APR-01: Alicante, Spain

Although the ROTTERDAM had to slow down going through the straits between Corsica and Sardinia due to high seas, the Captain was able to make up the lost time.  The ship arrived in Alicante on schedule. 

Tour Description:  Canelobre Caves & Alicante

Leaving the port area of Alicante you will discover that, despite the small matter of the Mediterranean Sea, the city of Alicante is historically and economically more in step with North Africa than with Spain. Your coach will cross the center of town en route to the Castle of Santa Barbara. You will stop here to visit the castle standing on Mt Benacantil—a rocky mass bordering the sea. Over the centuries, this area has been of enormous strategic value to Spain. From the beach, the mountain resembles a face and, for this reason, it is locally known as "the face of the Moor." It is an icon of the city of Alicante. Inside the castle, admire some interesting Iberian archeological findings and visit the best-preserved areas such as the Main Tower (Torre del Homenaje) and the Englishmen's bastions. Next, a walking tour leads you through Alicante’s charming Old Town, located at the foot of the imposing castle. From there, you will drive to Busot to visit the Canelobre Caves—a heritage site of the Valencian Autonomous Region. Within the cave is one of the highest vaulted ceilings of Spain—about 210 feet tall—similar to that of a cathedral. Admired the strange and beautiful natural works of art, including Medusa, the candelabros (from which the name of the caves derive) and a multitude of spectacular forms. Returning to Alicante, relax during a brief panoramic drive as you catch a glimpse of this bustling Mediterranean city and head back to the ship.

Tour Experience

The itinerary was reversed, so we drove through the countryside to Busot and up the mountain to the Canelobre Caves.  Having been fortunate enough to visit more impressive caves, we found the caves only modestly interesting.  There was a sign showing a camera with a red circle around it and a diagonal red line through it.  Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish.  (And the guide told us not to worry about the sign, it was a ploy to sell postcards.)

We wound our way down one mountain and back to Alicante where the bus climbed up another mountain to the Castle of Saint Barbara.  Between the two we passed vast greenhouses used to grow tomatoes. 

The best part of our visit to the castle was the views from the top.  Getting to the top was a significant climb from where the bus deposited us, but a lot better than walking up from the beach.

From the fort we went to the old section of Alicante, wandering some of the streets and squares.  We thanked our guide and bailed out of the tour to explore on our own.  We found a sidewalk restaurant where we ate paella and watched the locals.  Today was a Spanish holiday, so people were relaxed and enjoying the great weather.

We walked to the main boulevard along the waterfront, then along it to the beach where Pam put her feet in what she declared to be very cold water.  From there we walked back to the ship passing the Volvo Ocean Racing Museum and a dreadful open air marketplace.

When it came time to leave the tight quarters where ROTTERDAM was berthed and a 20 knot wind abeam holding her on the dock necessitated the help of two tugboats to get underway and clear the harbor entrance, stirring up a lot of bottom dirt while doing so.  Outside the harbor seas were calm and the evening warm with the sun setting later because European daylight savings time when into effect yesterday.