Latest news with #CostaBlanca
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Police storm Ryanair plane arriving in Alicante from UK after 'five passengers cause mid-air chaos'
Spanish police have stormed a Ryanair flight from Newcastle to Alicante after five passengers began causing chaos in mid-air. Air traffic controllers request police board the plane, a Boeing 737 flying from Newcastle International Airport to Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, after the five passengers began being disruptive. The pilot was given special permission to land the plane as soon as possible, which it did without incident. Local media reported that after the plane landed and cops got on to identify the offending passengers, each of them fully 'cooperated with the police at all times.' MailOnline has contacted Ryanair for comment. Alicante-Elche Airport serves several holiday hotspots on the Costa Blanca, including Benidorm. Known for their sunny skies and cheap drinks, Spanish towns like Benidorm have long attracted Brits. But with these long, booze-fuelled days in the sun comes the risk of conforming to the stereotype of the badly behaved Brit abroad. In March, a British tourist was seen causing chaos in a Benidorm KFC after footage captured her hurling a napkin folder at staff and shouting insults over the state of her chicken. Wearing a multi-coloured top and floral skirt, the purple-haired woman was spotted by another shocked customer as she launched tissues over the counter. She was seen repeatedly grabbing tissues from the holder while yelling at a worker stood behind a wall in the fast food restaurant. The woman picked up straws and other paper items left scattered across the counter as she carried out her foul-mouthed rant. She can be heard shouting about the 'f****** menu' and appears to tell the staff member to 'grow up' in her fit of rage. After picking up the last of the serviettes and straws, the woman decides to lift the entire holder before raising it over her head and tossing it over across the tabletop. The worker can be heard shrieking in the background as the enraged woman begins to back out of the eatery, yelling 'you c****' while leaving the restaurant. The post, captioned 'Only in Benidorm kicking off over chicken' raised questions about British tourist's behaviour on the Spanish seaside resort. One viewer wrote: 'Tell me again why Brits have a bad rep?'
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Costa Blanca roads turn into raging rivers as freak hail and rain storms lash Spanish holiday hotspot washing away cars
A freak hail and rain storm has struck southern Spain, leaving renowned tourist hotspots covered in ice and overrun with flood waters. Huge hailstones and heavy rain pelted parts of the Costa Blanca yesterday, forcing stunned holidaymakers to run for cover and turning roads into raging rivers. Almeria, Murcia, Granada, and parts of the Costa Blanca were placed under a yellow alert for heavy rain and 'potential hail' by state weather agency Aemet. The town of Librilla, in Murcia, was among the worst affected, with 37 litres of hail per metre squared falling on the municipality in just half an hour. Shocking video footage shows the streets submerged by fast-flowing floodwater as motorists try to navigate their way through the chaos. Idyllic beaches were turned from golden to white in a matter of minutes as chunks of ice blanketed the sand. It comes just days after Majorca was also battered by the extreme weather. Municipalities such as Manacor, Sant Llorenç and Sa Pobla were badly hit, but other parts of the islands were also engulfed in the deluge. Video clips circulating on social media showed how furniture and tiles on typically sun-soaked decking outside hotels and private flats were smashed by the hailstorms as holidaymakers cowered inside. Spain's state weather service AEMET issued yellow weather warnings for Majorca and Menorca, warning that up to 50 litres of rainfall per square metre drenched Manacor in just half an hour, triggering flash floods. The warnings were in place until the evening of May 13, as parts of the island faced between 60 and 70 litres of rainfall per square metre in two or three hours. The culprit behind the rare and destructive weather pattern was put down to what is known in Spain as 'DANA' - short for 'Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos' or 'Isolated Depression at High Levels'. These phenomena form when a pocket of cold air detaches from the jet stream over the Atlantic and settles over warmer Mediterranean air. The resulting clash in temperatures and pressures creates intense instability, often unleashing torrential rain, violent hailstorms, and flash floods over short periods. DANAs produce erratic and slow-moving storms which can dump enormous volumes of water and hail over the same region in hours. In Spain, where the ground is often dry and the infrastructure ill-prepared for flooding, these deluges can create havoc. The storm engulfing Majorca comes days after similar downpours punished towns in Valencia less than six months on from catastrophic flooding in the region which left more than 230 people dead. British holidaymakers were warned against travelling after first-sized hail hammered the popular region in eastern Spain on Thursday amid orange weather warnings by AEMET denoting 'significant danger'. The hailstorm and resulting floods gave way to chaotic scenes as Valencians rushed for cover in a month where daytime temperatures typically hover around 20 degrees Celsius. Scarcely believable footage showed how vehicles sustained damage from the hail as others became stuck amid ice floes several inches thick in Villar del Arzobispo, with residents powerless to free them. Other shocking clips circulating on social media showed the deluge gushing through the typically sun-kissed streets of Guadassequies and l'Olleria. The sudden storm heaped misery on the region's residents, many of whom lost their livelihoods in the historic 'cold drop' that occurred in October 2024, triggering massive flooding which killed 232 people. The authorities' perceived inadequacies in emergency preparation, communication and response to last year's weather phenomenon - referred to by the Spanish acronym DANA - left millions disillusioned.
