SW AY-075 Alicante

Alicante is a city and port in Spain on the Costa Blanca. It is the capital of the province of Alicante. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,329 and the metropolitan area (including Elche and satellite towns) was 771,061 as of 2011 estimates. Alicante was one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. The boom depended partly on tourism directed to the beaches of the Costa Blanca and particularly on the second residence-construction boom which started in the 1960s and revived again by the late 1990s.  

One of the most notable features of the city is the Castle of Santa Bárbara. The castle is situated on Mount Benacantil, overlooking the city. The tower (La Torreta) at the top, is the oldest part of the castle, while part of the lowest zone and the walls were constructed later in the 18th century. Barrio de la Santa Cruz is a colourful quarter of the old city, situated on the south-west of Santa Bárbara castle. Its small houses climb up the hill leading to the walls and the castle, through narrow streets decorated with flags and tubs of flowers.

Another feature of Alicante is the Port of Alicante.  It is a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.  It is used for commercial and passenger traffic. The port is administered by the Port Authority of Alicante. The port has been reinventing itself since the industrial decline the city suffered in the 1980s (with most mercantile traffic lost to Valencia's harbour). In recent years, the Port Authority has established it as one of the most important ports in Spain for cruises.  There were 72 calls to port made by cruises in 2007, bringing some 80,000 cruise passengers and 30,000 crew to the city each year.

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