Playa del Postiguet

The city beach of fine golden sand in the centre of Alicante, right below Santa Bárbara Castle and minutes from the old town and the Explanada promenade. It is about 900 metres long and holds a Blue Flag.

Playa del Postiguet is the city beach right in the centre of Alicante, at the foot of Santa Bárbara Castle and next to the Explanada promenade. It is about 900 metres long and 50 metres wide, with fine golden sand. The name comes from "el Postigo", a small gate in the old city walls that later also gave its name to a street. Until the 20th century it was mainly a pebble beach where fishermen from the Raval Roig district hauled up their boats. It later became a sandy beach with wooden bathhouses on stilts (balnearios), which were wrecked by bombing during the Civil War. The eastern end of the beach, by La Marina station, is traditionally called Playa del Cocó and is used as a launch site for fireworks. The palm-lined Paseo de Gómiz runs along the beach, looking up at the southern slope of Mount Benacantil and the rock profile known as the Cara del Moro. The beach holds a Blue Flag and the Q certificate for tourism quality. Facilities include foot showers, public toilets, first aid, a children's play area, pedal boats, sun loungers and parasols, plus bars and restaurants. In summer there is an assisted bathing point for people with disabilities, and outside the season an accessible walkway is available at access 7. The nearest tram stops are Mercado and Puerta del Mar. Reviews often mention the clean beach and fine sand, and one visitor praises the view of the castle from the water. In high season, though, the beach can be very crowded and noisy, and some visitors mention cloudy or dirty water at the height of summer. One visitor suggests coming in the morning, when it is much quieter, and notes that there is little shade apart from under the palm trees. Another writes that, being so close to the centre, it is easy to drop by for just an hour or two.