Gran Alacant is a group of urbanizations located in the Spanish municipality of Santa Pola, on a small hill on the Mediterranean coast, near Carabassi Beach. The north area borders the beach and the town of Arenales del Sol; the west area is limited by the N-332 road and the El Clot de Galvany natural park. The Gran Alacant area is separated by a forest area of several kilometres from the central areas of Santa Pola.

The nearest airport is in Alicante, just 11 km from Gran Alacant (15 minutes by car or 30 minutes by bus). You can also reach Murcia airport, which is located 70 km from Gran Alacant, and it takes 1 hour by car.

Gran Alacant: history

The history of Gran Alacant goes back to a simple fishing village, which gradually became a modern Mediterranean urbanization. Its number of inhabitants has increased proportionally: in 2000, the population was 1012 inhabitants and in 2010 it grew to 9973 inhabitants. At present, around 10 thousand people are registered in Gran Alacant, mainly foreigners: English, Scandinavian and other European citizens. One of the main advantages of Gran Alacant is that there are no disadvantaged areas here. In addition, in almost any establishment (shops, pharmacies, restaurants, etc.) there is English speaker staff, so there are no communication problems for foreigners who speak this language.

The advantages of Gran Alacant in order to live and spend the holidays

Gran Alacant, Alicante: full description of the area

So why is Gran Alacant such an attractive district for tourists and homebuyers? First of all, this is a very green, comfortable and well-kept district, which consists mainly of charming white houses, cosy bungalows and duplexes, as well as luxury villas. The area of the closed residential complexes has everything necessary to live a pleasant and carefree life: swimming pools, playgrounds for children, sports areas, tennis courts, green areas, shops and restaurants for all tastes, car parks, etc. In addition, each of the urbanizations has its own name, which are usually very original and beautiful: El Sueño Azul (the blue dream), El Olivo de Oro (the golden olive tree), Mirador del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Viewpoint), and Vista Bahía (Bay View), and many more.

Gran Alacant: beaches and tourist attractions

If we talk about the tourist attractions of Gran Alacant, the main one is the beautiful Carabassí beach, with a length of around a kilometre. Carabassí stretches among sand dunes and it is surrounded by beautiful green areas. The beach is conveniently provided with walkways and wooden bridges for easy access. You can walk along these walkways to the lighthouse and the viewpoint, from where stunning views of the sea and the Tabarca island may be observed.
Also, around the lighthouse there are cycling and hiking trails. However, sometimes it is nice to simply lie on the beach with a beach umbrella and a sunbed (if you do not have your own you can rent them on the beach). Families often come to the beach of Carabassí for relaxing: golden sand, calm sea, fresh breeze and a total calming atmosphere. In addition, naturism lovers may go to a nudist beach very close to here. Also, next to Carabassí Beach, there are many bars to enjoy snacks and refreshments in the heat of summer.

There are many means of transport to reach the beach: private transport, urban buses and the tourist train.

Gran Alacant: infrastructure and transport

The public transport network in Gran Alacant is well developed: there are three intercity bus routes and one urban route:

  • Santa Pola – Gran Alacant – Alicante Line. This line crosses Gran Alacant to Santa Pola (Alicante), and passes through Alicante Elche airport, the University of Alicante and San Vicente. You can find more details about the schedules here.
  • Airport – University – San Vicente Line. This is the line that goes from Gran Alacant to the Alicante-Elche airport and the University of Alicante in San Vicente. You can find more information about the schedules here.
  • Gran Alacant – Elche Hospital Line. This line departs from Gran Alacant, passes through the Santa Pola bus station, towards the Elche General Hospital and the Elche bus station. You can find more information about the schedules here.
  • Gran Alacant city bus. The Gran Alacant city bus runs every 20 minutes in summer and every 30 minutes in winter. You may visit all the main streets of Gran Alacant and reach the Carabassi and Arenales del Sol beaches. You can find more details about the schedules here.
  • Tourist train. A tourist train that runs a circular route of 12 stops in Gran Alacant. All the information here.

