The best viewpoints near Alicante, castles included

Most of the province of Alicante's viewpoints sit on top of a castle, because the same hill that once watched the coast for enemy ships is still the best place to look at it. This guide gathers viewpoints and castles in order of distance from the city, and says whether each one is a walk or needs a car.

In the city, no car needed

Santa Bárbara Castle tops Mount Benacantil with 360-degree views over the city, the harbour and Postiguet beach. Entry to the grounds is free; only the lift up from the seafront is ticketed, and you can walk up for free through Parc de l'Ereta on the hillside, which has its own viewpoints over San Nicolás cathedral, the harbour and the rocky profile known as the Moor's Face.

On another of the city's hills, Castell de Sant Ferran is a 19th-century fort with views over the city, the sea and, in the distance, the silhouette of Santa Bárbara Castle itself. You can walk up or drive around the hill on the access road, and entry here is also free. Between the two forts, the old town of Alicante sits directly below, with the cathedral and the harbour as a reference point from either one.

South: the Santa Pola lighthouse

Torre Atalayola, a 16th-century watchtower now carrying Santa Pola's lighthouse, stands over the cape's cliffs. On clear days you can see north as far as the Peñón de Ifach, with the Puig Campana and the Aitana range behind it, and south to Tabarca island. There's free parking by the lighthouse and the viewpoint itself is a short walk from there.

Above Benidorm and Finestrat

Balcón del Mediterráneo, right in the centre of Benidorm, is a viewpoint on a rocky spur that splits the town's two beaches, with views over the bay and, on clear days, along the coast as far as Calp. Inside the same Serra Gelada natural park, the walk up to the Cruz de Benidorm cross is short and easy, and also starts on foot from the town.

More demanding is Puig Campana, the province's second-highest peak. You can drive as far as Font del Molí on the edge of Finestrat, but from there the climb to the summit is a full day's mountain route, not a stroll. From the top you look out over much of the coast, from the Peñón de Ifach to the Santa Pola headland, ringed by the Aitana, Ponoig and Bernia ranges. This is not a viewpoint for casual footwear: it needs proper walking boots and enough water, because once you leave the car at Font del Molí there is no other access point along the way.

Calp and Xàbia

The Peñón de Ifach is climbed on foot from its base, along a signposted path inside the natural park, where access is capped and managed. From the summit you see the whole of Calp's bay, its two beaches and the harbour below, and on clear days even the island of Ibiza.

Further north, the Cap de la Nau viewpoint in Xàbia sits over a hundred metres above the sea. You drive there, with parking by the restaurants on the headland, and from the cliff edge you can see Moraira and, on very clear days, the Peñón de Ifach and Ibiza itself. The headland also marks the boundary between the coast facing the north of the province and the coast facing south, so it gives a single vantage point onto most of this guide's route.

Inland: Montgó, Guadalest and Aitana

The Montgó Natural Park, between Dénia and Xàbia, is a roughly three-hour round trip on foot from the Ermita del Pare Pere area, which you reach by car. From the 753-metre summit you look out over the whole coastal plain, and on clear days can make out the island of Ibiza.

In Guadalest, the Plaza de Sant Gregori viewpoint looks straight down onto the turquoise reservoir, ringed by the Serrella and l'Aixortà ranges; it's a walk within the village itself. A little higher, among the ruins of Castillo de San José, which is ticketed, you get the same reservoir from a greater height.

In Confrides, on the north face of the Aitana range, Font de l'Arbre is reached by a seven-kilometre paved track you drive from the village, and from there an easy path gives views of the Mediterranean that, on clear days, reach as far as Ibiza.

The furthest point in this guide is Castillo de la Atalaya in Villena, well inland: an Almohad-era fortress whose keep terrace looks out over the entire Vinalopó valley. Entry to the tower is ticketed, and a car is the only way to get there.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most accessible viewpoint near Alicante without a car?

Santa Bárbara Castle: free entry to the grounds, reached on foot through Parc de l'Ereta or by a ticketed lift from the seafront.

Can you climb the Peñón de Ifach on foot?

Yes, along a signposted path inside the natural park, where access is capped and managed during busier periods.

What can you see from Puig Campana?

Much of the coast, from the Peñón de Ifach to the Santa Pola headland, ringed by the Aitana, Ponoig and Bernia ranges. It's a long mountain route, not a short walk.

Do you need a car for the inland castles, like Villena or Guadalest?

Yes. Neither has direct transport from Alicante city that reaches the castle itself.

Pairing it with the coast

Many of these viewpoints sit right above a beach or a cove: the Peñón de Ifach over Calp's Baños de la Reina, or the Balcón del Mediterráneo over Benidorm's two beaches. The rest of the coastline, ordered from near to far, is in the best beaches near Alicante guide.