El Barrio, Alicante- Tourism

Highlights:

-AYUNTAMIENTO (Town Hall)
-CONCATEDRAL DE SAN NICOLÁS (San Nicolás Cathedral)
-BARRIO DE SANTA CRUZ (Santa Cruz Neighborhood)
-IGLESIA DE SANTA MARÍA (Santa María Church)
-BARRIO SANTA CRUZ (Santa Cruz Neighborhood)
-ERMITA DE SANTA CRUZ (Hermitage of Santa Cruz)
-ERMITA DE SAN ROQUE (Hermitage of San Roque)
-ARCHIVO PROVINCIAL (Municipal Archives) - Roman necropolis ruins
-CONVENTO AGUSTINO DE LA SANGRE (Augustine Convent)

alicante city hallThe best way to see and discover the colorful nooks and crannies of El Barrio is to start off at the Ayuntamiento, the axle around which the rest of El Barrio is situated. Once you tear yourself away from the Ayuntamiento's elegant architecture typical of its baroque roots, the sheer quantity of things to see- churches, convents, historical buildings, noble palaces, white-washed houses and much more- packed into the surrounding area nearby will both shock and delight you.

san nicolas cathedralHeading up from the Ayuntamiento via the Calle de San Agustín, veer left to see the impressive San Nicolás Cathedral or continue straight on to one of the city's oldest plazas, the intimate Plaza de Quijano. Make a stop on your tourism trail in the lovely Plaza de San Roque, situated just a stone's throw away from Plaza de Quijano and home to the city's revered 16th century Hermita de San Roque. If you choose instead to venture down the Calle Villavieja, another street stemming off from the Ayuntamiento, you'll quickly arrive to the Plaza de Santa María and the fascinating 13th century Iglesia de Santa María- it's by far Alicante's oldest church and built right upon the spot where the old mosque had stood during Islamic rule.

Be sure to check out the Archivo Municipal, a spend some time strolling through the picturesque and romantic Santa Cruz. Creeping up the side of Mount Benacantil's base, the white-washed buildings, wrought-iron gates and potted flowers of El Barrio's Santa Cruz will have you wondering if you've been transported to Sevilla's own Santa Cruz neighborhood. In this enchanting area, you'll also come across the beloved 18th century Ermita de Santa Cruz, which bears the same name as the plaza in which it sits.