Santa Cruz quarter and the show

Where it is

Barceló's visitor guide places Santa Cruz at the foot of Mount Benacantil, next to Santa Bárbara Castle, in the historic centre of Alicante, and says it is bordered on one side by the Rambla de Méndez Núñez. Alicante's tourism board calls it the most picturesque area of the city, with narrow, steep streets, coloured pots and flowers and whitewashed houses on the slopes of the mountain.

The oldest quarter

Barceló calls Santa Cruz definitely the oldest neighbourhood in Alicante and says it was first settled by the Moors, whose city was called Al-Laqant. It adds that the intricate layout was likely designed to cope with high summer temperatures. The same guide says the white houses are often decorated with coloured tiles and friezes, each different, and that residents decorate facades and balconies with plants and flowers throughout the year.

The hermitage and the lookout

At the top of the quarter stands the Ermita de Santa Cruz. The tourism board says it was built over the remains of a mosque, that its origins go back to the 13th century and that it was consecrated for Catholic worship in 1271. It says the building seen today dates from 1830, and that one of the most heartfelt processions of Alicante's Holy Week begins there. A lookout beside it gives views over the old town and the Mediterranean.

The castle above

Santa Bárbara Castle sits on Mount Benacantil, which Wikipedia gives as 166 metres high, and overlooks the city. The article dates the castle's origins to the 9th century and says lifts have been installed inside the mountain, and it adds that the article needs more citations, so check dates against a current guide. For a walk that links the quarter and the castle, the Seven Secrets of Alicante walk begins at the Central Market, rides a shuttle bus to the top and comes down through the old town.

Walking it

The tourism board says the quarter can be reached only on foot, and that the route may be difficult for people with reduced mobility. Barceló says the area has many steeply climbing streets and steps, so comfortable shoes are advised. The tourism board names the stops at Avenida Alfonso el Sabio and Rambla Méndez Núñez, and the Puerta del Mar stop, as the nearest public transport. Check opening details and routes in advance, as the board itself advises, because transport and schedules change.

The palace and the show

The show is on Calle Maldonado, in the historic centre of Santa Cruz as the organiser puts it. Alicante Plaza places the Marbeuf Palace at the corner of Calle Maldonado and Calle Capitán Boacio, in a three-storey building put up in the decades either side of 1800, recognised as a Bien de Relevancia Local. The organiser says the palace's old stables are the room for the show. The guide to the show covers the evening itself.

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