Day trips from Alicante: 9 towns in the province

Alicante city is the most practical base for exploring the villages and coastline of the province in a single day. The TRAM light rail covers much of the northern coast, Cercanías trains run direct to the south, and the inland mountain villages are, in most cases, a drive rather than a train ride. This selection covers nine towns, each worth the trip for a different reason, with an honest note on whether the journey works without a car or is better done by driving.

Guadalest: a castle and reservoir in the mountains

Guadalest sits on a rock spur in the foothills of the Serra de Aitana, with the ruins of El Castell de Guadalest crowning the village and a turquoise reservoir visible from the viewpoint at the entrance. It is the best-known mountain excursion in the province, and also the least practical without a car: there is no direct bus from Alicante, and combining the tram to Benidorm with a connecting bus easily runs past two and a half hours each way. Most day visitors drive themselves or join an organised coach trip.

Xàbia: coves and a fortified church

Xàbia's old town is built around the Iglesia-Fortaleza de San Bartolomé, extended from 1513 with thick walls, battlements and gun loops because it doubled as a refuge against the Barbary pirate raids that hit this coast through the 15th and 16th centuries. Beyond the old town, the coastline is heavily indented, with coves such as La Granadella. You can get there without a car by taking TRAM line 9 to Dénia and then a connecting bus to Xàbia, which runs several times a day, though the full trip from Alicante takes considerably longer than driving.

Benidorm: a high-rise skyline and water parks

Benidorm is the easiest of these trips without a car: TRAM line 1 runs directly from Luceros, in central Alicante, to Benidorm's intermodal station. The town is known for its cluster of residential towers, including the InTempo skyscraper, one of the tallest residential buildings in Spain, and it holds two of the province's water parks, Aqualandia and Aqua Natura. It is also where line 9 branches off to continue up the coast.

Altea: an old town and a blue dome

Altea's old quarter climbs toward the church of Nuestra Señora del Consuelo, recognisable by its blue-and-white tiled dome, visible from much of the bay. The cobbled streets around it are some of the best preserved on the north coast. Altea sits on the same tram line as Benidorm and Calp, so it is reached on the same route without needing a car.

Calp: a rock rising out of the sea

The Peñón de Ifach dominates Calp from the water: a limestone outcrop over 300 metres high, protected as a natural park, with a footpath to the top starting right in town. At its base sit the Roman remains of the Baños de la Reina, a former fish-salting works. Both TRAM lines 1 and 9 stop in Calp, making it another car-free option.

Dénia: a castle, a port and Montgó

Dénia is built around three things: the hilltop castle, with views over the whole bay; the port and fishermen's quarter down by the water; and the Montgó massif, the natural park that closes off the town inland. It is the final stop on tram line 9, so it is reachable by public transport from Alicante without extra transfers once you are on the north coast route.

La Vila Joiosa: painted houses on the seafront

La Vila Joiosa's seafront is known for its row of brightly painted façades, a tradition the town itself traces back to fishermen needing to spot their house from out at sea when returning with the boat. Behind that first line sits a medieval-origin core with surviving stretches of the old wall. TRAM line 1, on the same route as Benidorm, stops in the centre of town.

Elx: Europe's largest palm grove

The Palmeral de Elche is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the largest historic palm grove in Europe, still irrigated through a system inherited from the Andalusi period. Every year, the Basílica de Santa María stages the Misteri d'Elx, a liturgical drama also recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage. Elx has a Cercanías station with direct trains from Alicante-Terminal, the shortest ride on this list.

Orihuela: a cathedral and the Segura's market gardens

Orihuela's old town spreads across the hillside below its castle, centred on the Catedral del Salvador y Santa María and surrounded by several other churches and former convents. It is the birthplace of the poet Miguel Hernández, whose house is preserved as a museum. The same Cercanías line that reaches Elche runs on to Orihuela with a direct connection from Alicante.

Frequently asked questions

Which town is easiest to visit without a car from Alicante?

Benidorm, Altea, Calp, Dénia and La Vila Joiosa all sit on the same TRAM line out of Luceros in central Alicante, so none of the five needs a car.

Can Guadalest be visited by public transport?

It is possible by combining tram and bus, but the trip easily runs past two and a half hours each way, so most day trips there are done by car or on an organised coach.

Which towns can be combined into one tram-only day?

Benidorm, Altea and Calp sit on the same route and can be combined in a single day, since the tram stops at all three without an extra transfer.

How do you get to Elche and Orihuela from Alicante?

Both have Cercanías stations with direct trains from Alicante-Terminal, the fastest option on this list for anyone who doesn't want to drive.

Is it worth driving to these towns in August?

In coastal towns like Calp or Altea, driving in August means hunting for parking around narrow old-town streets; anyone driving into Alicante first and planning one of these trips afterwards can check the guide to parking in Alicante to leave the car outside the centre and move around by tram instead.