I found myself standing at the bottom of the massive walls of Alicante’s Santa Bárbara Citadel almost by mistake. The day had started out as a stroll through the delightful Barrio Santa Cruz. Then quickly turned into an arduous climb through the landscaped Ereta Park to Porta de Sant Jordi, a gate in the outer defensive walls. It was a hot day and when I stood on top of the gate I realised that this was not the entrance to one of Spain’s largest medieval forts.
Faced with more climbing to reach the actual top of the ‘White Citadel’, or a tactical retreat, like many before me I turned around and returned to Alicante. Only later would I discover there is an elevator that takes you from sea level close to Playa del Postiguet directly into the fortress. The walk though, gave me a sense of just how deadly it must have been to attack up the slopes of Mount Benacantil. I’m glad I didn’t live in medieval Europe.
There has been a fortification here since at least the Carthaginian occupation sometime around 230 BC. Viewed from the beach it’s easy to see why. It is almost unimaginable that any invader might conquer such a place. When the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711, they initially struck a deal with the Christian Visigothic rulers of this region. By 718 though, they were firmly in control and would be for another five centuries.
The views from the hike up the hill over the ocean were spectacular. Looking inland though exposed a hellscape of tower blocks and ugly retail and industrial parks. Pretty it is not. The Barrio Santa Cruz though, is the most attractive district in Alicante. This barrio of pretty whitewashed houses with blue and yellow windows and doors, and colourful plant pots, was once a down-at-heel part of town known for its ‘gypsy’ population.
Despite the gentrification, it still has some rough edges. As we discovered drinking a beer in a neighbourhood bar as a couple of young tourists negotiated a drug deal. It added a bit of local colour. The neighbourhood tumbles down the slopes of Mount Benacantil, with steep stairways leading to different areas. It gives off a vibe of Las Alpujarras’ famed pueblos blancos, just within the city limits.
This is the oldest part of Alicante. To get a good sense of how the neighbourhood fits with the rest of the town, clamber up to the 18th century chapel of Santa Creu d’Alacant. The viewpoint provides glorious vistas over the rooftops. From here, a walk down any of the barrios’ streets takes you past houses and occasional encounters with friendly residents. All the while, the citadel looms large in the background.
The good news for anyone who has clambered up to the citadel, is that the way back down brings you close to the excellent Central Market. The attractive early 20th century covered market houses a wealth of great food stalls – around 300 of them – and also tapas bars. We found a spot at the bar of one of them and tucked into some tapas and cold beer – well deserved after the climb up the hill.
In the square behind the market is an inscription commemorating the deliberate killing of civilians by the Italian air force fighting alongside Franco’s Fascists. Many bombs fell on the central market and nearby streets, killing up to 393 men, women and children. Around a thousand people were wounded in an effort to demoralise Republican forces by bombing civilians – and people still question whether Franco was as bad as ‘they’ say.
We continued our walk in the quiet streets behind the market in the search for the highly recommended Bar Guillermo. Once located, we pulled up stools at the bar and began ordering a series of delicious home cooked dishes and local wines in this traditional wood-paneled spot. To walk off our lunch, we continued around the area until we found the bullring. Then it was back to the apartment for a light siesta.
Such a beautiful city, I can’t wait to return 😊
A lovely spot, first time there but not the last.
Wonderful.
Thank you
Truly a fantastic post – showing so much history and beauty and levaing us with thoughts of today (like gentrification) and had to smile to imagine seeing the local drug deal go down.
I was once at a gas station and saw someone toss something to someone – and then saw them pass again and exchange something. It was after they left when I realized something had gone down.
Oh and my favorite photo today was the one with all of those fun blue planters – the one titled Barrio Santa Cruz, Alicante, Spain
Thank you, much appreciated. Santa Cruz was a really photogenic place. I like that it still hasn’t been fully gentrified. The funny thing about the drug deal was the tourists just approached a local guy smoking a joint and asked him if his dealer would sell to them. A few phone calls and sneaking down an alleyway was all it took.