Car rental in Alicante

If you want the convenience of stepping off your flight to Alicante and into your rental car, pre-booking with Carhirespain.net is the best way to save you both time and money.

Our online comparison engine is the cheapest way to put you into a new hire car from one of Spain’s best car rental agencies. We can find you the best unlimited mileage policies for the SUVs, luxury or compact cars that Alicante has to offer.  

For our best rates pre-book early. Don’t worry if plans change; you can cancel your booking until 24 hours before your pick up time.

You will be unpacked and drinking Sangria in Calle Castaños in Alicante city centre in no time.

Alicante

Alicante, once called Lucentum, the “City of Light” in Latin, is a modern Spanish city with an ancient vibe.

Part of the Valencian community of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón, Alicante is the gateway to Valencia and many holiday destinations.  From the airport in your hire car, you are near the best the Costa Blanca has to offer.

Santa Pola, Rojales, Orihuela, Torrevieja, Javea and Benidorm are just a few of the seaside towns you will have access to once you hit the road. You can explore them all or pick a few to settle down in and enjoy the sun.

Alicante is an old soul, but don’t be mistaken, she is not just a tourist city. Alicante is a working town and Spain’s 8th largest metropolitan area. As a result, she has a younger population and all the benefits that brings.

Art in Alicante

One of these benefits is an art and cultural scene. From the surreal Museo de Hogueras to MACA, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Alicanteto there is plenty to see. Alicante offers a dozen or more museums and even more galleries.

If you have to pick just a few, make sure one of them is the Museo Archeologico Provinciale di Alicante (MARQ). Once voted the best museum in Europe, you will leave the MARQ with a clear understanding of Alicante’s architectural and cultural past.  It will colour the way you see the area for the rest of your trip.

In the permanent collections of MACA, you can experience first-hand the works Miró, Dalí, Juan Gris and Julio González. The works of Eusebio Sempere, local son, are also on permanent display.

Food in Alicante

If total cultural immersion is not your thing, food likely will be. With a rich history of influences from Europe, Asia and Africa, Alicante has a little of everything. Take a gourmet walking tour through the central market for a taste of history. If the market isn’t your thing, explore the restaurants in the city centre on your own.  

Alicante with a hire car

With access to a hire car, there is no limit to what you can experience in and around Alicante and the Costa Blanca. Here are our top 4 short trips nearby.

Cuevas de Canelobre

The Cuevas de Canelobre is a beautiful natural cave system under 25 kilometres away from Alicante. The caves are located inside the Sierra de Cabeza de Oro mountains, in an area with stunning coastal views. The highlight of the trip is a single, vast, cavern with a 150m long hall. Filled with wonderful stalactites and stalagmites, the cavern is often compared to a cathedral.

Tours of the cave are extremely well put together. Coloured lights and music illuminate the caves giving them an otherworldly ambience. If you are really lucky, you will be able to experience one of the concerts held inside. The caves have excellent acoustics, and it is a once in a lifetime experience if you can time it right.

Playa de San Juan

This day experience is only 5 kilometres from the Alicante city centre, just a short drive in a hire car.

Playa de San Juan is a beautiful white sand beach perfect to sunbathe and relax with friends or family. With calm waters perfect for swimming and a whole host of water sports on offer, it is the perfect way to spend either a lazy or an active day.

Extremely well cared for, San Juan boasts a Blue Flag. In short, both strong and novice swimmers alike can enjoy the sand and sun in safety.

Cafés, restaurants, and shops along the beach make it a perfect place to spend an entire day.

Playa de Los Saladares

Since you are in the area, point your hire car a little further down the coast to the Playa de Los Saladares. Located seven kilometres from Alicante in a beautiful natural wetland is a great escape. Everything you need is located nearby. Playa de Los Saldares has excellent public facilities, with toilets and showers on-site.

For the kids, there is a play area. Adults will appreciate the chance to rent beach umbrellas and lounge-chairs to while away the hours.

Whether you want to sunbathe or take a nature walk around the wetlands, Playa de Los Saladares is a great way to spend a day. By all means, take a nap under the Mediterranean sun.

Cabo de las Huertas

Easily reached by hire car Cabo de las Huertas is the perfect beach for those looking to avoid crowds — and children. Because of its seclusion, it is for adults only, and clothing is optional.

If you would prefer to keep your suit on, there are more small coves not far from Alicante between Albufereta and San Juan. Offering excellent SCUBA diving, The Cala Cantalars are small rock coves in a quiet residential area a mere 2 km from Alicante proper.

Nearby, in Cabo de las Huertas, the Cala dels Jueus coves are a series of small coves that range between sandy and rocky terrain.  Both areas are well-protected, and their calm waters make for excellent diving.

Day trips from Alicante with a hire car

If adventure calls, head your hire car up the Costa Blanca to the towns that have made the area so popular. While you can easily visit these spots from Alicante, why not take advantage of your unlimited mileage and take them all in in a single road-trip? With some planning and imagination, you could take the drive of a lifetime.

Altea

Start with Altea. Around 50km from Alicante, Altea is a 45-minute drive away. Located on Mediterranean shore, Altea is amongst the most beautiful towns in Alicante. Located in a gorgeous bay in  Marina Baja  Altea sits next to Sierra de Bernia.

The first thing you will notice in Altea is the beautiful traditional white houses that give the town its character. Ramble along the steep streets to find the Nuestra Señora del Consuelo and its stunning sea views, or visit the Orthodox temple Arcángel Miguel.  Also worth finding as you explore, are the  Monasterio de las Carmelitas Descalzas, the Galera tower and finally the Palau, or Bellaguarda tower.

But this is not just a tour of great old churches. Don’t forget to take a swim, the water on the Mediterranean side is crystal clear.

Remember no Spanish town tour would be complete without watching the sun fall with some tapas and sangria. Altea has excellent amenities, but it is not a party town, you can head up the road to Benidorm for that.

Calpe

From Altea, head further up the shore another 20 mins or 11 km to Calpe.

Up the Mediterranean coast around 60 km from Alicante, Calpe stands in the shadow of one of the best-known icons of the Costa Blanca, the 332m Peñon de Ifach.

Calpe is an ancient place with a fascinating history, and it retains remnants of its past, like its Roman Baths. Surrounded vineyards and mountains, Calpe is loved for its good value fish restaurants and lovely sandy beaches.

The town has retained its attitude of warm hospitality despite being one of the Costa Blancas busier spots. It has kept the deep-rooted traditions of the ancient fishing village while accommodating the high-rises on its shoreline.

Jávea

Another 26 km or 35 minutes up the coast from Calpe and you will come to Javea which is 86 km from Alicante.

Unlike Calpe, Javea is a small, picturesque historic town that has so far managed to avoid high-rise buildings. Calpe has the ultimate relaxing holiday atmosphere. Its people are open and friendly.

What makes Javea lovely though is the warm, blue Mediterranean Sea that hugs its beautiful beaches and coves.

Javea has everything from sandy coastlines to mountain areas. Its gentle climate year-round and the careful planning of its council have combined modern facilities with ancient fishing village charm.