Alicante, Spain - Port Departure

Time to leave Alicante!  It has been a delightful time discovering the city and neighboring Elche.  The day goes so quickly and we saw so much.

We departed the tour bus and entered the Port Authority.

 I love to go to the top deck as we are departing a port to see the city as we leave. This gives me a chance to put my tours in perspective.  I see the city as we pull in to port, but there is no frame of reference to know what I am seeing.  This is the port, the area with the smaller boats, and the highrise buildings of the central city.  High on the hill sits Castillo de Santa Barbara.

This is a view of the deck as we head out to sea.

The departure from our dock stirs up the silt at the bottom.

The mountains rise majestically behind the city.

Several other ships have dropped anchor away from the dock. This one looks like it is waiting for cargo.

I took out the zoom lens and got a nice hillside perspective of Castillo de Santa Barbara.

Farewell, Alicante!!

Alicante, Spain - Ruins of the Hermitage of Santa Barbara

This is a continuation of the visit to Castillo de Santa Barbara.  (Click here to see part 1)

Inside the Castillo de Santa Barbara walls the steep walk continues.  Desert plants dot the interior landscape.

This is either a building marker or early graffiti.

There are water areas throughout the walk, although I continued to rely on my bottled water when I was thirsty.

Inside the gates of the castle you can find the Ruins of the Hermitage of Santa Barbara (Ruinas de la Ermita de Santa Barbara). 

A heavy duty post stands ready to block the entrance to the rest of the castle.

Sculptures are along the walls of the ruins.

Flowers accent the area and make for very pretty photos.

The old window shields remain.

The steep walkway led to the gift shop and another cafe.

Returning to the bus, the views were remarkable.  The blue sky and sea made it easy to stand and gaze.

The cobbled road had a gridded pattern filled with randomly placed stones.

View looking out over Alicante.

Click for more info on the Castillo de Santa Barbara

Alicante, Spain - Castillo de Santa Barbara

High on a hill overlooking Alicante sits the Castillo de Santa Barbara.  This was a great location to view the city, beaches, and the sea.  Obviously a great place to perch to defend the city also.

The road was narrow and the buses seemed to be very big.  The drivers are skilled negotiating the hairpin turns and passing each other.

We pass the fortress walls as we try to work our way closer to the entrance.

Too many buses in the top parking lot so our bus parks and we have to get out and walk the rest of the way up the hill.

The views are fantastic as I turn and look back towards the city.

This shows how tight the turns are on the road.

A block guard shack stands empty.

The sheer walls have held up very well.  Little plants have found a home in the walls.

I'm excited as I climb higher and catch a glimpse of the Sea.

I round what I think is the last bend, and find that there is just a bit more to go.

Another street cover for Nick.

This is the entranceway to the main plaza. Looks like a fun Pirates exhibit is coming soon.

The door at the entranceway was built to last.

The courtyard had some local artwork.  I'm trying to identify the artist, so please leave any information in the comments if you know about this work.

A W.C. sign...just in time.

A very nice patio with shaded picnic tables.  Perfect.

As I look over the wall to the south, I see the Crown Princess docked.  This ship would not be able to sneak up on the city!

 To the north is more of the city and the beaches.

Below is a nice white beach with hotels and condos.

I needed a little snack refreshment and a break.

Alicante, Spain - City Views

We took a small bus ride from the center of Alicante to Castillo de Santa Barbara.  Here is what was to be seen along the route.

Every city has an area that has been tagged with graffiti and is in need of repair.

 This was a drainage ditch, perhaps to take the water from infrequent rains to the sea.

Billboard and a shopping area.

This shot captured several things that I thought were interesting.  The Art piece, of course, stands out.  Also notice that the sign on the left indicates that a gas station is just ahead. And there is a solar powered sign. Very modern!

Some highrise apartments line the freeway.

A warning about a pedestrian crossing.

Taxi stand, and the entrance to underground parking.  People take a break under the trees in the park.

I catch my first glimpse of the Castillo de Santa Barbara, high on the hill.

My fascination with stoplights continues.  This has an extra red arrow and pedestrian sign.  What do you do with a green light and a stop sign??

Apartment buildings are very colorful with planted balconies.

This is a view over the city as we drive up the narrow roadway to Castillo de Santa Barbara.

I found another blogger who has visited the Alicante area.  Check out her blog for more photos.

Views from España: Alicante