Alicante with Kids: Beach, Castle, Ocean Race
Alicante packs beach, castle and museum into a walkable center, which matters with kids in tow more than it does for a solo trip: nobody is stuck on a bus for an hour between stops.
Postiguet first, then decide the rest of the day
Playa del Postiguet, right below the old town, has a gentle shelf, calm shallow water, summer lifeguards and shaded climbing frames on the sand. Playa de San Juan, a short TRAM ride north on Line 4 or 5, is bigger and windier with 3 kilometers of open sand and more room to run. Both are free, and neither needs advance planning beyond sunscreen and a hat. If a beachfront base matters, compare family rooms near Postiguet and San Juan on Booking.com before you land.
The castle, by tunnel lift
Castillo de Santa Bárbara’s grounds are free; the only cost is the tunnel elevator that carries visitors 166 meters up through Mount Benacantil from opposite Postiguet Beach, at €2.70 a ride, free for children under 5 and seniors over 65. Once up top, kids get stone ramparts, cannons, arrow slits and dark powder magazines to explore. Do not attempt the walking route through Barrio de Santa Cruz with a stroller; it is steep stone stairs the entire way, with no ramp access, so the tunnel lift or a taxi is the only option with a pram.
The Ocean Race Museum, free with a paid extra
At Muelle de Levante in the port, The Ocean Race Museum covers the round-the-world VO65 yacht race with touchscreen displays, knot-tying stations and a real racing yacht on dry dock, all free. The optional sailing simulator, which pitches riders through simulated Southern Ocean swells, costs €3.00 and is worth it for kids old enough to want the extra thrill.
What is worth skipping
Skip Parque El Palmeral if rowboats are the plan; the boat concession has been closed for years. The park is still pleasant for shade and playgrounds, just not for boating. Museo de Hogueras, inside Casa de la Festa on Rambla de Méndez Núñez, is free and shows off the giant, whimsical ninots saved from past bonfire festivals, which usually lands better with kids than a formal history museum would.
A bigger day, honestly framed
Benidorm’s theme parks sit about 45 kilometers north, reachable via TRAM Line 1: Terra Mítica for ancient-world-themed rides, Aqualandia for waterslides, and Mundomar for marine animal shows. This is a full separate day trip once transit is factored in, not an afternoon add-on. A combined Aqualandia, Terra Mítica or Mundomar ticket covers more than one park if you are committing the whole day anyway.
Before you go
Pack water and sun hats for the castle climb regardless of route; the upper ramparts have almost no shade, and stone surfaces get uncomfortably hot by midday in summer. For the same castle and old town from an adult sightseeing angle, see our sightseeing guide .