In the centre of Alicante on the Plaza de Espana, the city's bullring, the Plaza de Toros, is a nineteenth-century arena that has served as a venue for bullfighting and public events since it opened in 1888. Built to replace an earlier temporary ring, the structure follows the traditional circular form of Spanish bullrings, with tiered seating rising around a central sand arena, and a capacity of several thousand spectators. The brick and stone construction is characteristic of the period, and t.....

From the top of Mount Benacantil, a rocky hill rising 166 metres above the sea, the Castillo de Santa Barbara looks out over the city of Alicante and the whole sweep of its bay. The height gave the site great strategic value, since defenders could watch the bay and the surrounding land for any approaching threat. Remains from the Bronze Age, the Iberians and the Romans have been found on the slopes, but the castle itself dates from the 9th century, in the period of Muslim rule. On 4 December .....