Alicante Beaches: Where to Swim, From Postiguet to San Juan

Why Alicante works as a beach base

Few Spanish cities put a swimmable urban beach within a ten-minute walk of the historic centre, and Alicante's layout makes it easy to combine sightseeing with time on the sand. Playa del Postiguet is the closest option for anyone staying in the old town, while Playa de San Juan stretches north-east along the coast and rewards the short trip out with far more room. Rocky coves west of the marina around Cabo de la Huerta offer a different, smaller-scale experience for snorkellers and quiet-seekers.

The city beaches also come with published access improvements: Alicante's municipal tourism board lists permanent accessible beach facilities at San Juan, El Postiguet and Saladares-Urbanova, with a bathroom-assistance point on Tabarca Island during the summer season.

Playa del Postiguet

Postiguet is Alicante's city beach, set in a bay directly beneath Santa Bárbara castle and within walking distance of the old town, the marina and the Explanada promenade. The sand is broad enough for a city beach but fills quickly in July and August, when you should arrive before mid-morning to claim space near the water. It is the obvious choice for families with small children or anyone who wants to alternate a swim with lunch and sightseeing without a bus or tram ride.

The bay faces east and takes the morning sun first, so afternoons are gentler for anyone avoiding the strongest heat. For accessible facilities, the municipal tourism board places Postiguet's accessible area at access point 13 in the Coco-Estación de la Marina zone, with accessible parking nearby.

Getting there

Postiguet is a straightforward walk from the old town, and the surrounding streets are flat and shaded in the early morning. If you are coming from further out, the TRAM and city bus network both serve the centre, though exact routes and fares change, so the Alicante City & Beach tourist office is the place to confirm current services. For a car-free connection, the Vía Verde de la Cantera runs about 1.2 km through four former railway tunnels beside the Serra Grossa, linking Postiguet with the Albufereta and offering a return via the TRAM stop at La Isleta.

Playa de San Juan

Playa de San Juan is the long northern beach, stretching for several kilometres and offering far more room than Postiguet even at peak times. Its scale makes it the better choice for groups, walkers and anyone who wants to spread out, and the sand is backed by a promenade with bars and restaurants. The accessible beach area sits at access point 10, in front of the tourist office, with accessible parking on hand.

The TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante connects the city centre with the San Juan area, and the journey is the simplest car-free route from the old town. Fares and timetables change by season, so check the TRAM operator's current information before you travel. Once you arrive, walk towards the tourist office to find the accessible entrance and the widest stretch of sand.

Saladares-Urbanova and the southern sands

South of the city, Saladares-Urbanova is a quieter alternative to Postiguet, with a more local feel and easier space on the sand. The municipal tourism board places its accessible beach area at access point 6, in front of the lifeguard post, with accessible parking nearby.

The southern sands work well combined with a coastal walk, and the area is a sensible choice if you want to avoid the crowds that gather at Postiguet in high summer. Bring your own shade if you plan to stay through the afternoon, as the backing dunes and urban edge offer varying shelter depending on where you settle.

Cabo de la Huerta and the Albufereta

West of the marina, the coastline turns rockier around Cabo de la Huerta, where small coves and rocky edges attract snorkellers and anyone who prefers a quieter swim to a broad urban beach. The Albufereta beach lies further along the same stretch and is linked to Postiguet by the Vía Verde de la Cantera, a mostly flat walk of about 1.2 km through old railway tunnels beside the Serra Grossa.

The city has renewed buoyage across its beaches, including swim channels at San Juan and the Albufereta, according to a municipal news item on the Alicante tourism site.

Tabarca Island beach

Tabarca Island lies offshore from Alicante and makes a rewarding half-day trip, with boat access from the mainland and a small beach that suits swimmers who want a change of scene. During the summer season the island has a point for accompaniment and bathroom assistance for people with reduced mobility, but no other permanent accessible beach facilities are listed.

Plan the crossing around the ferry timetable rather than the other way round, as services are seasonal and the return boat is your only fixed point on the day. Once ashore, the island rewards a slow wander between swims, and the compact size makes it easy to combine beach time with lunch.

Accessible beach areas

Alicante's accessible beach facilities provide permanent recreational and educational services for people with functional diversity and bathroom assistance for reduced mobility during the summer season, at San Juan, Postiguet and Saladares-Urbanova, plus the accompaniment point on Tabarca.

The municipal tourism board lists reservation phone numbers and emails for the accessible areas as coming soon, and the bathroom assistance and service schedules are also marked as coming soon, so these details should be confirmed directly with the Alicante City & Beach tourist office before you rely on them.

