The Esplanada is the walkway that runs alongside the main N332 by the marina. A straight road from the airport.
Here is a link to the webcam...
http://webcam.comunitatvalenciana.com/webcam2.htm?id_camara=17
There is usually a market selling tat there.

Cross the road and you will be on Playa Postiguet.
Here are some pictures.
http://www.alicante-spotlight.com/photos/beaches/11.htm

Hiya Helen

Not done this journey myself, but this it what I've found out by searching.

The Esplanada and Playa Postiguet is as Oly Daze says, next to the marina/harbour.
From the airport you have 2 options, one is a taxi that will cost between €20 - €30 for the 11 km journey, or a bus that will cost €1.
The bus that runs from the airport into the city centre bus station is the C-6 line, and aptly called the Aeropuerto to Alicante City bus.
The bus stop number 30 is across from the arrivals hall and it essentially comes past the airport every 30 - 45 mins and the time-table is posted at the airport....apparently it takes about 40 mins into the centre of Alicante.

http://agilciudad.com/alicante/?city=74
Click on callejero interactivo....another window opens.,,,click on Alicante (red spot)
Click the blue button and then you will be able to zoom in by clicking on the zoom+ sign and scroll across the city.
The bus station is situated to the left of the harbour number 8.

HTH's
Sanji

For anyone interested a great time to visit Alicante is during the San Juan fiesta in June,there is a great atmosphere in the city with parades,open air music,bullfights ect ect all culminating in the burning of bonfires on the 24th June all over the city.

Going again this year for 4 nights,this will be my 5th visit for the San Juan fiesta

I agree!

We went to the Hogueras (Spanish for bonfires) in June 2006 and it was fantastic!

We stayed in El Campello (20 mins from Alicante via the seafront tram) which was great - no football, no discos, no karaoke, no souvenier shops just a beattiful beach and great little restaurants.

We liked it so much we went again to El Campello in October for the Moors versus Christians fiesta which is held there. Barking mad! Everyone dresses up as a Moor or a Christian and there are parades every day for a week. On 5:30am on one day they start on the Beach firing muskets, jousting, and generally charging round the town like big kids!

I will put together a web site with the pictures and post a link here in a day or two.

Hi Ada ... perhaps uploading them to the Photo Galleries may be easier for you ??

David

Hi David

If you would prefer I can do that too. I have a couple of non-profit web sites with shed loads of space though!

I will pick the best of the bunch and post those up on the gallery and include a link to a short flash movie from the Hogueras and maybe one to the Moors vs Christians parades too.

I want people to realise that there is so much more to the Costa Blanca outside of Benidorm!

I haven't been on the HT board for a long time due to retirement and blowing all my airmiles by travelling pretty much constantly over the last 18 months. Time to start posting loads of reviews I think!

Ada

Thanks to everyone who replied. Your directions and advice on transport were spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed my day but have suffered since I got back. I left home at 5.00 to go to the airport and the flight was delayed on the way back so was not home until after midnight. I got the C6 bus for a euro and a helpful Spanish lady I was talking to at the number 30 bus stop advised me where to get off for shopping and gave me a time table for the return journey. I thought Alicante was a beautiful city and on my next visit to Beni would like to spend a day, maybe two ,there .
My one complaint about Benidorm over the years is that there is not enough seats when you want a break. I have had many a drink or coffee in a cafe in Benidorm that I did not really want but only went in to get a seat and rest. This was not a problem in Alicante, either in the main shopping area, the Esplanada or the prom at Teguiste beach. There are loads of benches eveywhere.
I was however (perhaps naively) surprised to find how hard it was to find a tabaccos. I would like to go back to explore further, especially if I can find a Tabbac so if anyone can suggest where I can go I would be delighted.

Helen

P.S The return fare Glasgow to Alicante was £54. On the legal limit of 3200 cigs (16 packs) I reckon I saved nearly £500 . Not counting 2 litres of Baccardi and 1 of vodka

Here are a couple of links to my pictures last year..

The first is from Alicante during the Hogueras de San Juan in June (every June and it must not be missed!)

http://www.cyprusfan.alivewww.co.uk/hogueras/index.html

This next one was in October and was much more fun in El Campello (12 miles from Alicante and 20min s on the tram)...

http://www.cyprusfan.alivewww.co.uk/campello/index.html

There are always lots of Fiestas going on around Spain. Check them out! You can always watch football when you get home!

Ada

Ada
Thankyou very much for your post.
You've just reminded me why I love Spain and its people so much.

Lovely Saturday night viewing....for me, nothing can compare on the box downstairs.....
I want to be there right now.!

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

You've also just reminded me that I read in the Spanish Paper "El Pais" before Christmas that the Moors v Christians festival is going to be toned down, under the present climate, it is deemed to be offensive to Muslims.
Some towns have abandoned it completely.
Whilst it is all in good fun, it does celebrate the fall of Moorish Spain to the Christians in 1492 and involves the destroying of an effigy of the prophet Mohammed.

I do believe Granada in Andalusia was the last city to fall and today people flock to the area to see the magnificent influence that the Moors left....well. they never left really, many words in Spanish have their roots in Arabic and there's a lot of Arabic blood flowing through the ancestral veins of Spaniards.
Worth noting, that if the Moors hadn't brought with them rice to Spain, then we would never have eaten Paella.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Great photos,I can't wait for June now having seen those.

How refreshing that these sort of things go on still in Spain in a day and age in the UK when such things would be classed as naff,I have never seen one aggresive or drunken Spaniard in all my times visiting Hogueras - not that they dont drink a lot,can you imagine such an event here,it would attract every chaff in the city with their cans of beer and drunken behaviour.

I really love Alicante city and think its a hidden gem. They actually have quite a lot of celebrations throughout the year - so I think theres plenty of chances to see something different.
And don't you just love how the old people sit out on the esplanada on the free chairs chatting to old friends?
By the way - did you get to Santa Cruz? A lovely quaint area, great for views from the top.