the beach called El Altet depends on Elche’s city hall and administration and money. The beach has Lifeguards and other essential services.

Getting to this part of the beach is a bit more complicated as there are no direct public services from Alicante.

Urbanova is Near By the Airport

The beach is very close to the airport. The landing track is pointing straight to Urbanova. The planes will pass a bit near the beach. Some days, depending on where is the wind coming from, it is possible to listen to the planes landing or taking off from the beach.

Understanding the Beach Flags Codes

Urbanova has the Blue Flag award. The criteria for obtaining the flag are water quality, environmental information, safety features and services. This ensures that the beach is safe and enjoyable. The flag can be seen from the beach.

As well there are other flags raised by the Lifeguards that are very important to understand and follow. They have 3 colours that will be repeated along the beach:

• Green flag: Getting into the water is permitted and safe. Be always cautious.
• Yellow flag: Getting into the water is permitted with limitations. You should always be able to touch the ground when standing.
• Red flag: Getting into the water is not permitted.

The reasons why the lifeguards will raise one or another flag are variated. The weather conditions, the presence of jellyfish or other animals or the water quality are examples. It is extremely important to follow the flags as not doing so can be life-threatening and punishable.

Who is Urvanoba Beach for?

The beach is semi-urban, not so well connected by public transport and in a calm area. There are no party pubs nearby but it is easy to find food restaurants.

On this beach, there will be a bit fewer people than on other beaches such as El Postiguet or San Juan. As it is more difficult to get there there will be fewer groups of teenagers or very young people. The beach atmosphere is calmer and many families choose it because of that.

Common Sense Advice

• The bath area is up to the yellow buoys. Don’t trespass that line.
• The sun is dangerous, always use sunscreen cream.
• Keep your stuff safe. Thief operates the beaches.
• Drink a lot of water. Remember it will be very hot.
• Always follow lifeguards recommendations.

Related Questions

Is Urbanova beach clean? The beach is clean and well maintained throughout the year.

Is Urbanova Beach safe? The bath on the beach is safe and watched by the lifeguards. Always keep your belongings monitored.

Can I drink alcohol on the beach? Drinking alcohol is not permitted on the beach.

Can I smoke on the beach? Smoked is permitted as long as cigar butts are not thrown into the sand.

How can I recognise a lifeguard? Lifeguards in Alicante wear a yellow T-shirt and red trousers and, usually, a red cap. Many times they will have an orange float on their hands.