The swim season

The sea is at its warmest from late June through September, with July and August the busiest weeks on the city beaches. Postiguet fills early in high summer, while San Juan absorbs crowds better thanks to its length. Out of season the beaches are quieter and the water cooler, but the city beaches remain accessible for walks and the occasional bracing swim.

Lifeguard cover, sunbed rental and beach bar opening vary by beach and by month, and the Alicante tourism board publishes beach information through its services, so the tourist office is the place to confirm what is operating on the day you plan to visit.

Facilities on the sand

Postiguet and San Juan have the most developed facilities, with bars and restaurants along the promenades and sunbed rental common in high season. Saladares-Urbanova is quieter, and its accessible area sits in front of the lifeguard post at access point 6.

The Alicante tourism board offers an iBeach app with forecasts, sea conditions and warnings for the city's beaches, which is useful for planning which beach to choose on a given day.

Practical rules

Dogs are not allowed on the sand of beaches and coves in Alicante except between 1 November and 1 March, when they must be kept on a lead and their waste cleaned up, according to the municipal animal welfare ordinance.

Outside that winter window, leave the dog at home or plan a walk along the promenade rather than the sand. The same municipal pages carry current beach notices and warnings, which are worth a look before a summer visit.

Nearby beaches to combine

If you want a second beach in one day, head north from San Juan towards El Campello, where the coast continues with further sand and a tram link back to the city. South of Alicante, the beaches around Santa Pola and the boat to Tabarca make a natural pairing for a longer day out.

For a bigger resort scene, the Benidorm beaches to the north offer a very different scale of sand and facilities, with Levante Beach and Poniente Beach each having their own character. If you are weighing the northern Costa Blanca against quieter sands further south, the Almeria beaches combine a similar resort-and-cove mix with the wilder stretches of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park.

Levante Beach, Benidorm draws the crowds who want a full promenade of bars and loungers behind a broad sweep of sand, while the northern Costa Blanca coast around it rewards anyone building a longer trip out of the city.

Where to stay for beach access

Staying in the old town puts Postiguet within walking distance and makes the marina, restaurants and castle easy to reach on foot, at the cost of smaller rooms and higher summer prices. Choosing San Juan instead gives you more space on the sand and a quieter base, with the TRAM into the city for sightseeing. The southern coast around Saladares-Urbanova suits travellers with a car who want a local feel and easy parking.

Bringing a dog to the beach

Dogs are not allowed on the sand of Alicante's beaches and coves for most of the year, but the municipal ordinance on the ownership, welfare and protection of animals (Art. 29) opens a window between November 1st and March 1st. If your visit falls in that period, you can take your dog onto the sand; outside it, the beach is off limits to dogs.

Whenever a dog is on the beach during the permitted months, it must always be on a leash, and owners are required to clean up their waste. These two conditions apply alongside the seasonal rule, so a November walk on the sand still means keeping the lead on and carrying bags.

The rule covers the beaches and coves described in this guide, from Playa del Postiguet and Playa de San Juan to Saladares-Urbanova, Cabo de la Huerta, the Albufereta and Tabarca Island beach, so the same November 1st to March 1st calendar governs where you can and cannot take a dog onto the sand. Questions about the ordinance are handled by the Department of Health and Animal Protection, which can be reached at sanidad@alicante.es.

Walking a dog to the water outside the summer ban

If you are travelling with a dog, the municipal calendar rather than the beach itself decides your plan. Dogs are not allowed on the sand of beaches and coves, except during the period from November 1st to March 1st. The rule is set out in Art. 29 of the Municipal ordinance on the ownership, welfare, and protection of animals, administered by the Department of Health and Animal Protection, which can be reached at sanidad@alicante.es.

That window is narrower than it first looks when set against the swimming calendar. The swimming season in Alicante lasts from June to November, and during those months the water temperature does not drop below 20°C. October is the month that overlaps both, with an average water temperature of 22.7°C, a minimum of 18.8°C and a maximum of 25.7°C, which is why the sand is still busy with swimmers right up to the point where the dog rule lifts.

Once November 1st arrives, the obligation shifts to the lead and the bag. Dogs must always be on a leash on the sand, and their waste must be cleaned up. Nothing in the ordinance distinguishes between the city beaches and the outlying coves, so the same terms apply whether you are at El Postiguet, San Juan or a smaller cove along the coast.

Plan your beach day

Pick Postiguet for convenience and a classic city-beach day beneath the castle, San Juan for space and a longer swim, and the Cabo de la Huerta coves or Tabarca for something quieter and more rugged. Use the published access points for accessible facilities, and confirm seasonal services and boat times with the Alicante City & Beach tourist office before you go.