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The best bars and nightlife in Alicante
As you might expect from this ebullient Spanish city, Alicante likes to go 'out, out'. Two main hotspots concentrate the nightlife action: the port, site of some seriously snazzy open-air clubs, and the so-called Barrio, an old-town zone heaving with drinking dens both rustic and ritzy. The noche might start with a tapas-based supper at a chiringuito on Postiguet beach before cocktails in the Barrio and, eventually, the dance floor at some harbourside club. Night fever kicks in late, with most discotecas opening at 11pm but not packing in the punters until the early hours. For more inspiration, see our guides to the perfect weekend in Alicante, and the best hotels, restaurants and things to do. Find nightlife by type: Best for cocktails NiC Combinados y Cocteles Often described as Alicante's best cocktail bar, NiC maintains the level of mixological excellence that made it a winner of the Spanish National Cocktail award in 2010. The locale's bright and cheerful schtick feels a world away from certain low-lit, high-concept coctelerías we could mention. On the cocktail menu timeless classics, impeccably prepared and presented, mix and mingle with original creations – Ginger Gaga, for instance, stimulatingly combines Santa Teresa rum with pineapple, ginger, blood orange, lemon juice and honey – and monthly menu makeovers keep things fresh. The price is nice, too: most drinks hover around the €10 mark. Contact: Getting in: walk-ins fine Price: ₤ Cuppola Cocktails and Tapas The latest and hippest of the city's rooftop venues belongs to the new hotel DormirDCine on Calle Gravina. Named for the number of domes visible from the top level location (not to mention the looming form of the Serra Grossa mountains, the harbour and art-deco Casa Carbonell), the bar has an exclusive vibe which on a good night feels like a cool pool party. The cocktail menu has a cinematic theme: El Padrino (The Godfather) pays homage to Fredo Corleone's favourite banana daiquiri. Best for dancing Metro Dance Club Originally founded in an old farmhouse on a roadside in rural Bigastro (province of Alicante) this electronic dance venue has been part of the underground Spanish club scene for more than 30 years. Stellar DJ guests of the magnitude of Richie Hawtin and Sven Vath (not to mention the club's high-tech installations and scary sound system) give Ibiza's Amnesia and Hi a run for their money. For summer 2024 Metro has a residency at Trips (La Manga) – take the free bus from Alicante and back, courtesy of the club. Canibal Lounge Pub Friendly, long-standing bar (founded in 1998) that's gay-oriented but not exclusively so, with a sea-breezy terraza spilling onto the palm-lined Explanada. Roland, host of Canibal along with Rubén, makes some of the best caipirinhas and mojitos in town. Weekend afternoons are ideal for a spot of laidback tardeo (day-time drinking por la tarde, Alicante-style) on the shady terrace. As evening turns to night you'll want to nip inside the bar – which is lit up in campy day-glo colours – for a boogie to Canibal's crowd-pleasing selection of 1980s pop and disco favourites. Contact: 00 34 659 498064; Getting in: walk in Opening times: Mon-Sun, 5.30pm-3.30am Price: £ Marmarela One of several clubs by the water's edge, on a pier jutting out from the harbour with views of the city and Santa Bárbara castle, Marmarela's open-air dance floor is fanned by sea breezes, with an infinity pool for when things get too hot and bothered. The music policy is varied but gets harder and more up-to-date as sunrise approaches. (Certain well-known Ibiza DJs have been seen on the decks here.) With a generous closing time of 7am every night of the week, Marmarela makes a suitable end to your long night's journey into day. Confetti Classics After nearly three decades Confetti is still Alicante's leading nightlife brand specialising in indie music (both of the UK/US variety and the enthusiastic Spanish take on the genre). At its old-town HQ on downtown calle Médico Pascual Pérez, the main room hosts live shows and DJ sets while a smaller space, La Selva, goes a bit more hardcore with grungy electro and indie dance. Never less than friendly despite its loud and garrulous Spanish twentysomething crowd, Confetti is a fun night out. Contact: Getting in: no reservation needed Price: ₤ Insider tip: there's a sister venue, Confetti Playa, in nearby San Juan. Pepito Brillo Cabaret and dinner/dance venues are alive and well in Spain despite the dubious rep of such places elsewhere. Born in the pandemic, Pepito Brillo in Playa de San Juan has earned itself a permanent place in local hearts thanks