Alicante might look like a possible destination for your holidays, business or even your new home. Let’s find out where Alicante is in Europe and within Spain.
Where is Alicante? Alicante City is on the southeastern coast of Spain (Europe). Next to the Mediterranean Sea (and the beach), it has 320 days of sun per year.
Alicante is 260.41 mi (419.1 km) southeast of the Spanish capital city Madrid (2h20m away by speed train AVE). It is situated 326.46 mi (525.4 km) south of Barcelona (1h by plane). Alicante is the capital of Costa Blanca. It is the capital of Alicante Province, the southernmost province of the Valencian Community. The coordinates are 38°20′43″N 0°28′59″W
The Spanish administrative division is somewhat complex. Each city is located inside a wider structure that organises the country. Sometimes the structures are official and recognised by law, but other times the division will be used as a brand or will be part of the popular knowledge.
The Exact Location of Alicante In Spain
Alicante Province is a wider and lawful administrative division. Alicante Province borders Valencia Province to the north, Murcia Region to the south-west, Albacete Province to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. In Spain, there is a total of 50 provinces. Cities such as Alicante, Benidorm and Elche are part of this province. The city of Alicante is the capital.
Costa Blanca (that translates to White Coast) is the name of the coastline of the Alicante province. It is located on the southeastern coast of Spain, and it is over 125 mi (200km) long. There are several cities in Costa Blanca. The first city in the north is Deni, and the last city in the south is Pilar de la Horadada. Other examples of coastal cities in Costa Blanca are Alicante, Benidorm, Javea, Denia and Torrevieja.
The Province of Alicante is part of the Valencian Community. It is situated south of Catalonia, north of Murcia, east of Castilla-La Mancha, east of Aragon and west of the Mediterranean Sea. Spain has 17 Autonomous Communities, which are other lawful administrative divisions in the country.
Finally, Alicante is in Levante. This is a popular way to call the area on the eastern coast. In the north, it starts in Girona (Catalonia). In the south, we find Murcia or Almeria. Coastal cities such as Benidorm, Barcelona, Alicante, Castellon de la Plana, Lloret de Mar, Murcia or Benicassim are in Levante but not only. Other inland cities such as Elche, Jativa, Lleida, Buñol, Alcoy or Requena are in Levante as well. It is a wide area on the east coast of Spain.
Distance Between Towns in Alicante Province and the Airport
The main international connection to the Alicante province, Costa Blanca and, therefore, cities such as Benidorm or Calpe is Alicante Airport. The aerodrome is officially called Alicante-Elche Airport as it is in Elche’s municipality. Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport is the main international connection to the area, as it ranks as the 5th busiest airport in Spain.
| Town | Distance to Alicante | Distance to Alicante Airport |
| Alicante | 0 mi (0km) | 7 mi (11km) |
| Benidorm | 28mi (45km) | 36mi (58km) |
| Altea | 36mi (58km) | 44mi (71km) |
| Javea | 60mi (97km) | 69mi (111km) |
| Torrevieja | 30mi (49km) | 27 mi (43km) |
| Calpe | 40mi (64km) | 48mi (77km) |
| Denia | 57mi (91km) | 65mi (104km) |
| Guadalest | 39mi (63km) | 48mi (77km) |
| Alcoy | 37mi (60km) | 42mi (67km) |
| Elche | 17mi (28km) | 12mi (21km) |
Transportation Within Alicante Province
The only commute available from/to the airport is by road. There are plenty of public and private services to reach your destination, such as Benidorm or Calpe, including a coach station at Alicante Airport.
From Alicante, there are Tram rail services to cities in the north of Alicante and Costa Blanca, such as Benidorm, Denia, Calpe or Altea.
If you want to travel south, there is a Renfe train to Murcia that stops at cities such as Elche or Orihuela. So, if your destination is a coastal town in southern Costa Blanca, road transport is your only direct option from Alicante Airport. There are public and private bus and taxi services operating the routes you need from the airport or Alicante.
The last option is to rent a car. Vehicle prices are very competitive in the area, and many companies are offering their rental services. As with flights, there are a few websites where you can find the cheapest deals.
Most of the motorways in Alicante province are free and safe. People are not very aggressive when driving, and petrol prices are lower than in other European countries. Driving can allow you to commute much more quickly and easily through the area.
How is the Weather in Alicante?
The weather in Alicante is humid, hot, dry and sunny in summer. It is warm, humid and sunny in winter. It only rains 35.1 days per year.
Despite it being a dry area, the wet season is September-October-November. During these months, there are some low chance that, if it rains at all, it will be heavy rain.
Overall, the weather in Alicante is sunny and warm all year round. During cold seasons, it is common to have warm mornings: +20 degrees. Finding people on Alicante beaches even during winter days is not strange.
The weather in Alicante, Benidorm and other coastal cities in Costa Blanca is similarly good. Benidorm’s mountainous situation and beaches facing south give the city a microclimate, and it is a bit less affected by fast winds or rough seas.
Alicante province features high mountains all around its geography. Cities situated far from the coast have very different weather, especially if they are in the mountains. While on the coast, it never shows that cities like Alcoy will get snow almost every year for a couple of days.
The sea gets warm in summer, but it doesn’t get cold until the beginning of October. The beaches and sunbaths can be enjoyed for a long time around the year in Alicante city and the rest of Costa Blanca.
The summer is usually hot, sunny and dry. Nights in cities near the sea will stay hot as well. It is the norm to find A/C machines in most houses, offices and hotels so people can work and sleep properly. The beaches will be crowded, and the water will be warm enough that you don’t want to leave.
In addition to this, Alicante’s weather in the cold season can be delightful. During the winter, the weather can have very sunny and warm days. These days, with hot temperatures, higher-than-average temperatures will happen now and then. Near-to-0 degrees temperatures are not that common on the coast, and they will happen a few days per year. The snow only shows up in the mountains.
Is Alicante in Benidorm?
Alicante is not in Benidorm. Benidorm is a city 40km (25 mi) away from the city of Alicante. Additionally, Alicante is also the name of the province where Benidorm and the city of Alicante are situated.
In other words, Benidorm is inside the province of Alicante, but the city of Alicante is also inside the province of Alicante.
The airport to fly to Benidorm is Alicante Airport. The distance between Alicante Airport and the city of Alicante is 11km (7 mi), and between Alicante Airport and Benidorm it is 65km (40 mi).
Related Questions
It is both. Alicante is the name for the city of Alicante and the province of Alicante, which includes cities such as Benidorm, Altea, and Torrevieja.
Alicante is not in Catalonia. Alicante is part of an Autonomous Community called the Valencian Community, and Catalonia is a different Autonomous Community.
Alicante is not in Valencia. Alicante is part of an Autonomous Community called the Valencian Community and is not part of the province of Valencia.
Some people in the Valencian Community and, therefore, in Alicante, speak a dialect of Catalan called Valenciano. It is a recognised minority language, and everybody can speak Spanish.
Alicante is in the Spanish region called Comunidad Valenciana
The city of Alicante is in the province of Alicante
Yes. Benidorm is 45km from Alicante and 58km from Alicante Airport
No, but the nearest airport to Benidorm is Alicante-Elche Airport. Also, Benidorm is located 30 mi (50km) away from Alicante city. The province where all these cities are situated is also called Alicante Province.
Alicante is in the southeast of Spain, next to the Mediterranean Sea.