New £20 Ryanair route to beautiful city with 20C November weather and gorgeous beaches
Ryanair has launched ten new routes to the Spanish city of Alicante, with the budget airline now flying there from Cardiff, Aberdeen, Bratislava, Linz, Salzburg, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow, Stockholm Västerås, Småland and Lanzarote
Ryanair has launched two new UK routes to a Spanish city with colourful streets and 20C weather in November.
The budget airline unveiled its new Alicante schedule, which now sees 79 routes from the Spanish hub. Ten destinations have been added to the schedule, including Bratislava, Linz, Salzburg, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow, Stockholm Västerås, Småland and Lanzarote.
Of particular interest to UK travellers is the fact that Ryanair is now running direct flights from Cardiff and Aberdeen to Alicante. The latter will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with tickets from £22 in December. The Cardiff to Alicante route will operate on all but six days in December. Right now, a ticket can be bought for £20.
There are plenty of reasons why you might be tempted by a short winter break in Alicante. Among them is the weather. The Costa Blanca city enjoys November highs of 20C, which is plenty warm enough to spend an afternoon on its sandy beaches, defrosting from and forgetting about the miserable weather back in the UK.
The 300 days of sunshine Alicante enjoys annually, along with its dramatic landscape, has made it a go-to for European golfers. Alicante features championship courses like Las Colinas and Lo Romero, as well as resort courses such as La Finca and Melia Villaitana. The Alicante Golf course was designed by Severiano Ballesteros and is a big destination for those who like to tee off.
Those unmoved by golf need fear not. There is plenty else to love about the city.
"Like Porto, it's relatively small, so there's plenty to see without it feeling daunting. It's the perfect place if you're planning a day trip, and the proximity of the city centre to the airport also makes it a great city break destination," Clare Bolger writes in her travel blog.
"Many of Alicante's buildings were damaged or destroyed during the civil war, so the post-war period saw a mix of restoration and new construction. Some buildings were restored to their former glory, while others were demolished and replaced with new ones. This has led to an interesting blend of old and new architectural styles which can be found throughout the city centre."
The Castle of Santa Bárbara is perhaps the most iconic and striking building in the city. It stands above the old quarter, which plays host to the annual Festival of Moors and the Night of San Juan.
"Walking around the winding streets of the Old Town is amazing, with an awesome amount of pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants," Neil Kelly, from Liverpool, enthused. "The architecture is absolutely fantastic. There are so many great-looking buildings to enjoy. I love walking down from Castillo de Santa Bárbara. The views from the castle are fabulous."
Not to be missed is La Explanada de España, a mosaic promenade composed of over 6.5 million marble tiles arranged in a wave-like pattern. It is lined with palm trees, with beautiful historic buildings on one side and a pretty marina on the other.
A notable feature of Alicante is its public transportation system. It has a tram line that runs from the city centre to the beachfront, making all of the main attractions easily accessible. The beach most new visitors to the city will end up at is Playa del Postiguet, which has cafés, white sand and plenty of space for watersports. Across the road from the beach, there's an elevator that can take you up to the castle. Another of the city's beaches, Playa de San Juan, is a few kilometres away.
A key aspect of any holiday is the food. Happily, Alicante has plenty of great venues serving reasonably priced local food. Santa Gloria, Bar Cento and Café Tres Texturas are just some of the eateries worth checking out. A widely hyped spot for a bit of breakfast is Brunch It, which specialises in fresh, healthy dishes and claims to be the most famous brunch restaurant in Europe.
If it's all starting to feel a little too Continental European and you are pining for a taste of home, then Browns is the place to go for some British-inspired grub. "Another fabulous Sunday lunch the best Sunday lunch around. This carvery is amazing, nothing I can say, only FABULOUS," writes Jackie M on Tripadvisor.