to its slick and ingenious entertainments – best of which are the high-kicking, sequinned burlesque of 'The Show Must Go On' (Saturdays, twice daily) and the flamenco nights on Sundays, after which a DJ spins golden oldies until the early hours. Forget the French champagne – an excellent Gramona Imperial cava is a steal at €31.50 the bottle. Best for mingling with locals Punta Piedra Here's a beach club with a major plus point: getting there and back involves no more than a pleasant stroll from your lodgings in downtown Alicante. Punta Piedra comprises 3000 square metres of prime seaside space: the terraza with its palms and sail-like awnings is frankly gorgeous. You could almost be in Ibiza, though the crowd is less wealthy bohos and more dressed-up, fun-loving locals. Indoors, things take a smarter turn, with a restaurant helmed by fêted alicantino chef Pablo Montoro. Contact: Getting in: reservations advised, or get there early Price: ₤₤ Nalú Find more fun-loving beachside nightlife at this open-air disco, misleadingly self-described as a beach club despite its location within the light-industrial surroundings of Alicante's commercial port. A well-turned-out 30-something crowd, with visitors rubbing elbows with locals, disports itself among the palm trees, hammocks and hanging lights. A dip in the pool might be just what the doctor ordered on a steamy Mediterranean night. If the techno-house begins to tire, take a jetski (available for hire at the club) for a spin around the harbour. Contact: Getting in: dress up, queue on the door Price: ₤₤ Lamamba This civilised locale on old-town Calle Castaños, beating heart of central Alicante's party zone, is a textbook example of what Spaniards call a 'pub' – nothing to do with our own dear public house, but a bar where combinados (mixed drinks) are the order of the night. Lamamba's opening hours, 1pm to 1.30am at weekends, make this a prime site for tardeo – the fashion for daytime partying, supposedly born in Alicante and popular with an older Spanish crowd. A table on the streetside terraza, with a goldfish-bowl-sized G&T to work your way through, is a fine plan for a weekend afternoon. How we choose Every bar, venue or experience in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from casual pubs to exquisite cocktail bars – to best suit every type of traveller – and consider the service, drinks, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Paul Richardson fled the UK for Spain in 1989, alighting first in Ibiza, then remote Extremadura where he now lives off-grid on an organic farm. Read about it in his latest book Hidden Valley (Abacus).
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Telegraph
The perfect weekend in Alicante, Spain's overlooked coastal city
The arrivals board at Alicante Airport reads like a roll-call of European cities, yet the city itself (Alacant, in its official Catalan form) is hardly one of the best-known places in Spain. It sounds like a paradox but it isn't. Because despite being a handsome provincial capital with an idiosyncratic culture and personality, it's too often bypassed by the turísticos heading straight for the resorts of the nearby Costa Blanca. Alicante has two major reference points: the harbour, and the imposing crags of Benacantil and Serra Grossa. In between lie the former fishing quarter of Santa Cruz, the grand Baroque buildings of the old town, and the busy downtown zone with its tapas bars, restaurants and cervecerías. Add to the mix an appetising food scene, hospitable locals and a climate offering year-round sunshine (no fewer than 320 days of sun for every 365, to be precise) and Alicante becomes a superlative destination in its own right. For more Alicante inspiration, see our guides to the best hotels, restaurants, bars and things to do. In this guide How to spend your weekend How to get there and how to get around When to go Where to stay Know before you go How to spend your weekend Day one: morning There's no better place from which to get your bearings than the ramparts of the Moorish Santa Bárbara castle, high on the dust-coloured peak of Benacantil, with its huge views of the sprawling old town, the harbour and the wine-dark Mediterranean beyond. (Avoid the steep climb to the castle walls by taking the lift behind El Postiguet beach: it whisks you straight to the top.) After a leisurely visit, pick your way down the hill towards Avenida de Jaime II and the Mercado Central de Abastos, downtown Alicante's main produce market and a glorious 1922 building in brick decorated with coloured tiles. Look out for regional specialities such as cured tuna mojama, almond-based turrón de Xixona, and fish from the ports of Dénia and Santa Pola.
