Beaches in Alicante
A city beach under the castle and a long sandy one a tram ride away
- Blue Flag 2026
- San Juan
- Postiguet
- City beach
- San Juan
- About 2.9 km
For a short stay, Postiguet is the right beach. It is a city beach that begins under the castle, a few minutes from the old town, and it carried a Blue Flag in 2026. San Juan is the longer and finer strip of sand, but it needs a tram or a bus to reach it. In 2026 four beaches flew the flag in Alicante: San Juan, Postiguet, Urbanova and Tabarca.
The beach under the castle
Postiguet lies right below the castle rock, and you reach it on foot from the Explanada, with the lift to the castle just across the road. All of its entrances are accessible. It is an urban beach, and none the worse for it, with the old town behind you and the castle in front, so keep an eye on your bag. It is the beach for two days in the city, since it costs no transfer, and the only one where a swim fits between the market and the castle.
Check the same room on both sites: price and cancellation terms can differ.
The long beach with a Blue Flag
San Juan is the big one. It stretches for about three kilometres, and with neighbouring Mutxavista in El Campello it runs to more than six. It has held the Blue Flag for 40 years in a row, one of only seven beaches in the world with such a record. It lies about 10 km north-east of the centre and 20 km from the airport. Kayak and surf schools work the water, which gives it a sporty air that Postiguet lacks. Reach it on tram line 3 to the Costa Blanca stop, or by bus, and plan a week if you want it to be the main event.
Albufereta, Almadraba and the coves
Albufereta is a sheltered strip of 400 metres that is popular with locals, about 5 km east of the old town and 15 minutes by tram from the centre. It has no flag, because it was not entered for one in 2025 or 2026 after a single measurement of the water quality gave anomalous values, and locals still go there. Above it stand the ruins of Lucentum, a Roman settlement on the Tossal de Manises. Almadraba and the Cabo de las Huertas are the rocky side of the coast, with no flag, and the coves of Cala Cantalar and La Calita and the viewpoint of Mussola sit along the cape. Almadraba is about 15 minutes by tram from Luceros. Quiet, yes. Easy, no.
Urbanova and Tabarca
Urbanova is a calm, residential beach of 1,600 metres, with a Blue Flag in 2026. Tabarca is the island option, reached by boat, with a Blue Flag in 2025 and 2026 and a marine reserve around it. About 50 people live there, behind walls from the 18th century, so a swim on the island is also a visit to a small fortified village. Both reward a deliberate trip and punish a casual one, because neither is on the way to anything else. Urbanova suits those who want quiet and a flag without the sporty crowd of San Juan. For a swim without a plan, choose Postiguet, and for a day devoted to swimming, choose San Juan.
Where to next
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like Alicante
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which Alicante beach is best for families?
Postiguet is the most practical, in the centre and with accessible entrances. San Juan has more room, with long sand and a Blue Flag for 40 years running, and Urbanova is the calmer residential option, also flagged in 2026.
Can you reach an Alicante beach without a car?
Yes. Postiguet is a walk from the Explanada, San Juan is on tram line 3 at the Costa Blanca stop, and Almadraba is about 15 minutes by tram from Luceros. Tabarca needs a boat, and the Cabo de las Huertas coves ask for a lift, a taxi or a long walk.
When is the sea warm enough to swim?
The long-term averages give about 26 °C in August and about 14 °C in January, so summer is the safe side for a swim, and the months between depend on how cold you can bear.
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