Currently, the infrastructure of Gran Alacant is quite attractive: in addition to small shops, stores and a wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops, it also includes:

The tourist office

Tourists will find here a lot of useful information about the attractions and services of Gran Alacant. Open only in summer.

  • Address: Avda. Escandinavia 31, Gran Alacant (Santa Pola)
  • Schedule: Mondays to Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Tuesdays to Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Post Office

  • Address: at the intersection of Avenida de Escandinavia and Avenida del Mediterráneo, Gran Alacant (Santa Pola)
  • Schedule: Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Public library with internet access – Biblioteca Internacional

  • Address: Avenida Escandinavia, 31 Gran Alacant (Santa Pola)
  • Telephone: +34 966 69 71 10
  • Customer service hours: Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 09: 30h to 13: 30h.

The state school CEIP DOÑA VICENTA RUSO

There are currently 900 children enrolled in this school.

  • Address: Avd. Noruega 159, Gran Alacant (Santa Pola).

Medical Centre

The Gran Alacant doctor’s office, where you can get medical advice from a therapist or paediatrician.

  • Address: Avda. Escandinavia 31, Gran Alacant (Santa Pola)
  • Telephone: +34 966 91 23 60.

The local market

Every Thursday in Gran Alacant, as in many other cities on the Costa Blanca, residents can take advantage of the local market (Mercadillo Generalista), in order to buy fresh vegetables and fruits, shoes and some clothes, household items, etc. In the Mercadillo Generalista area there is also the flea market or second-hand market, where you can buy antiques and cute trinkets to decorate the home or other things.

  • Address: Avda. Escandinavia 61, Gran Alacant (Santa Pola)
  • Schedule: every Thursday (grocery market) and the third Sunday of each month the flea market, from 08:00h to 14:00h.

In addition, in Gran Alacant there are:

  • Town hall.
  • Police station.
  • Pharmacy.
  • A sport centre.
  • Shopping centres.

Housing in Gran Alacant

Gran Alacant, Alicante: full description of the area
Despite the apparent prosperity and solidity of the area, buying a dream home at an affordable price in this beautiful corner is not that difficult. The average price of housing in Gran Alacant is € 1591 / m2, according to December 2019 data from the Idealista web portal. The most expensive areas are Gran Vista-Olivo de Oro (€ 1681 / m2) and Monte Faro-Altomar (€ 1646 / m2). On the contrary, the cheapest housing can be found in Panorama-Sierramar (€ 1521 / m2) and in the lighthouse area – Puerto Marino (€ 1541 / m2).

It should be noted that the high housing prices in the expensive areas of Gran Alacant is mainly due to their high prestige. Since, in any of the other areas of this district you can find spacious and modern-designed apartments; sea view or mountain view bungalows; and lovely villas with private pool. That is to say, you can find housing of similar characteristics but cheaper.

The price of an apartment located in one of the most expensive urbanizations, Gran Vista-Olivo de Oro, starts from € 74 200 (two-bedroom homes with an area of ​​69 m²). From € 89 000, you can buy a three-bedroom apartment of 90 m². A villa with garage has a price from € 110 000 in this area; a three-bedroom house with sea views and swimming pool from € 165 000 (December 2019 data from the Idealista web portal).

The price of a two-bedroom apartment with an area of ​​75 m² located in the Panorama-Sierramar area, starts from € 80 000. From € 81 800, you can buy a three-bedroom 52 m² apartment. A villa has a price from € 78 000 in this area; a three-bedroom sea view house with swimming pool – from € 99 000 (December 2019 data from the Idealista web portal).

In summary, buying a property in Gran Alacant is beneficial, not only for the purpose of permanent residence, but also for investment: there are no hotels in the city, so apartments, houses and bungalows are excellent for tourist rental purposes.

Do you want to live in a beautiful, safe and respectable area near the sea? Gran Alacant is a wonderful corner with an atmosphere of serenity, and it is perfect for permanent or holiday residence. You may find real estate offers in this area in our catalogue or by contacting our specialists, who will help you choose the best property in Gran Alacant according to your preferences.

 

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