There is a city bathed by the gentle waves of the Mediterranean Sea; Moors and Christians shared it for centuries, experiencing times of war and peace. Throughout all that time, the hill of this place was crowned with a fortress, Santa Bárbara Castle. Little remains of the castle now, but the ruins of that site preserve a history that cannot be erased by the passage of time. Anyone wishing to explore it will have to feel a bit of a sweat climbing Mount Benacantil in Alicante, either by taking the stairs through the Santa Cruz neighbourhood or by taking the crowded bus that leads to the top of the hill.
Well, there is also the option of taking the elevator that ascends inside the mountain. But that is not fun. And it is quite expensive.
So, guess which path we took when visiting this castle? 😁
I know this was not a very difficult question so that is right, like any spirited (in mind, but not so much in body) explorer, we chose the path on foot that led us up the stairs towards the blue views over the sea and the yellowish views over the city.
It wouldn't be anything strange or challenging... if it wasn't in the middle of summer when we decided to do that walk to the castle using our own strength. And with my parents-in-law. They didn't complain; however, the thought that we should have taken the elevator came to my mind a few times. They are not young anymore, as neither are we, but it seems that they liked the city and the challenge of seeing these charming streets despite the hot summer day and the difficulty of climbing many stairs.
One of the interesting details you can see in these streets is the presence of many flower pots in front of the houses. Almost all the houses had many plants standing there as guardians, day and night. But one of the houses had a really impressive collection of blue pots. So outstanding.
Among the plants, there was a board stating that La casa de las macetas azules (The House of the Blue Flower Pots) receives more than 200,000 visitors each year. I am not sure if they mean entering the house or just passing by it... but this is the proof I was at least in front of it. And you also have the opportunity to do that!!
Have you heard where the Hive Open Days '26 will be held?
...here... in Alicante!!
And... have you heard that there is a chance to win a tandem jump as well?
A jump? 😱
I completely understand if you are scared of that. How wouldn't you? I also saw those guys who are standing guard with weapons pointed at those who want to try a tandem jump.
Especially this one!
Cannons were also prepared on the edges of the walls of this fortress. It seems that they had heard about our Hive event in advance and are waiting for us with arms for some unknown reason.
But worry you not! I can take this risk and save you all from any possible fear of the tandem jump thingy. I will gladly do it, maybe together with @tinabrezpike, we will be the volunteers for this activity, right Tina? 😁
In any case, now you know. Next year, from April 30 to May 3, this Hive meetup will take place in Alicante, Spain. Last year, we had a great time in Graz, Austria. I still haven't posted about all the places we visited there but those who were there will know that I tell the truth when I say we had an awesome time together. I hope to see all those who came to Graz, but also to meet new people. Anyone who fancies some sunny days in early May (I hope it will be sunny, but you can never know with the weather) is kindly invited. 🌞
Some activities are already scheduled; if you follow @buzzparty, you can see several posts already announcing them, but if you still have some free time, you can also explore around in the city with other Hivers outside of the officially scheduled activities. Alicante is not so big, so you can't really get lost.
If you happen to climb this same path I did with my husband and my parents-in-law, you will found yourslef in the old fortress. As I mentioned, unfortunately, it is not completely preserved.
Even though these guys tried to save the place, there is not much to see if you expect to find a real castle and a well-preserved fortress.
This arch is what is left from an old church...
However, some buildings had the luck to survive the time when the fortress suffered its major destruction in the War of the Spanish Succession, which happened at the beginning of the 18th century.
Other parts, like some towers and walls, were partially restored with newer bricks, so we can clearly see the difference between the old and newer building materials.
The paths between the trees are very cool though. Especially this part was pleasant, to walk in a bit of shade.
Once on the upper part, you can enjoy the views of the sea and or the city itself. The majority of people like to take photos from this viewpoint, called Garita de la Campana.
When we arrived there, there was a little queue. Everyone wanted to have their moments of standing there and taking a photo. We did it too. 😉
From there, you can enjoy the different spots around the harbour and the northern part of the city. Behind this little hill, there is a very famous beach, Playa de San Juan.
And these are the views toward the harbour and the city of Santa Pola. The day I took these photos was not so clear, so we can't see Tabarca Island in this photo, although it is also there. Somewhere. 😆
When we came down to the city (this time with the elevator going down - it is free of charge in this direction haha), we could appreciate once again the view of the castle. Huh, that was a good walk uphill. 😅
If you would like to meet other Hivers and spend a few days here around, Hive Open Days is a way to do so. Maybe you would like to participate in the contest for the tandem jump as well? Great - here are the requirements that @buzzparty suggests in this post:
-Buy your symbolic entry ticket
-Write a post about the event
-Use the tag #HODAlicante
-Be one of the first 25 people to do so
So... see you here in Alicante in 2026?
